Europe - First time to Europe: Local currency and phone questions

I am traveling to US to Zurich to Paris to US. I would really appreciate the help of knowledgeable FTers

My questions:

Currency questions

1. Is it safe to land in Zurich without a single CHF in my pocket and then withdraw money from an ATM at the airport?

2. How do I convert the left over CHF to Euro or USD before leaving Switzerland? I am traveling to Paris from Zurich by TGV.

3. Similarly, Is it safe to land in Paris without a single Euo in my pocket and then withdraw money from an ATM at the train station?

4. Again, how do I convert the left over Euro to USD before leaving France? ( I remember someone had talked about putting the spare change in a starbucks card)

Phone questions

I would be in Zurich for 2 days and Paris for 3 days. I would need a calling service (I have a quad band unlocked GSM phone as well as a CDMA set).

What is the most cost effective way? I wouldn't be calling much apart from emergencies.

Thanks a lot in advance

1. Yes. Of course this assumes that your bank is part of the global ATM network, but virtually any U.S. bank is. Just check the symbols on the back of your card -- you should see the Star, Plus, or other network logos, or ask your bank. (Sorry to lecture you, but it would obviously be a good idea to have a small stash of USD in your pocket just in case you have to change them and get into town before withdrawing from an ATM.)

2. There will be plenty of exchange opportunities at airports and train stations on both ends; you are probably better off changing to the currency in your destination country, e.g., if you have CHF, convert them to EUR in France rather than Switzerland. Plus there are exchange offices all over the streets of any big city. Or the hotel can change them. (Of course the rates for these options might vary slightly, with hotels the worst rate, but these are pretty liquid currencies, so you shouldn't fare too badly.)

3. Yes.

4. You might have to live with having a few extra coins that you can't covert (try not to get stuck with a CHF 5 coin -- that's valuable!). C'est la vie. I hadn't thought of buying a Starbucks card. That seems like a good idea, though I don't know if Starbucks cards are interoperable between currencies, and, if so, what conversion rate they use for redemption back in the U.S.

Your GSM phone should work and coverage will be fine in these cities. You could look to buy a local SIM card, available easily on the streets and probably at the airports and train stations, for which calling rates locally and back to the U.S. would be less than using your U.S. phone, but of course if it's only for emergencies, then it probably wouldn't be worth your while.

mecabq has answered your questions, but as it's your first time to Europe, I'll throw in a few further comments that may be helpful.

ATMs in Switzerland commonly dispense large denomination notes (50 or 100 CHF - I think I once got a 200 CHF note!). At first this can be alarming, as in the US (or Australia) I'd hesitate trying to buy a cup of coffee with a $100 bill, but retailers (restaurants, etc) in Switzerland are typically willing to break a large note for a small purchase, so it's not really a problem. My only concern is the first expenditure after I leave the airport: a local bus or train may require small change, or for a short taxi ride I may not want to pay 15 CHF with a 100 CHF note. So you might want to have some smaller notes. I might buy a coffee or bottle of water at the airport to break the 50 or 100 CHF.

Usually there's signage on the ATM that tells you what denominations it provides, and you'll probably get the minimum number of notes to make up the amount, so if you withdraw 300 CHF you'll get 3 x 100 CHF notes (or a 100 and 200).

This may vary by bank and location, but it might be useful to be aware.

(In France I generally got smaller notes from the ATM (10 or 20 Euros) and retailers more frequently asked "do you have a smaller note" if I paid for 7 Euros of groceries with a 100 Euro note. But if I didn't, they politely gave me change for the 100.)

Hope you have a great trip. :)

some additional comments...

- i regularly travel without a dime of the local currency around europe and find the closest ATM in the airport or train station.
- ATMs at the airport are safe. good caution is to check your daily withdrawal rate with your bank and inform them of your trip (so they don't lock your account on your overseas trip).
- also if you have BoA, they are part of the Global ATM alliance. you can use at BNP Paribas in Paris for near-zero fee (1% or 3%). otherwise, you will be dinged for usage of foreign ATMs (~$5).
- a credit card is a good backup option. just remember that you need the pin code to use it at automated stations (manned stations will always ask for a signature).
- remember to ask your phone provider to turn on international roaming. for tmobile, it was about $1.50/minute roaming charges calling back to the US for me.

