You can use foreign cash or your credit card though your card company may charge you a conversion fee. If you bank with one of the large money center banks like Citi you can use your US ATM card at a Citi ATM in England or Germany or wherever without a conversion fee.
Stay away from conversion services because they all charge you a fee. You can travel there with dollars in you r pocket and convert them as you need them. Generally, the rate of exchange is the same whether you cash in your dollars for Euros at a bank or even at your hotel. Last summer I took $500 to China in $100 dollar bills; some of my fellow travelers bought US travelers checks (and paid a small percentage). We all just cashed them at the hotel at the daily exchange rate. You didn't say when you plan to travel. Assuming it's summer and assuming you have some budget for how much to spend while you're there and you think the dollar is going to continue to lose ground to the Euro between now and then you could buy your Euros now instead of waiting until you get to Europe in three months. Today a Euro (as of a minute ago) would cost you $1.56356. Exactly a year ago that same Euro cost $1.36475. That's a 14.5% drop in a year or 1.21% per month. If this rate of fall holds, Euros you buy today to spend in July will save you 2.42%. You can buy Euros at the major banks (Wachovia, BofA, Citi) -- just call your branch to make sure they have the currency on hand. -Mike __________________ Michel David Lowe > -----Original Message----- > From: Computer Guys Discussion List [mailto:COMPUTERGUYS- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of rlsimon > Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:48 AM > To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM > Subject: [CGUYS] Cash in the EU > > Does anyone know if the best way to get spending cash in the EU while on > travel from the US is to use a bank card or charge card at an ATM as far as > rate of exchange, etc.?? > > > ************************************************************************* > ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** > ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** > ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
