How many Euros do you bring...

[cruisemom42]

 

As to credit card fees, it varies by card so you need to check. For example, AMEX charges a 2.7% foreign exchange fee (on every transaction) on all their cards except for the Platinum (which has zero fees but costs $450 a year).

Hank

 

The Delta Skymiles American Express cards (Gold and Platinum) do not charge foreign transaction fees. The Gold is $95 annually and the Platinum is $195. I fly Delta and Delta partners almost exclusively (due to my home location beng a primary Delta hub) and the benefits of this card (including free checked bag, priority boarding and a free companion ticket annually) are well worth the annual fee.

 

I still use the Capitalone card as my primary card for European travel but the Amex is my backup as Amex is not as widely accepted as Visa and MasterCard.

[zqvol]

I'm planning my 14 day cruise and want to know how much Euros I should bring for my trip. I would like to buy them before I leave. When I go to the Caribbean I always make sure to have at least $100 a day. I do not use an ATM card, so that's out. Also, which credit cards have no Foreign Transaction fees and no annual fees?

 

 

Why don't you just go to the bank. Open a special checking account just for this trip. Get an ATM card for it. Stock it before you leave and then close it when you get home. Or better yet, keep it open for the next trip.

[insanemagnet]

Do American banks not sell prepaid payment cards, where you load an amount of money in advance, and can hold it on the card in a specific currency (at the rate when you loaded the card).

[Nana57]

Yes, I was thinking about opening a checking acc't. with Capital One for the trip, getting the ATM card, then closing it our when we get home.

[texancruzer]

Do American banks not sell prepaid payment cards, where you load an amount of money in advance, and can hold it on the card in a specific currency (at the rate when you loaded the card).

 

Just did some research into this…… found a couple but the exchange rate is TERRIBLE.

 

I think I will stick to my plan of buying some euros from my bank ahead of time. Much better rate and even with a small delivery fee it works out better.

[lanceholt]

We are in Europe at least once/year and have traveled there for over 30 years. We take over $1000 US and at least 500Euro, more in a country like Ireland where less and less businesses take credit cards. We too don't use ATM's. We put everything we can on our credit cards and carry 2 different cards with us. We always have cash, both Euro and dollars left and put aside for the following year's trip. We use the ship and hotel safes Pacsafe bag and backpack, and carry only about 100 Euro in walking around money each day. We take $50 in one dollar bills to use for tips.

 

My husband traveled worldwide for business for 40 years and always believed in carrying a good amount of cash.....in any problem area or situation, cash is always king.

 

We don't use our valuable travel time worrying about what are small differences in exchange rates. If we were like Hank, staying out of the country for long periods, then that would become worthwhile. Typically we are overseas for less than 3 weeks and do all we can to be well prepared to make it relaxing. Of course your mileage may vary.

[Nana57]

Should we get a money belt or hidden pocket to carry our passport, euros, credit cards etc.? My husband brings a his backpack, but readings have suggested the money belts, etc. Problem is husband wears a belt with shirt tucked in, so the money belt has to go inside pants. Don't know if this is possible.

[cruisemom42]

Should we get a money belt or hidden pocket to carry our passport, euros, credit cards etc.? My husband brings a his backpack, but readings have suggested the money belts, etc. Problem is husband wears a belt with shirt tucked in, so the money belt has to go inside pants. Don't know if this is possible.

 

Definitely do NOT keep valuables like your passport in a backpack.

 

There are skilled pickpockets who would be happy to relieve you of them.

 

A money belt or under-clothing pouch of some type is recommended. (And yes, it should go UNDER your clothes.) For convenience, carry a few dollars/euro etc. in a relatively secure pocket or inside a zipped pocket in your purse. Do not carry around extra cash, extra credit cards or your passport unless you are actually "in transit" -- far better to leave them in your safe aboard ship or in your hotel.

[maryann ns]

Yes the money belt can go inside pants with the shirt tucked in. Better still it goes inside the shirt next to your body. I prefer the hidden money pockets which go inside pants and have a loop to have your belt go through. I also pin these to the inside of pants pockets. I find them more comfortable than a money belt. Having your valuables hidden inside your clothing is a stress free way to carry it.

 

 

We have a joint account with two debit cards (different numbers on the card.) We misplaced one on our recent trip in Vietnam. We cancelled the card, but not the account and we able to use the other card. We also had another debit card as well as credit cards from two accounts. Always have backup.

 

We have never had a problem finding ATMs but usually get our first cash at the airport where our plane lands.