4. Again, how do I convert the left over Euro to USD before leaving France? ( I remember someone had talked about putting the spare change in a starbucks card)


4. You might have to live with having a few extra coins that you can't covert (try not to get stuck with a CHF 5 coin -- that's valuable!). C'est la vie. I hadn't thought of buying a Starbucks card. That seems like a good idea, though I don't know if Starbucks cards are interoperable between currencies, and, if so, what conversion rate they use for redemption back in the U.S.


What I usually do is buy something in the airport. For example, if I have £5 left over in London, I will buy something that costs more than £5. I hand over all my change and ask the cashier to put the rest on my credit card. This way, I get something (usually either candy or alcohol) and I don't have to worry about being screwed on the fees for converting a small amount of change.

The train from Zurich will arrive in Paris at the Gare de Lyon. There is no ATM in the Gare de Lyon.

There are several banks with ATMs on the boulevard Diderot, in front of the station (out the main entrance, down the ramp and bear right).

There is a currency exchange booth in the Gare de Lyon.

While in the Zurich airport, refrain from the temptation to buy the $16 Whopper value meal.

I have always been told that the best exchange rate for converting leftover money is from your hometown bank. Of course, you can't change coins outside of their home country.

Educate yourself about roaming charges!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/roaming-charges-data-usage-phone-bills_n_1438096.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stuck-10-000-phone-bill-223400619.html

Guess somebody needs to take the I don't fully agree side.

While there's probably little chance of your ATM card not working at the machine there, if you have never used it outside of the US I would not rely on it as the only way to get cash. It's not common, but there have been threads about people who for whatever reason have a hassle getting their ATM card to work for international transactions.

I would plan to either convert some cash here before going, or bring some cash to convert there just in case instead of going with no cash at all (I know you didn't say you would not have any cash, but just in case that was the plan) and assuming the ATM card will function as it should. It probably won't be an issue, but it could be.

I would also consider checking with your credit card companies to see if there are any extra fees for using your card in europe.

When I travel I use something like the CapOne venture card that has no extra hidden fees for overseas use. This is very helpful if you can't find an ATM :)

Good tips so far, as usual on FT. I still add my 2 cents, as usual for me. :D

Numbering mine.

1. I would also take at least the equivalent of $50 in CHF and Euro with me. This way you got some money in your pocket. Always good. And why would you want to run any risk? Does your bank charge outrageous fees for an exchange?

Going further, this might be preferable anyway because the ATM fees can be steep. Do enquire beforehand. So just letting out 100 Euro here and there might actually cost you much more than simply making an exchange right away for a more substantial sum.

2. I'd say, unless you are a woman, there is no reason why you would actually need a local prepaid card, much less one for each country. If you are a woman, you might feel saver having a cell phone for emergencies. In that case, if it's an emergency, you don't care for the roaming charges. You just place the call. Besides that, it is obviously smart to enquire about the roaming charges beforehand and turn data roaming off if you have a smartphone. Zurich and Paris both have many public phones and in a pinch a private person or business owner may let you use theirs. These are rather civilized places, you know? :p

3. Why are you worried about money left over? Are you old, sick and with no one to leave your money to? If not, chances are that you will return to Europe and/or Switzerland in your lifetime. Chances are also fairly good that CHF and Euro will still be around then. ;)
And if you are worried about just some 5-10 CHF or Euros in coins which you haven't used, then I recommend you not go to Zurich and Paris, because that's what a cup of coffee or a beer will cost you there. :D

If you are really worried about having some bucks in foreign currency left (the horror!), Hyderago's suggestion is brilliant.

Another option is to convert all your remaining CHF into Euro at the teller in the Zurich airport. This way you only have the risk of one left-over currency and you already have some Euro cash on hand when you arrive in Paris. Besides, many place in Switzerland will accept the Euro, even if the exchange rate is sometimes not very favorable.

4. Leave CDMA phone at home. It will not work in Europe. GSM will work.

5. Regarding safety. Zurich absolutely no problem. Probably one of the safest places in the world and most likely safer than any place in the US besides the White House, Pentagon and Langley. ;)

Paris? Hmm... Not so much. This is probably the reason why there are no ATMs in Gare de Lyon. Too much risk of getting mugged when taking out money. Mind you, you want to be careful in general when you use the ATM, just as in the US. But train stations and subways are by nature not as safe.

Till

I usually travel with no more than around €100 and rely on ATM's when I arrive in a new country.
This has worked quite well except for a time four years ago in London.

