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Is there an index of country currencies recommending whether to bring money or not?

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Is there an index of country currencies recommending whether to bring money or not?

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Old Nov 17, 2014, 2:18 pm
  #1  
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Is there an index of country currencies recommending whether to bring money or not?

Sorry for the title massacre, but is there a compilation thread of all European countries and advice on whether or not one should bring currency or hold off and withdraw currency from ATMs? I will be in a few European countries in the coming weeks and am not sure whether to bring already exchange CZK or to just wait until I find an ATM.

Thanks!
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Old Nov 17, 2014, 8:21 pm
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In general, it's almost always better to withdraw cash from an ATM once there. Fees from currency exchange firms at home will be more than any ATM fee you're likely to pay, and you'll likely get a better exchange rate too.
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Old Nov 18, 2014, 3:14 pm
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Originally Posted by linglingfool
In general, it's almost always better to withdraw cash from an ATM once there. Fees from currency exchange firms at home will be more than any ATM fee you're likely to pay, and you'll likely get a better exchange rate too.
+1

Many airports have ATMs and I frequently use them on my arrival to get cash so that I can get on my way.
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Old Nov 18, 2014, 7:40 pm
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Originally Posted by FLYMSY
+1

Many airports have ATMs and I frequently use them on my arrival to get cash so that I can get on my way.
Great idea, so that if you say, lose your debit card immediately after withdrawing cash at the airport, you've bought yourself a little time to work out how to get cash going forward. (Not that anything like that happened on my last overseas trip.)

Only word of advice is to make sure you're withdrawing from an actual bank's ATM, not one from an exchange company like Travelex, as they'll convert you at their marked-up rate, not the interbank rate.
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Old Nov 19, 2014, 9:41 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by linglingfool
Great idea, so that if you say, lose your debit card immediately after withdrawing cash at the airport, you've bought yourself a little time to work out how to get cash going forward. (Not that anything like that happened on my last overseas trip.)

Only word of advice is to make sure you're withdrawing from an actual bank's ATM, not one from an exchange company like Travelex, as they'll convert you at their marked-up rate, not the interbank rate.
Some banks (in addition to ATMs) have machines which allow their customers the ability to do normal banking operations--don't use one of these; in Europe nearly all automated terminals "ingest" your card and spit it out after the transaction is complete, using the wrong type of machine may result in its being swallowed forever.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 11:15 pm
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Is there an index of country currencies recommending whether to bring money or not?

You should always withdrawal at destination ATM. I think it is just supply and demand on bank notes; more "local" currency at foreign country.
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