[TXGalAJ]

I just opened a checking account at Wells Fargo that I will only use for international travel. When I opened the account the employee told me they offer a credit card for travelers that has no transaction fees for making purchases in foreign countries and offers the best possible exchange rate. She said there is a $45 annual fee that is waived the first year so you could use it for a year and then cancel it. I'm not interested in a credit card but thought that would be a good option for anyone that wanted a credit card for international travel.

[marazul]

Should we get a money belt or hidden pocket to carry our passport, euros, credit cards etc.? My husband brings a his backpack, but readings have suggested the money belts, etc. Problem is husband wears a belt with shirt tucked in, so the money belt has to go inside pants. Don't know if this is possible.

 

Money belts are meant to go inside your clothing. The outside pouches or fanny packs are not that safe. I saw some gypsy kids in Florence rob a lady's outside pouch in a fraction of a second. They approached her and had the pouch unzipped and the wallet gone in an instant. Several people around yelled at them, but they were way too quick.

 

And backpacks are easy pickings. Too easy to cut open or be snatched away in crowds.

[insanemagnet]

Just did some research into this…… found a couple but the exchange rate is TERRIBLE.

 

Obviously American banks like to rip off their customers then. The rates on these cards in the UK are usually some of the best.

[MAHA]

WE have 2 accounts at our crredit union in both names. However, one we do not use for our everyday bills, etc. We use it when we travel to get money out of ATM's. That way, if it is compromised, we don't risk losing access to our regular checking and savings accounts. I put into the second account an amount that we think we will need prior to the trip. We also take enough Euros for a couple of days for tips, etc. Some private shore excursion companies will only take either euros or travellers checks in euros. Rome in Limo is one of those companies.

[lanceholt]

Should we get a money belt or hidden pocket to carry our passport, euros, credit cards etc.? My husband brings a his backpack, but readings have suggested the money belts, etc. Problem is husband wears a belt with shirt tucked in, so the money belt has to go inside pants. Don't know if this is possible.

 

Check out the Pacsafe brand, their bags, backpacks are very secure, steel cable on straps, metal mesh to prevent slashing the bottom, system to lock your zipper, etc. rick Steve's has some great tips too in his books. My hisband wears a pouch under his shirt with a strap around the neck that can't be cut. Good tips all the time here on this website also so you know what to watch out for.

[texancruzer]

Obviously American banks like to rip off their customers then. The rates on these cards in the UK are usually some of the best.

 

XE.com is quoting 1.12 dollar to euro …… of course that is for large traders.

But I use this as a starting point to gauge what I can get euros for.

 

I checked a few of these cards and they are quoting 1.33 dollar to euro.

 

My bank quoted me 1.21 dollar to euro with a $25.00 delivery fee (overnighted)

 

So yeah, some banks seem to be a rip off :mad:

[Maddle]

FWIW - we have a separate checking account in a separate bank, and ATM cards to access it. This bank only sees action when we are traveling. It has no direct deposits, no links to any bill paying, no credit card issued by that bank - nothing. It is completely remote from any of our other finances. If it is ever compromised, the thief could not also worm his/her way into our other banking and savings.

 

When it is time to travel out of the country, I notify the bank where I will be, and we use that account for any cash needed while traveling. I try to use ATM's that belong to banks so as not to pay private fees (such as those we see in a 7-Eleven or tobacco shop.)

 

For starters, I take the cash equivalent of about $100 USD in Euro (or what ever) and this gets me through the first day or so with taxis, snacks, etc. I take two cards....from different banks, and unrelated to that bank I mentioned above. One has a "chip and pin" access which is useful in Europe, (but it isn't mandatory.)

 

If I am cruising to ports with different currency each day...then I just buy some of each ahead of time, and pay the fees. It's just too much of a pain to keep stopping every day for something new.

 

Best wishes for wonderful travel.

 

Maddle

[CruiserBruce]

XE.com is quoting 1.12 dollar to euro …… of course that is for large traders.

But I use this as a starting point to gauge what I can get euros for.

 

I checked a few of these cards and they are quoting 1.33 dollar to euro.

 

My bank quoted me 1.21 dollar to euro with a $25.00 delivery fee (overnighted)

 

So yeah, some banks seem to be a rip off :mad:

 

And this is why in country ATMs are commonly said to be the best way to get local currency. With a 1.12 rate, I doubt you will get worse than about 1.18 at an ATM in Europe.