I had paid my bus ride from the airport with my credit card so I needed no cash until I was downtown. I had an HSBC debit card from back home and London is littered with HSBC branches everywhere so I went to one to perhaps save on some commissions.

I tried to withdraw a few pounds from the ATM but I got an error message, something obscure like "System error".
As it was during office ours I asked someone inside the bank to help me but we got the same message which was as obscure to her as it was to me.

She suggested I went upstairs where I could contact my own country branch: that was neat, by swiping my card the phone called directly my branch.

After about half an hour on the phone it was determined that the problem was that I had been issued a new card before my trip and I had assumed that it would have the same pin as the one I had before. Sadly the new card had no pin and could not be used until a pin was set and that could only be done in an ATM back home.

I was getting desperate: I was in London with no money and a useless piece of plastic. Then the person on the phone suggested I should get an "encashment".

I went to the HSBC person helping me in London and told her I needed an "encashment", not really knowing what to expect.

She said "Sure. How much do you want?". She helped me fill in a form, made a copy of my debit card and my passport and after a few minutes returned with the money. By the way the exchange rate was reasonable and no commission was charged.

So my suggestion is that you make sure you know your ATM pin before going abroad.

Use ATM's as advised above, but remember you can always bring a supply of $US with you and change some at the airport in Zurich when you arrive there.....might cost a few extra bucks at an airport exchange, but nothering to get worked up about.

Funny thing about those Swiss, they do know about banking and currency conversion!

Excellent suggestions. Thanks to all of you for the insight.

I live in a small town. My bank doesnt have any foreign currency. They are charging a horrible rate, saying it would take upto 2 weeks and would only give me large notes.

I will try to get $50 in CHF and Euro at JFK. If not will try ATMs in Zurich.

I called my carrier ATT. They charge $1.50 per minute. Sounds reasonable.

How much cash should I roughly withdraw per day? I would have an array of 0% foreign transaction fee credit and debit cards but all of them are magnetic stripe cards.

I thought switzerland was expensive. Coffee costs just 5 CHF? Thats the regular cost of Starbucks frap!

If you belong to AAA you can order money: http://mn-ia.aaa.com/page/Travel-Money/890.uts?ti=Travel-Money&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aaa.com%2Fscripts%2FWebObject s.dll%2FAAAOnline.woa%3Fassociation%3DAAA%26club%3 D049%26page%3DTravelMoneyHome&sI=1&zip=55057&devicecd=PC&referer=mn-ia.aaa.com

Also at my airport currency exchange, my AAA card will save me the service charge. It is a Travelex.

I thought switzerland was expensive. Coffee costs just 5 CHF? Thats the regular cost of Starbucks frap!

You will find a Starbucks frap costs more than that in Switzerland...just check out the Starbucks at Zurich airport and gird your wallet accordingly.

Regarding getting the big single bill from the ATM machine - you can usually beat that by entering some odd denomination in the area of what you want. If I'm wanting around $100 in the US, by entering $80 the machines tend to give me 4 $20s. It has to be some amount the machine can handle. If it doesn't give $5s, you can't use $95.

I usually take 3 different credit cards just in case a machine eats one or finds it unacceptable. A few trips I've been forced to use the second card. Have never been forced to use the third card, but it felt good in my pocket as I attempted to use the second.

I also take a few hundred in US currency as back-up. I almost always end up bringing it home, but again it is sort of comforting.

Regarding how much per day to draw out, you may be better off getting several day's worth at a time if your card has a base flat fee. It is more a matter of how much you feel comfortable carrying about at one time.

And finally, I never get any foreign currency before a trip. I rely on that airport ATM. Or if that doesn't work, as somebody else suggested here, I change just enough US$ at the airport to get me downtown, and then finish the job there.

Enjoy your trip. And I'm sure you will be back for another, so don't worry about that left over currency.

Romelle

You will find a Starbucks frap costs more than that in Switzerland...just check out the Starbucks at Zurich airport and gird your wallet accordingly.

Yep! :D

The $5 was for a tiny Espresso, which is usually better than anything Starbucks doles out anyway. ;)

Do double check with AT&T whether it's $1.50 for calling or also for receiving a call. And ask them if there are any other charges from the European side that ATT is going to bill you. It is really important to get that as precisely as possible or you risk being screwed over. Also ask them, if they can send you a link to that information by email or SMS. This way you have something in writing. Otherwise it will be he said, she said.

