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Thread: Euros before trip or in Europe itself
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Old Jan 11, 2024 | 3:10 pm
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Craig6z
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Originally Posted by sam007
Guys - typically, does one get a similar or better exchange rate withdrawing in Europe using a no-fee ATM card like Citigold vs withdrawing Euros from a local bank branch here in the USA? If someone remembers some past comparison numbers, I'll be curious

Thanks
Typically not even close. A no-fee ATM card in Europe will generally be no more than 1.75% over the spot exchange rate. A local bank branch in the USA is going to be probably a minimum of 4% above spot, and I've had friends pay close to 8%. A lot of US Banks don't even want to get involved in an exchange, as it is labor intensive, and can take 3 business days to complete (the bank has to get the foreign currency shipped to them from a central office).
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