Travelers Checks and Euros

[AF-1]

My wife and I will be cruising in May. Where can I buy Travelers Checks in Euros? I am booking a shore excursion in Rome and Florence and the tour company will only accept cash in Euros or Travelers Checks in Euros. I do not want to carry a lot of cash so Travelers checks seem to be the best option. Thanks for any answers.

[H2Otstr]

AAA sells them, but the exhange rate is very high at AAA.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

You should consider using Euros only. There are ATMS all over Europe. Get the amount you think you will need and go from there. Ask your bank which international ATM networks honor your card, and if there are any limits such as how much you can withdraw at one time or how many withdrawls are allowed within a certain time period.

 

Have a back up ATM card with you or have your wife carry it to use onlyin emergency situations.

 

I have used ATMs with no problems in such places as:

 

In a driving rainstorm in Alicante, Spain.

 

In Barcelona Spain

 

Caligari, Sardinia, Italy

 

Debrecen Hungary

 

Hiroshima Japan

 

Beijing China

 

Hong Kong

 

Hope that this helps,

 

Fred

[Happy ks]

American Express may be able to help you. Don't get too many as they are difficult to cash in many places, you may have to wait for a bank visit. Check the exchange rates first so you don't overpay by using travelers checks.

 

But I do agree with the others, it is so easy to get Euros in Europe from ATM machines.

 

We split our cash between two different bank accounts, I had one, my husband the other in case one of us lost or had our card stolen.

[Robb]

We quit using traveler's checks several years ago. It is much easier to use a debit/credit card or just carry cash and make the exchange on the ship or ashore. Places are getting too picky about traveler's checks lately.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

euros we where there in july

[thinfool]

My wife and I will be cruising in May. Where can I buy Travelers Checks in Euros? I am booking a shore excursion in Rome and Florence and the tour company will only accept cash in Euros or Travelers Checks in Euros. I do not want to carry a lot of cash so Travelers checks seem to be the best option. Thanks for any answers.

 

Are you paying for these excursions before you leave the US or when you arrive in each location?

 

If you are paying when you arrive and are ready to take the excursion, go with what others have said. Slide your ATM card at a convenient location and pay in cash (euros). ATMs are very common in Europe and having local currency is wonderfully convenient.

 

We carried 300-500 euros all of the time in Italy last October with no problem at all. Use a neck wallet to foil any ne'er-do-wells.

[KAYEF]

The only times I get Tr. Checks any more is for a cruise. They cash them at the "front desk" in a jiffy.

 

If you are in a "big city" you can get euros from a bank. Here in Portland, Wells Fargo seems to be the only one, though. If you go downtown there's no service fee. If you want to pick up foreign currency at a branch bank, they charge way too much to deliver it to the branch.............gotta make money somewhere, I guess.:confused:

[rtfnl]

I just purchased a AAA travel money card with a visa logo for my teen son who is currently in Ireland with his high school band to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade. I was told by the AAA clerk that he can use it anywhere in the world that accepts a visa logo and can use it at the ATMs. Last week we got $200.00 Euro dollars at a rate of $1.33 from Suntrust Bank with a $10 service charge. The card cost $4, however your name is not on the initial card. If you order a replacement card it bears your name.

[bluesea777]

We bought a LOT of Euros cash for our Med cruise - we just locked them in the cabin safe and took only we needed.

 

We stopped buying Travellers' Cheques over a decade ago.

 

If not on cruise, but travelling by air and touring by car we took credit and debit cards and used them for purchases and to obtain cash via ATMs.

[AF-1]

Thanks for the answers, since I am traveling with a large group I was concerned about getting a lot of cash from atm's. One of my tours in Rome will be 1200 Euros, and the one in Florence will be 1000 Euros. So I guess I can just use atm card. I will need to check with my tour driver and maybe they can tell me how much I can withdraw in one day. I bought some euros the other day at the airport and I paid 1.32 for Euros. I travel a lot so I am always in foreign countries and am used to using Euros, Pounds, etc, I just haven't had to withdraw the large amount of 1200 Euros at one time.

[bluesea777]

Thanks for the answers, since I am traveling with a large group I was concerned about getting a lot of cash from atm's. One of my tours in Rome will be 1200 Euros, and the one in Florence will be 1000 Euros. So I guess I can just use atm card. I will need to check with my tour driver and maybe they can tell me how much I can withdraw in one day. I bought some euros the other day at the airport and I paid 1.32 for Euros. I travel a lot so I am always in foreign countries and am used to using Euros, Pounds, etc, I just haven't had to withdraw the large amount of 1200 Euros at one time.

 

There may be a limit on how much you can withdraw on your ATM card at a time or per day. So I would advise that you buy all the euros for the tours at home before you leave on cruise. This is what we did - for your private tours in several ports.

