Ask for a printout of exactly what you’ll be paying before handing over any cash - and be sure to know the current exchange rate. This will help ensure you have strong travel dollars on your trip.Īlso, be very wary of buying them at your departure airport back in the States. Understand from your bank what exchange rate you’ll be given and whether or not they’ll be taking a commission or adding a service charge. However, do your best to not get taken for a ride by your bank (and avoid these other costly mistakes before your trip to Europe). If you’ve made it this far in the article and you’re still nervous about traveling without any euros in your pocket, by all means, pick some up ahead of time - it’s not worth worrying about, especially if it’ll prevent you from relaxing and enjoying your flight. Again, it would be a good idea to research the airport services in advance.
If, however, you’re somehow landing into a really off-the-beaten-path regional airport, ATM services might be limited. If you’re arriving into another airport, visit the official website of the airport and you’ll be able to check on ATM and bank services, along with public transit options. Venice Marco Polo: Bancomat in the arrivals hall.Ĭlick the links above to visit the airport websites and read more.Paris Charles De Gaulle: 25 HSBC ATMs throughout the terminals.London Heathrow: Many ATM options to pick up some GBP.Barcelona-El Prat Airport: Many ATMs for 5 different Spanish banks in both terminals.Amsterdam Schiphol: ABN AMRO Bank has 8 locations in the terminals.If you’re flying from the States to Europe, you’re most likely landing in a major European destination (including all capital cities). This brings up a point worth addressing: Into which airport are you arriving? However, it’s worth noting that this string of circumstances will probably not apply to airports into which you’d initially be touching down in Europe. (It’s always a good idea to bring some along for emergencies.) If you find yourself in this unlikely situation, you can head over to the counter and cash in some US dollars. If, for some crazy reason, all the ATMs at the airport are broken (I’m tossing aside the possibility of “non-existent”, as I’ve never heard of, nor landed in, a major European airport that didn’t have an ATM), or more likely, there’s just a really long line, you can always use your credit card to get into town (via public transportation or taxi) and from there go to a bank ATM.īut what happens if the airport doesn’t have an ATM and you can’t, for some reason, buy a ticket into town or pay for a taxi with your credit card? Well, chances are very strong that they’ll still have a currency exchange counter.
I know, this doesn’t really do much to calm the nerves, right? What happens if you wind up in a vulnerable position? What if the ATM machine in the airport is broken, non-existent, or has an impossibly long line? Instead, make sure your debit card will work abroad and head straight to the nearest bank ATM once you’ve arrived at the airport to take out euros.Īnd for the most part, that’s that. And, for the most part, they’re unnecessary. Unless you have a great bank that doesn’t charge for the service - and gives real exchange rates, not lousy inflated rates - those euros will be overpriced. In most cases for Americans heading off to major European destinations, my answer is to just say “no” to buying euros in advance in the States. But first, my general rule of thumb: Generally speaking… no need. It’s a great question - and it depends upon on a few factors. So should you buy euros before leaving? And if so, where? Naturally, the thought of leaving for a foreign country without a single piece of foreign currency in your pocket can be an unnerving one. To submit your questions or ideas, or to simply learn more about CareerTrend, contact us ().Americans heading off on a trip to Europe often wonder whether or not they should buy euros back home before taking off. This article was written by the CareerTrend team, copy edited and fact checked through a multi-point auditing system, in efforts to ensure our readers only receive the best information. Rick Steves: Cash and Currency Tips for Europe.
0 kommentar(er)