It is hard to say how much money you will need in cash without knowing what standard of living you envision over there. If you go to fancy restaurants all the time, you can pay by credit card. Paying by credit card usually entails a 2% foreign use charge for you to pay unless you have one of the very rare cards that don't have that stupid clause. This means that paying by card will effectively cost you just as much as paying cash. The better exchange you get through the card is negatively set-off by the 2% fee.

Thus financially it makes no difference or almost none. Cash is accepted everywhere and not frowned upon even for bigger sums. The same cannot be said of credit cards and smaller sums.

The only problem is that in France some people are leery of taking big bank notes because of the counterfeit problem. In Germany for example that would not be such a big problem but they might refuse a big bank note because that wouldn't leave them with enough small change for other customers. So the ways are different in each country.

In Switzerland sums under 20CHF are usually done in cash (same in France). Even bigger sums are often done in cash. If they still have the big 1000CHF note, take a look at one. It's gorgeous. IMO the Swiss money is the most beautiful in the world, figuratively and literally. :)

It's a good idea to simply go to the Forex booth in JFK before take-off and change some Francs and Euros. That's certainly the easiest way to do it if your bank makes it so hard.

In Paris you can get a menu "prix fixe" for a very reasonable amount of money between 10 and 20 Euros including tax and with a minimal tip required. In Zurich you can double that price easily. Fast food will be roughly double of what it costs in the US. Even at a very fancy star restaurant the lunch prix fixe will be comparatively reasonable, say 80 Euros per person. Whereas at night it could cost you 3x or 4x if you go a la carte.

Public transport costs around $2 per ride. Taxis aren't really necessary and in Paris they are notoriously hard to find if you actually need one. :td:

Post cards will be somewhere between 50 cents and $2 per piece. Postage to the US around $1 per piece, maybe even a bit more.

So now you get an idea of the price continuum and can perhaps situate what you need.

Till

Yep! :D

The $5 was for a tiny Espresso, which is usually better than anything Starbucks doles out anyway. ;)

Fixed that for you :)

You will find a Starbucks frap costs more than that in Switzerland...just check out the Starbucks at Zurich airport and gird your wallet accordingly.

But I have found that the Starbucks in many airports has become my favorite money changer. If you have a Starbucks card and you're past security so that you probably no longer have to worry about buying much of anything, just offer all of your remaining cash and coins to the Starbucks to recharge your card. I no longer bother to recharge my card in my hometown, instead taking as a souvenir of nearly every trip, a recharge and emptying of my pockets of excess cash and coinage.

Plus, get a cool card (mine currently is from San Francisco with a cable car on the card), and the baristas will generally make a nice comment about your card. It's nothing spectacular, but I think it's kind of nice to be able to brighten up somebody's day!

I travel internationally to Europe about 3-4 times per year.

I disagree about needing to bring Euros or CHF's into ZRH airport. Just bring US dollars. If your ATM card doesn't work in Zurich, there is a change station at every airport, train station, and in many busy streets. If you just bring US dollars, you will be fine; no need to change in the USA.

I recommend using skype to make phone calls. If you bring your iphone or a computer with you, download the skype app. Then on your iphone, keep it in airplane mode, and then just turn the wi-fi on. In your hotel, you can use wi-fi to make calls for a fraction of the cost or even free. I only use skype to call people in the USA, never my cell phone.

I once was naive and bought the "AT & T international roaming plan". I landed in London, called my friend who lives IN LONDON from my USA cell phone. I spoke to him for about 20 minutes, and it cost me $60 USD. Never again. Skype only.

Moving this thread to the Europe forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz co-moderator

Regarding getting the big single bill from the ATM machine - you can usually beat that by entering some odd denomination in the area of what you want. If I'm wanting around $100 in the US, by entering $80 the machines tend to give me 4 $20s. It has to be some amount the machine can handle. If it doesn't give $5s, you can't use $95.
Sure; my point was that (in my experience) 50 CHF is the smallest denomination available at many ATMs in Switzerland. Even in Australia, the smallest note from ATMs is $20 and occasionally they only have $50s left. So you need a strategy if you can only get large notes.

I think I got the 200 CHF note when I withdrew 250 or 300; I was expecting 5 or 6 50 CHF notes.

(I'm frankly surprised if US ATMs still offer $5 and $10s.)

