Headed on a cruise to Europe... where do I get Euros??

[garlinn]

Check with your bank. Many banks have affiliate banks where you can use the ATM with no fee.

[MisterBill99]

That way you will pay exchange premium twice. Barcelona airport, like all international airports in Europe has several different banks' ATM's -- you will want the Euros to pay for local transportation.

This is definitely the best idea. And if you have time and do not mind opening a new bank account. get a Charles Schwab Bank checking account. They do not charge the 3% exchange fee, AND do not charge for using other bank's ATM's (and if there is a fee, they will refund it, even the $6 charge for using the ATM on the ship!). When we were in Europe a few years ago I used it all over the place. Also get a Capital One credit card which does not charge the exchange fee and use that whenever possible (Schwab used to have one but they discontinued it).

[sjmastran]

I'm taking a Med cruise in a few short weeks leaving from Barcelona and headed to France & Italy - the only issue I'm having is figuring out where to exchange my dollars to Euros.

 

This is my first time visiting Europe so I have never had to exchange money. I will be catching a flight to Barcelona from the NJ/NYC area -- any suggestions on where I should go?

Hello,

I'm in the exact boat you were in a few months ago. We leave from Ma arrive in Barcelona. In a few weeks then to a cruise. Can you offer any advice on what you did regarding the purchase of euros...from home at airport on port days? Where the ATMs difficult to find?

We too have a capital one card and bank with bank of America.

I'm so confused and overwhelmed by this euro purchase. Thank you very much

[Poppet1964]

We order online before we go

https://www.wellsfargo.com/foreignexchange/

 

This is what I did as well. I'm planning private excursions and paying for 3 (myself and my 2 daughters), and they only accept Euro at the end of the tour, so I need quite a bit. More than I expect I can get from an ATM each day.

 

I exchanged enough through Wells Fargo to cover the excursions with some left over. They fedex'd the Euro directly to my home. If I need more, I'll go the ATM route. I specifically opened a Capital One Direct Banking account to get their Debit card to avoid foreign transaction fees if I do need to use it.