Originally Posted by slawecki
Get a separate debit card from your bank that you never put charges on. Find the max chargable. You can also get these cards from Fidelity, or Etrade. Some have very short daily maxes. My bank has a $250 per day limit.
The rates for these cards will vary, but they are the cheapest way to get small money.
for large money, you will have to find a money trader.
I agree, use a debit card for your ATM withdrawls. If you are staying entirely in the Eurozone, you might want to think about doing a single exchange away from the Airport. Almost all the public transportation systems (and most businesses now) in Germany, Italy, and France take credit/debit cards so you can get from the airport to town that way. If you choose to do a large single transaction, you might get a discount on the commission IF you ask for it and are willing to walk to the next bank if you don't (Frankfurt, FRA, is the most likely in my mind). This just means you are walking with a lot of cash during the trip though. Remember that Ireland, Great Britain, Switzerland and All Eastern European contries are not on the Euro. If you are going to these countries, just simplify life and just go with ATM theory as paying commission 2x will really agrivate you.