Sure; my point was that (in my experience) 50 CHF is the smallest denomination available at many ATMs in Switzerland. Even in Australia, the smallest note from ATMs is $20 and occasionally they only have $50s left. So you need a strategy if you can only get large notes.

I think I got the 200 CHF note when I withdrew 250 or 300; I was expecting 5 or 6 50 CHF notes.

(I'm frankly surprised if US ATMs still offer $5 and $10s.)

In my years in Switzerland, all the bancomats and postomats (aka ATMs) offer denominations of CHF20/50/100/200 or CHF20/100/200 (indicated above the ATM usually). At the UBS bancomat at GVA and ZRH, they usually offer an option: multiple small bills or large bills. You can avoid the large bill by picking the option for multiple small bills.

Suggest you bring a few dollars in cash as a backup, but don't try to exchange currency in the US. Plenty of ATMs at Zurich airport and in downtown Zurich and most places take credit cards these days. Indeed, I would suggest that for anything greater than say 30 CHF, you use your credit card.
You can change your leftover CHF to EUR either before leaving Zurich or on arrival in Paris. Note that if you do it in Zurich you'll be able to get rid of any loose change, whilst in Paris they won't take any Swiss coins.

That's right. They will take Euro bills in many places in Switzerland. You will get the change usually in CHF. But they will not take CHF bills in France or anywhere in Europe unless you are in a border town. Foreign coins are generally not accepted.

And don't try to pay in dollars. It's usually seen as very rude.

Till

Since you got plenty of advice on getting money, I will address your question about getting rid of it.
I typically use a bulk of any left over funds to partially pay my hotel bill on the last day. You can do that for the CHF and get Euros at the ATM again.
Same thing for your last day in the EU.
Save enough for taxi (if needed) and snacks at the airport.

Since you got plenty of advice on getting money, I will address your question about getting rid of it.
I typically use a bulk of any left over funds to partially pay my hotel bill on the last day. You can do that for the CHF and get Euros at the ATM again.
Same thing for your last day in the EU.
Save enough for taxi (if needed) and snacks at the airport.

All good advice - but does one really need to get rid of Euros?

Unless it's somewhere really obscure that I'm not likely to return to I always keep my left-over foreign currency for future trips. I've never changed back Euros, or CHF, or US or Canadian dollars, or any of the Scandinavian currencies.

ATMs in Switzerland commonly dispense large denomination notes (50 or 100 CHF - I think I once got a 200 CHF note!). At first this can be alarming, as in the US (or Australia) I'd hesitate trying to buy a cup of coffee with a $100 bill, but retailers (restaurants, etc) in Switzerland are typically willing to break a large note for a small purchase, so it's not really a problem. My only concern is the first expenditure after I leave the airport: a local bus or train may require small change, or for a short taxi ride I may not want to pay 15 CHF with a 100 CHF note. So you might want to have some smaller notes. I might buy a coffee or bottle of water at the airport to break the 50 or 100 CHF.

Agree with this. Swiss people routinely use large notes for small purchases and nothing ever gets said about it from what I see.

Usually there's signage on the ATM that tells you what denominations it provides, and you'll probably get the minimum number of notes to make up the amount, so if you withdraw 300 CHF you'll get 3 x 100 CHF notes (or a 100 and 200).

Some ATMs have a "mixed notes" option which gives you smaller notes. However the easy way to ensure you don't get large notes is to withdraw, say, CHF 290 instead of CHF 300. That way you'll get 200+50+20+20. If you want more 20s, do 280, which will most probably get you 200+20+20+20+20. 20 is the smallest note you tend to see in ATMs.

Neil

Sure; my point was that (in my experience) 50 CHF is the smallest denomination available at many ATMs in Switzerland.

Most I've encountered have CHF 20s.

Neil

How much cash should I roughly withdraw per day? I would have an array of 0% foreign transaction fee credit and debit cards but all of them are magnetic stripe cards.

Suggest you bring a few dollars in cash as a backup, but don't try to exchange currency in the US. Plenty of ATMs at Zurich airport and in downtown Zurich and most places take credit cards these days. Indeed, I would suggest that for anything greater than say 30 CHF, you use your credit card.

If you have cards with a 0% ForEx fee you should be able to use those cards more than 90% of the time with no problems, regardless of whether or not it is a chip/pin card. You will also generally get a better exchange rate on your credit card.

The only time I have had a problem with a non-pin card is at some of the kiosks for the Paris metro, but the attendant was still able to swipe the card at his terminal.