[cberge]

I can't help but wonder what the poor OP thinks of all these replies in answer to he question.Just my thought for the day:D

[texancruzer]

And this is why in country ATMs are commonly said to be the best way to get local currency. With a 1.12 rate, I doubt you will get worse than about 1.18 at an ATM in Europe.

 

But for $ .03 more per euro I can get all I need here at my bank and not have to look for an ATM (or ATM's if I need more than a single one will give me as they have limits per card) every time I go into a port.

 

It is worth 3 pennies to me for the convenience since I am on vacation :D

[TX.Mameow&Papeow]

If you have an account at Wells Fargo, there is no charge to buy euros. You must go to a location that has an International teller. We didn't have an account there so we opened a savings account that had no service charges with a minimum balance of $300. We got an ATM card for that account and added funds before our trips in case we needed it. To use the ATM in a foreign country has a $5. service charge. We chose to do this because we wanted an account in a different bank that had no association with our normal accounts. If someone ripped us off they could only get the amount in that account.

 

Last April we went on a TA, to Norway and the Baltic. We were gone 34 days and needed 5 different currencies. I got my euros at the bank and they ordered the others at no additional cost and I got them in a couple of days.

We were at a little café in St Petersburg and I was the only person with rubles. They would not accept euros so I shared my rubles with others so we could get something to drink. I was really glad I had them. We save anything left over for our next trip. This has worked out well for us.

 

My husband wears a money pouch and I wear one under my top. I twist the strap around my bra strap so if someone was to cut it, they would be very disappointed. I also wear a small shoulder strap purse with zippers, over my head instead of on my shoulder with the zippers facing my stomach and my hand on it at all times. Thus far we have been lucky, with no problems. We are very observant of our surroundings and use good common sense.

[CruiserBruce]

But for $ .03 more per euro I can get all I need here at my bank and not have to look for an ATM (or ATM's if I need more than a single one will give me as they have limits per card) every time I go into a port.

 

It is worth 3 pennies to me for the convenience since I am on vacation :D

 

It is not hard to find ATMs. We have never had a problem.

[insanemagnet]

Do American banks not sell prepaid payment cards, where you load an amount of money in advance, and can hold it on the card in a specific currency (at the rate when you loaded the card).

 

Just did some research into this…… found a couple but the exchange rate is TERRIBLE.

 

I think I will stick to my plan of buying some euros from my bank ahead of time. Much better rate and even with a small delivery fee it works out better.

 

So American banks don't do anything like this? -

www.ukash.com/en-GB/products/travelmoneycard/

 

Exchange rate today on that card for GBP to Euros is 1.3287 compared to 1.34921 on XE, so £500 will get you €664 vs the theoretical €674 on XE, no fees and a chip and pin card.

 

And this is just one example of many such cards available in the UK.

Edited February 11, 2015 by insanemagnet

[Turtles06]

So American banks don't do anything like this? -

www.ukash.com/en-GB/products/travelmoneycard/

 

Exchange rate today on that card for GBP to Euros is 1.3287 compared to 1.34921 on XE, so £500 will get you €664 vs the theoretical €674 on XE, no fees and a chip and pin card.

 

And this is just one example of many such cards available in the UK.

 

I don't know what the rates would be, but in the U.S.., you can get a credit card loaded with foreign currencies through companies like Travel Ex

 

http://www.travelex.com/US/Products/Cash-Passport/

 

I don't do that, I just use my own credit card that has no foreign transaction fee.

[texancruzer]

I don't know what the rates would be, but in the U.S.., you can get a credit card loaded with foreign currencies through companies like Travel Ex

 

http://www.travelex.com/US/Products/Cash-Passport/

 

I don't do that, I just use my own credit card that has no foreign transaction fee.

 

 

Okay this prepaid card rate is a bit better than the others I found….

 

currently the exchange rate is $1.256 to 1 euro. Quite a bit lower than the previous quotes.

 

I can still get cash euros for $1.21 to 1 euro and for the tours or apartment deposit/rent that requires cash it works better for me.

 

But this is a good second option.

 

BTW: we use our credit cards whenever we can FIRST but sometimes ya' just gotta have cash

Edited February 11, 2015 by texancruzer

[Flick]

We have literally travelled all over the world in the past 30 years but I picked up a new idea that I like from this thread......transfer "some savings" to a seperate checking account and get an ATM card for THAT account only!

I would like to remind everyone that when travelling away from home wether it is in your own country or a foreign trip, be sure to notify your credit card companies of your plans or they might stop you from using the card to check out of the hotel (happened to us in Singapore...bought too much furniture and jewelry in Thailand when they thought we were in Florida!!!