sbm12

Different, but just as easy. Your ATM card will work fine there as well.

I also tend to get ~$100 in local currency everywhere I go from the local ATM. Once or twice that has been a challenge and I've been happy to have $100-200 in USD as a backup, but I rarely spend that.

As for chip+pin versus mag stripe cards, the biggest challenge for me on that front in Europe is unattended kiosks at train stations. It has meant missing a train or two in the past as I queue to get help at the counter where my card works. Not the end of the world and I never was delayed more than ~30 minutes, but it was annoying.

CPRich

Agreed - while chip & PIN is prevalent in Europe, almost all of the machines also have mag stripe readers. When researching in advance, I was warned about stand-alone machines, especially at train stations. But the RER at CDG and the Metro were both fine with my mag stripe card.

cyclogenesis

This is gold! Great to know the RER in Paris takes MagStripe.. We have to use that to get from EuroStar to our apartment we are renting in Paris.. Thank you all for your advice.. It sounds very much like there is no financial advantage in EU and UK using money changing services and you are much better off taking small change from last trip and doing ATM withdrawals on arrival.

tng11

Minimal cash - I hit the airport ATM for some cash right on arrival, then I try to use my CC wherever I can and take out small amounts of cash as necessary, maybe $10-$20 USD equivalent at a time. Both cards I use are Chip+PIN and have no FTF or transaction fees. This strategy doesn't work quite so well in countries which impose a surcharge for every use, so I typically have some EUR or USD in varying denominations that I change bit by bit as I figure out my cash needs.

In the rare event I have paper notes left over, I'll save them if I plan on returning or convert them to USD at the airport and then toss any remaining coins into the donation envelopes on board.

Annalisa12

I like to take about $3000 cash in the currency of the country I am visiting. I usually have a little bit of Australian with me and if need be just change that over when overseas. I'm not fussed at the change over rate. I would be if I was swapping $100,000.

This trip I have just ordered the currency from the bank. Last trip I got it at the airport. I was surprised that at the airport the currency counter people didn't ask my personal details. There's one way for people to launder money.

Mountain Trader

Another vote for Schawb. Free is tough to beat.

cbn42

My experience earlier this year was a bit different. I was unable to purchase RER tickets with a magstripe credit card, or even a Citi chip card without a PIN. Thankfully I had enough euro coins to buy the ticket (the machines only take coins, not notes), otherwise I would have had to buy the ticket at the window. The line wasn't long though.

CPRich

I do remember reading on one of the sites that someone said they were having troubles at CDG and and agent told him to use "the machine down at the end. it sometimes works". Seems odd to me, but I did end up at the ticket machine at the far right of the bank of machines. I can't understand why, but maybe there is that one machine that works whereas the others don't. And thinking back, I believe I ended up using my ATM/Debit card/PIN after my MasterCard/PIN didn't work.

Worst case, you can stand in line and buy tickets. I'd try the machine first, the line was much shorter.

Nimrod1965

Chip ATM cards do exist in England, we also have electricity and running water in some places now.

Duke787

Yep Schwab was and remains one of the best options IMO. Found it when I was doing a similar search before embarking on a lengthy trip earlier this year and FT came through in recommending Schwab.

Free account setup (just have to open a free brokerage account and don't have to put a penny in it) and you can withdraw from any VISA branded ATM in the world. Any transaction fee put in place by that ATM is refunded by Schwab. So literally you're withdrawing at whatever Schwab's current market rate is for that currency. They also have a mobile app so you can write yourself a check from your current bank account, take a picture with your phone, rip up the check, see money deposited in X business days (note the first deposit they hold for a bit longer and once it clears they send you the ATM card and a Schwab checkbook). So you never have to actually see a Schwab location. I actually use it in US as my checking account is Chase (opened when I lived in Chicago) and now that I live where are no more Chase ATMs, I just use Schwab to transfer money out if and when I need it (and don't want to get cashback from the grocery store).

I usually take around the equivalent of $50 - 100 USDs when I arrive (if ATM machines are generally available) and then use my CSP (Chip and Signature) card as much as possible (for obvious points earning purposes + no foreign transaction fee) and just supplement with cash as needed.

I never want to end up with more foreign currency than I need so I only withdraw more if it's necessary and given the Schwab setup there is no cost for taking that approach (unless a major currency event happens between withdrawals which would impact your credit card's rate too).

pinniped

Last summer, we noticed that the dynamic currency conversion (DCC) scam seemed to be widespread in Dublin and surrounding areas. Be on the lookout for this if you use a non-Euro-denominated credit card account in the area. (I have not personally encountered the scam in the UK. No idea if it is legal there or prevalent in tourist areas.)

One pub even tried to tell me that they couldn't run my credit card in Euros. This, of course, is a complete lie. Only when I was about to walk out of the place without paying did they "magically" figure out how to charge me in Euros.

I have never encountered an ATM that forced this upon me - thankfully. (I guess I'd just cancel the transaction and find another ATM.) Many airport ATMs try to get you to fall for it, but you can always decline easily enough and still use the ATM. It's the worst when a bartender or waiter "accidentally" runs your card with DCC and then you have to strenuously object, refuse to sign, and make them run it again.

ironmanjt

That'll depend how many Benjamins you have on you

ironmanjt

This.

I always try and get roughly $100-200 local from an ATM immediately upon arriving. I can only think of a handful of countries where I haven't been able to (Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran come to mind) but just in case I always carry a few US$100s a few 50 Euro bills and a bunch of smaller US$1 and US$5 bills to get out of immediate needs.

The US$ is accepted just about anywhere and by just about anybody you'll NEED to pay....

Artpen100

I'm usually travelling to Europe. Mainly business, but sometimes for pleasure. I always take 200-300 in euros, GBPs or CHFs, depending on where I'm going. I consider that several days' worth of walking around money. I really have not had a problem getting my bankcard to work there, and many places do take Amex, VISA or MC (I carry all three), but the last thing I want to have to do is waste time wandering around looking for an ATM when I land. I like to grab a soda at the kiosk (well, unless I hit the arrivals lounge), buy a ticket and get on the train or metro, or get in a taxi, and go. And then, should for any reason cash be needed during the trip, I have it. In my view, the convenience is worth the poor exchange rate and fee of going to a Travelex, but also at the end of each trip I also withdraw money in the local currency, so I often still have 200-300 for my next trip.

piper28

Some days I just kinda sit back and marvel at the hints we've seen of the life that B747-437B has lived, it sure sounds like an interesting one. More interesting than mine at least.

For my last trip to Europe where I was going through several countries with different currencies, I ended up ordering some money in advance from my credit union. I was able to order several different currencies with one transaction fee, so in the long run it wasn't too bad, and for that particular trip it was easier than having to worry about tracking down atm's right after I'd arrive in country (especially since I wasn't going to be in any given country very long). For everything else, I used a chip & pin card from USAA. Seemed to through the europeans for a loop that an american actually had a chip & pin card.