I actually think the best guideline for how much cash you might need would be to think about how much cash you would use for a domestic trip of the same length (ie, do you tend to use a lot of cabs, will you need tip money, do you make lots of small transactions at small shops, etc), and then add about $100.

As an example, I rarely use cash in the US - pretty much only at the Farmers Market, and so I tend not to use much cash overseas either. I withdrew less than €600 for nearly 4 months in Sicily, and most of that went to fuel before I figured out that I could just pay inside with my card.

Contrast that with my in-laws who came to visit with €1k that they had ordered special from their bank, and were getting ready to withdraw another €500 because they had heard that "Europe was expensive and wouldn't take magnetic striped cards" before I intervened. After two weeks in Sicily and Paris they returned with about €800.

There are lots of ATM machines in Zurich airport--and they all work.:)
At CDG (and other places in Paris), there are lots of ATM's also, but many of them are "out of service".
There is a Migros Supermarket in Zurich airport; the prices are about the same as (or even lower than) other Migros supermarkets in the inner cities of Switzerland--they have a large selection of food items. Shopping at Migros or the COOP (another large supermarket chain in Switz.) is a good way of combating the high prices in Switz.

All good advice - but does one really need to get rid of Euros?

Unless it's somewhere really obscure that I'm not likely to return to I always keep my left-over foreign currency for future trips. I've never changed back Euros, or CHF, or US or Canadian dollars, or any of the Scandinavian currencies.

I did that with Brasilian Reals. When I bought, it was 2.14 real to the dollar. Now, not so much. I realize it could go either way, and with a couple hundred bucks, it won't make much of a difference. But just an option, since the OP was concerned about changing CHF for euros.

There are lots of ATM machines in Zurich airport--and they all work.:)
At CDG (and other places in Paris), there are lots of ATM's also, but many of them are "out of service".
There is a Migros Supermarket in Zurich airport; the prices are about the same as (or even lower than) other Migros supermarkets in the inner cities of Switzerland--they have a large selection of food items. Shopping at Migros or the COOP (another large supermarket chain in Switz.) is a good way of combating the high prices in Switz.

And that right there is the fundamental difference between Switzerland and France. In CH everything works (marvelously well). In F hardly anything works and if it does there is still a glitch.

I was at a post office in Paris today. They had a two second power outage because of a construction site next door. All the computers turned off and some didn't turn on again and when they did the personnel didn't know how to get them online again. The entire post office was out of business because a) they didn't have any back-up battery power supply not even on the banking terminals and b) the people were incapable.

Bienvenue en France. :mad:

In Switzerland they would have prepared the post office in a way that a brief power outage won't even fathom it.

Ridiculous! :eek:

Till

And that right there is the fundamental difference between Switzerland and France. In CH everything works (marvelously well). In F hardly anything works and if it does there is still a glitch.

I was at a post office in Paris today. They had a two second power outage because of a construction site next door. All the computers turned off and some didn't turn on again and when they did the personnel didn't know how to get them online again. The entire post office was out of business because a) they didn't have any back-up battery power supply not even on the banking terminals and b) the people were incapable.

Bienvenue en France. :mad:

In Switzerland they would have prepared the post office in a way that a brief power outage won't even fathom it.

Ridiculous! :eek:

Till

Wow, inconvenienced in the Post Office. Can't imagine that happening anywhere in the world...:rolleyes:

... In F hardly anything works and if it does there is still a glitch....
I do think that's a little harsh. I've generally found that things in France work pretty well, better perhaps that one would expect based on "stereotypes", and certainly better than in many/most other countries (including European countries). :)

I don't have any CHF when I'm in Switzerland, since I won't buy anything there, and if I do they take credit card.

But I have found that the Starbucks in many airports has become my favorite money changer. If you have a Starbucks card and you're past security so that you probably no longer have to worry about buying much of anything, just offer all of your remaining cash and coins to the Starbucks to recharge your card. I no longer bother to recharge my card in my hometown, instead taking as a souvenir of nearly every trip, a recharge and emptying of my pockets of excess cash and coinage.

Plus, get a cool card (mine currently is from San Francisco with a cable car on the card), and the baristas will generally make a nice comment about your card. It's nothing spectacular, but I think it's kind of nice to be able to brighten up somebody's day!

Interesting. I will have to try this on my next trip. Just last week I attempted to use my Starbucks card in the Amsterdam airport and was told that it was not accepted there.