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Started By
Message
Best place to gert Euros for upcoming trip to Italy?
Posted on 1/13/20 at 5:03 am
Posted on 1/13/20 at 5:03 am
Leaving in under two weeks. Fees?
TIA.
TIA.
11
Posted on 1/13/20 at 5:06 am to LSUPhreaK
The ATM at the airport when you arrive using a credit card with no foreign transaction fee..... I normally arrive at the airport and while I wait for my luggage I use the ATM. Take out 200-300 Euro and good to go. Then on my way home if I have a decent amount left I exchange it back to USD unless I decide to give Euro's to nieces and nephews so they can have some foreign money.
If you ABSOLUTELY have to have before you leave go to the bank and make a request or head to MSY and do an exchange at one of the Kiosk.
If you ABSOLUTELY have to have before you leave go to the bank and make a request or head to MSY and do an exchange at one of the Kiosk.
This post was edited on 1/13/20 at 5:08 am
Posted on 1/13/20 at 6:15 am to tduecen
quote:
credit card with no foreign transaction fee.....
Nooooo......NOT a credit card. Use A debit card. Using a credit card to withdraw cash is a cash advance, which is expensive as hell. For example, my Chase Sapphire Reserve charges $10 per cash advance, and 26% interest, which begins accruing immediately (unlike purchases, which have a 30 day grace period).
Use a debit card to pull money out of your bank account.
Use a no forex fee credit card for your purchases in country. But don’t ever use a credit card to get cash.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 9:04 am to LSUPhreaK
Go to your bank, and they will order the Euros. May take a few business days.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 9:38 am to hungryone
quote:
Nooooo......NOT a credit card. Use A debit card. Using a credit card to withdraw cash is a cash advance, which is expensive as hell. For example, my Chase Sapphire Reserve charges $10 per cash advance, and 26% interest, which begins accruing immediately (unlike purchases, which have a 30 day grace period).
Use a debit card to pull money out of your bank account.
This, and on site when you arrive with your debit card from a local ATM in the airport. Don't sweat about having local currency especially euros.
Tons of airports in Europe have bank ATM stations, where its just a stall in the airport with like 10 ATMs. I've never seen something like this in the USA, but they are all over Europe in major shopping areas and airports.
All major airports will have a currency exchange especially for euros and dollars. No reason to sweat this anymore like 15 years ago or more.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 9:43 am to LSUPhreaK
You will generally get the best exchange rate at an ATM in country. Just do it there. There's really no need to do it in advance.
Just let your credit card company and bank know you are traveling so they don't freeze.
Just let your credit card company and bank know you are traveling so they don't freeze.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 9:51 am to LSUPhreaK
As others have said, ATM at the airport. I go while waiting for bags or connecting flight.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 10:08 am to tduecen
quote:
The ATM at the airport when you arrive using a credit card with no foreign transaction fee....
Bad suggestion. The ATMs at airports are all currency-exchanged owned and give horrible rates. Add your credit card fees on top of that and you could be losing 25-35%
Best bang for your buck is preorder from your bank a few weeks before, or just use a real banks ATM machine in Italy with your debit card.
You won’t need much, most places accept credit cards (very few accept Discover/Amex)
quote:
Tons of airports in Europe have bank ATM stations, where its just a stall in the airport with like 10 ATMs. I've never seen something like this in the USA, but they are all over Europe in major shopping areas and airports.
Once again you are getting bad advice on this thread. Every ATM at the airport is owned by the currency exchanges and the rate that they give you will be way way off.
Go to a legitimate banks ATM in Italy to get the best fee with your debit card
Now if it’s about convenience, and not about he money, then currency exchanges/atms at the airport work
This post was edited on 1/13/20 at 10:14 am
Posted on 1/13/20 at 10:16 am to LSUPhreaK
We order our Euro at home and use a no foreign transaction fee credit card in Italy for most purchases. We only use the Euro at the infrequent places where a credit card might be accepted or for small purchases and taxis.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 10:24 am to LoneStarRanger
quote:
Best bang for your buck is preorder from your bank a few weeks before, or just use a real banks ATM machine in Italy with your debit card.
This is a royal PITA to do, and its laughable you think this is inexpensive. My bank tried to to charge me a lot to do this like 10% of 200 and furthermore it can take up to 2 weeks.
quote:
Once again you are getting bad advice on this thread. Every ATM at the airport is owned by the currency exchanges and the rate that they give you will be way way off.
Go to a legitimate banks ATM in Italy to get the best fee with your debit card
This is not true at all from my experience, first I get free ATM use. 2ndly, I'm talking about something like a Deutch Bank ATM in the airport. I don't know what ATM you are talking about? The fees have never been any different then any other ATM I have used for an actual bank ATM.