[AF-1]

I bought Euros at my hometown airport. I paid 1.32 last week with service fees. So I guess I will buy a bunch when I leave for my cruise in May. Thanks for all the great advice. It don't want to pay 10-20 dollars just to buy travelers checks when the bank at the airport doesn't charge to switch money.. Well they do charge but it's built into the price of the exchange.

[Happy ks]

Before making a final decision, check with your bank to find out if they sell Euro travelers checks and what the charge is. I know you can visit an American Express office, I have no idea what other banks policy may be.

 

For the amount you need, I personally would not be comfortable carrying that amount of cash. Add the fact you may not be able to get that much cash out of an ATM, whether it is in Euros or USD, we had a $500 per day limit on our accounts. That was after making special arrangements on a temporary basis.

 

If it were me needing 2200EU for excursions, I think I'd feel safer carrying the travelers checks rather than cash. I don't think $10 is a lot of money to insure against loss or theft.

 

I doubt your tour driver will know how much you can withdraw, that will be between you and your bank. A visit there may reap more answers than here on a message board.

 

Have a great trip!

[lisiamc]

If you do decide to get travelers checks in Euros, try to get just what you need for the tours or a bit less. If you have any left over, you will have a hard time to get rid of them. It seems like no one wants them, and those places which will take them will charge a hefty fee for doing so.

 

Lisa

[AF-1]

I'm going to call the local american express office today and see what kind of deal they have.

 

cheers

[bluesea777]

Just remember this .... I understand it's safer carrying the TCs than cash BUT you can leave excess cash in hotel or ship cabin safe and take what you need when you leave ship in each port .... it takes TIME to visit bank to exchange TCs with cash and private tours may not give you the chance of doing so. Also the banks do not open at weekends.

 

Also I don't know if the ship carries a LOT of Euros for you to exchange your TCs with - a bit risky especially when your private tours are asking for 1000-1200 euros.

 

Guess what? We took 2.5K euros with us and the pre-cruise hotel and cabin had safes. We ended up using ATM card POST-cruise to get a few more euros.

 

You decide.

[RetireeWannabee]

I just purchased a AAA travel money card with a visa logo for my teen son who is currently in Ireland with his high school band to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade. I was told by the AAA clerk that he can use it anywhere in the world that accepts a visa logo and can use it at the ATMs. Last week we got $200.00 Euro dollars at a rate of $1.33 from Suntrust Bank with a $10 service charge. The card cost $4, however your name is not on the initial card. If you order a replacement card it bears your name.

Congrats to your son! The daughter of a good friend of mine got that opportunity last year. What a thrilling experience!!

[AF-1]

Maybe I have confused some people. I am purchasing Euro travelers checks to pay for private shore excursion in Rome and Florence. I already know how much the cost is and I am buying travelers checks for the exact amount. When I take the tour in Rome I will pay the driver the exact amount; same goes for Florence. I will be using atm machines for buying Euros for spedning and eating. I just wanted to take care of the two private tours, as they will cost around 2300 Euros.

 

Hope this clarifys what I am doing

[moniquet]

I don't know about Italy but here is Spain it would be very difficult to cash a travellers cheque except at a bank. I didn't think anyone used them anymore. Most Spanish companies will not even accept a cheque drawn from a Spanish bank, it's all cash or credit card.

[Sir PMP]

My wife and I will be cruising in May. Where can I buy Travelers Checks in Euros? I am booking a shore excursion in Rome and Florence and the tour company will only accept cash in Euros or Travelers Checks in Euros. I do not want to carry a lot of cash so Travelers checks seem to be the best option. Thanks for any answers.

 

Get your travelers chks at your bank, American Express, and change them to euro's on the ship, they have a very fair rate and don't charge an exchange fee, which can be very high in Spain etc. ATM's are ok too, but there are also fees involved..

[AF-1]

So you are telling me that Royal Caribbean will cash travelers checks onboard, and will exchange them for Euros? They don't charge for this service; or is the price included in the exchane rate?

[AF-1]

Moniquet, I won't be cashing in the Travelers checks, they will be given directly to the tour operator. They have told me they accept Travelers checks in Euros.

[cruisemom42]

Get your travelers chks at your bank, American Express, and change them to euro's on the ship, they have a very fair rate and don't charge an exchange fee, which can be very high in Spain etc. ATM's are ok too, but there are also fees involved..

 

 

Depends what you consider a "very fair" rate -- I have seen some pretty good markups on this service. :cool:

[Sir PMP]

So you are telling me that Royal Caribbean will cash travelers checks onboard, and will exchange them for Euros? They don't charge for this service; or is the price included in the exchane rate?

 

There is no charge, they get their rates daily from B of A, just go to the front desk, change a 100 or 200 in t. chks and if you go by a bank somewhere, compare and ask how much they charge for the exchange, usually about 10 euros, if it's better than do it at a bank, but I have found out that I was better off doing it at the front desk.