euro travelers checks

[jettaleea]

Are euro travelers checks widely accepted in Europe, especially along the Danube at the Christmas marts? I know they can be used for tips on the ship but wondered if merchants accept them.

 

Lee Ann

[pacmom]

We have stopped using travelers checks of any kind. We just use atms and get euros or the currency of the country. That way we are just taking money as we need it from our checking account. If you've not been to Europe before--get about $100 worth of euros to take with you. And if you plan to go back, keep some to use for that first day. Travel safely and enjoy. Pat

[Darrell6t]

Are euro travelers checks widely accepted in Europe, especially along the Danube at the Christmas marts? I know they can be used for tips on the ship but wondered if merchants accept them.

 

Lee Ann

 

Travelers checks are becoming more and more difficult to use, is what I keep hearing. Several articles I have read in the last year or so recommend using an ATM card to get cash and a credit card for other purchases. Travelers checks can even be a problem at banks, which will sometimes charge an extra fee that makes them more expensive.

[JackieT]

Traverlers checks are getting more difficult to use, many places not accepting them or charging a high rate. It is lately recommended by many it seems to bring cash and depend on ATM which will give you your money there directly in Euros. That being said, I always have a few traveler's checks stashed away when I go out of the country as backup, you can always just deposit them back into your bank when you arrive home. Especially if you are somewhere where your ATM isn't working and you spend a while trying to find one to take your card, or it gets eaten by a machine after hours and you won't be in town when the bank reopens (Saw both of these situations happen in Greece, and ever since then, will NOT leave the country without travelers checks as backup).

[letsgo39]

Forget the Travelers checks in Europe. They are just about impossible to cash. When you do find a place that will cash them for you they will charge you about a 30% fee.

The best way to get cash in Europe is the ATM.They are everywhere and it is really handy to put your card in and get back the local money.Just be sure you have a 4 digit number,no 0's in it. If it has Cirrus on the card you will find the ATM's everywhere including the arrival halls at the airport. I usually get about $100-200USD in the local money(Euro or Pound) at the airport before I leave and then use Atms in Europe for the remainder that I need.Major credit cards are accepted everywhere.Let your credit card company know that you are traveling to Europe so they will not put a stop on the card when they see the foreign charges come through.Most credit cards charge a fee to use the card in Europe.The fee is usually about 2 to 3%.You should check with your bank but I know my bank just charges me $1.00 for each transaction at a foreign ATM. Not bad at all.

[steamboats]

Lee Ann,

 

I second the previous posters forget about the Traveler Checks. You won´t have a problem cashing them in a bank (without additional fees). But I doubt a hotel will cash them without claiming a fee. Paying with TC is nearly impossible (maybe in big department stores like Karstadt or Kaufhof). No vendor in a booth on a Christmas market will accept them. Most of them accept credit cards or the German/European ATM cards.

 

I used to take TC with me when traveling the US. I gave up on it. I mainly needed them for cash. The only place where I was able to cash TCs was aboard the Delta Queen Steamboat Company boats. When I went into a bank the first thing I heard was: I have to ask my supervisor if we cash TCs. Next question: Do you have an account with our bank? Gosh, if I have an account with this bank I´d use the ATM and won´t cash any TCs!

 

steamboats

[jettaleea]

Thank you to everyone for your responses.

 

My bank charges $1.50 per ATM transaction at an out-of-network bank, plus whatever fees would be leveed by that bank. And of course it's not part of the Cirrus network! One credit card charges 2%, another 3% service fee. And Discover admits that hardly no one accepts their card in Europe (and they have no service fee!). I've notified all of them that we're heading to Europe, they've noted my account, but won't guarantee there won't be a hold put on my account if there are foreign transactions!!!!

 

Since euro TC are free with AAA I just wondered if that was an option. And Steamboats, guess what? Even though I live in the states I still can't cash a TC at my local grocery store or restaurant! So I've quit messing with them when we travel.

 

Lee Ann

[steamboats]

Ah folks,

 

Thanks to google and you I´ve learned something new today :D . I´m not familiar with Cirrus or PLUS. But obviously Cirrus is the same as Maestro (both connected with Mastercard). Nearly every German ATM has the Maesto sign and you can use your Cirrus cards there.

 

These links might be helpful:

 

http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=41&category=8

 

ATM Locator´s:

http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/atmlocations/index.html (Maestro/Mastercard/Cirrus)

http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/jsp/SearchPage.jsp (Visa/PLUS)

 

steamboats

[GlobeMan]

A couple more tips regarding ATM card use:

1. Have a backup plan. I had an ATM machine confiscate my card on the first day of a 2 week trip once. Like in the US, you cannot get it back from the bank. Your own bank has to issue a new card s bring a duplicate card or travel with someone who will advance you all the cash you need for the trip. :D That was my solution.
   
2. Euro ATMs will only withdraw from your primary checking account. You don't get to select 'Checking or Savings'.

[cusyl]

I had the purser office cash my Euro travelers checks on the ship into Euros to use on shore.

[letsgo39]

Steamboats,thanks,good info.Did not know that about the Maestro sign.

 

Globeman,What a nightmare that would be.I will make sure next time I travel to have an extra card available.

 

Cusyl.was there a fee charged to cash them?

[JackieT]

1. Have a backup plan. I had an ATM machine confiscate my card on the first day of a 2 week trip once. Like in the US, you cannot get it back from the bank. Your own bank has to issue a new card s bring a duplicate card or travel with someone who will advance you all the cash you need for the trip. :D That was my solution.

Thank you, that's exactly what I was saying, have a back up plan, I've seen people have trouble with ATM's, so IMO, having TC as back up is very smart (or a second ATM card would work as well, but as I mentione before, I saw someone go from machine to machine trying to get his card to work). You don't want to be stranded without any money on you. Sure you'll have other cc's, but you need actually euro's in your pocket at one point or another. My mom was in a very small remote town somewhere in Austria, the one ATM she found didn't take her card, she luckily had backup TC's on her and there was a local bank that charged almost nothing to cash her TC's. She was trying to buy something and the vendor only would take cash for the deal she worked out.

[cusyl]

Steamboats,thanks,good info.Did not know that about the Maestro sign.

 

Globeman,What a nightmare that would be.I will make sure next time I travel to have an extra card available.

 

Cusyl.was there a fee charged to cash them?

No fee to cash them. I got Euros in return for the Euro traveler checks which I had ordered online from my bank.

[Hlitner]

I agree with all the other posters about using ATMS. We travel widely around the world, and the last time we bought TCs was about 10 years ago. We still have those as backup for ATMs, but never need to use them. As to Euro TCs, that is a real loser for Americans. Not only do you generally have to pay a fee for the TCs, but the exchange rate used is lousy. Than, you either have to use them all in Europe, or you get stuck with another lousy exchange rate when you try to convert them back to dollars. As to your ATM, if its not on Cirrus/Plus, Visa or any other widely accepted network I suggest you find another bank. As to the $1.50 per transaction, that is a bargain compared to cashing TCs or even converting dollars..because you will get the bank wholesale rate of exchange + 2 or 3 %. This is as good as it gets, although there are a few credit cards around that still use a 2% charge on conversions (a great deal).

 

Hank

[cusyl]

The ship let us apply our left over Euros to our onboard account.

[pacmom]

Cusyl,

 

Was this on a river cruise that you were able to cash the TCs? On the ones we have been on, people had to pay a fee to cash them. Capital One still only charges 1% for transactions (charge) My credit union likewise for ATMs On one cruise they would only change cash to euros. Travel safely and enjoy. Pat