Lastly, we aren't talking about getting 5,000 euros here. If you want that, sure order it ahead of time. I'm talking about getting 200 euros for things like a taxi, train, etc. There's absolutely no reason to waste time worrying about getting money before leaving. If you go to a local bank ATM when you arrive, it will be the easiest/ cheapest for your effort.
This post was edited on 1/13/20 at 10:25 am
Posted on 1/13/20 at 10:41 am to baldona
quote:
This is not true at all from my experience, first I get free ATM use. 2ndly, I'm talking about something like a Deutch Bank ATM in the airport. I don't know what ATM you are talking about? The fees have never been any different then any other ATM I have used for an actual bank ATM.
Lastly, we aren't talking about getting 5,000 euros here. If you want that, sure order it ahead of time. I'm talking about getting 200 euros for things like a taxi, train, etc. There's absolutely no reason to waste time worrying about getting money before leaving. If you go to a local bank ATM when you arrive, it will be the easiest/ cheapest for your effort.
Yeah, and pretty much every major travel guide tells you to just wait and do the ATM.
I used to do the order from my bank because my wife worked at a bank at the time and we were young, inexperienced travelers.
But then I realized that I could just walk up to an ATM, and get it and it would be about the same without the hassle.
shite, even total squares like Rick Steves advise people to do this.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 10:51 am to LoneStarRanger
quote:
The ATMs at airports are all currency-exchanged owned and give horrible rates.
Not all of them but you do have to pay attention to which one you are using which can be difficult after an overnight flight. Regardless, if we need euros, we will take out 100 euros from an airport ATM as even if its a Travelex owned ATM that gives you a shitty exchange rate, its only 100 euros. Another tip, when using your credit card anywhere, you will often be given the option to pay using dollars vs. euros. Dont choose dollars as then you are getting the exchange rate set by the processing company which will be shitty. Always choose to pay in euros and then your own credit card company will use a set exchange rate that is closer to the actual exchange rate.
Avoid "independent" ATMs, such as Travelex, Euronet, Moneybox, Your Cash, Cardpoint, and Cashzone. These have high fees and may try to trick users with "dynamic currency conversion." Note that these "independent" ATMs are often found next to bank ATMs in the hope that travelers will be too confused to notice the difference. Their mahcines may even have signs that scream "Free Cash Withdrawals" — don't believe it.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 10:53 am to LoneStarRanger
quote:
Every ATM at the airport is owned by the currency exchanges and the rate that they give you will be way way off.
Absolutely wrong. There are indeed bank owned ATM machines at FCO (and every other international airport I've visited). Just be smart enough to figure out which ones are owned by a ForEx firm vs. an actual bank ATM. Look for the name of a bank on the machine....not some generic, "get money here" or currency exchange labeling.
That said, I have on at least two occasions landed at FCO after a long Italian holiday weekend to find ALL of the bank ATMs completely out of cash. Fortunately, the ticket machines at the train platform take credit cards, and it was easy enough to get euros out of a bank machine after I arrived in the city center.
(Usually, I have 15-20 euros in coin/small bills left over from my last trip, so I don't arrive without enough money to buy a coffee from the coffee bar at the train platform. It is one of my arrival rituals--a 1 euro drinkable proof that God is Italian.)
Posted on 1/13/20 at 11:12 am to LSUPhreaK
In Italy airport of your choice. No question
Posted on 1/13/20 at 11:52 am to Fun Bunch
I notified them last week. Thanks.
Posted on 1/13/20 at 7:09 pm to LSUPhreaK
I always like to have currency of the country I’m visiting before landing. You never know what can happen.
Posted on 1/14/20 at 12:07 am to kciDAtaE
quote:
You never know what can happen.
It does depend on your personality. Some people need to have euros before they leave the US and some people don't.
Posted on 1/14/20 at 8:40 am to Zappas Stache
If you know you don't need Euros to get from the airport to your lodging (eg you know Uber works at the airport or you have a shuttle) then just go to a real bank's ATM near your lodging.
Clarify with your bank what the "rules of engagement" are for your debit card. I bank with a small credit union, and they reimburse me for $20 of ATM fees per month (so I planned to make no more than five withdrawals.)
Clarify with your bank what the "rules of engagement" are for your debit card. I bank with a small credit union, and they reimburse me for $20 of ATM fees per month (so I planned to make no more than five withdrawals.)
Posted on 1/14/20 at 10:05 am to Sheep
quote:
Clarify with your bank what the "rules of engagement" are for your debit card. I bank with a small credit union, and they reimburse me for $20 of ATM fees per month (so I planned to make no more than five withdrawals.)
Excellent point. Another data point: max withdrawal from Italian machines is 250 euros. So if you're expecting to pay a big hotel bill in cash, you may need to get cash multiple times.
I try to stick to credit cards as much as possible & save the cash for small shops, street vendors, small purchases in cafes, etc.
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