foreign currency

[Chaoster]

Just wondering for those that have travelled abroad. How much currency do you bring for the country you are travelling to? Or do you mostly just use credit or debit card?

 

[kdonnel]

In the past I have brought about $100 worth of foreign currency. In bills as small as possible, coins if possible as well.

Together with credit cards I have found that to be enough.

Most importantly it gets me into paid bathrooms.

 

[mousefan73]

Not so much foreign currency but just general cash Depending on where/ how long I bring between 100-300. In case cards for any stupid reason don’t work. Never travel overseas without cash. I usually make sure like my hotels and other things are pre-paid for and you should always have emergency cash for things like transportation to and from airport and simply food in case things don’t work for a while. I’ve had credit cards not work for the stupidest of reasons overseas.

I no longer go out of the way to to actually look for a exchange place. I just try and take cash from the first ATM I see when I land. Then I always have my euros or US dollars as my emergency cash. If I get foreign currency I do 50 or 100 not more

In Europe, a lot of the bathrooms that require payment are also now hooked up to card payments. change is never bad to have just in case.

 

[goofyernmost]

When I went to Europe about 6 years back I was going to be in or around Europe for almost a month. I brought 400 Euros and my credit cards. I informed the card providers of the dates I was going to be there so if I used them, some auditor type program would not go into a panic and wonder why all of a sudden I was charging for something in Venice when the last time I charged anything it was in Raleigh, NC. I used cards wherever they were accepted and cash where they weren't. I came home with 300 Euros. I sold them to my sister who was planning a trip to Paris the next year.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Depending on the trip and number of people going, I usually have a few hundred dollars worth of currency on me.

My younger son is going to France and South Korea this summer. For Christmas, I gave him our leftover euro--187e or so. Then in his Easter basket he got 120,000 won (South Korean currency, ~$100 worth).

My older son got 75 British pounds in his Easter basket (~$90 worth).

Both sons have debit cards that they'll use when they travel.

 

[Meriweather]

We just got back from the Netherlands and Belguim on a river cruise.
We took 400 Euros. Came back with about 300. A lot of the places didn't take cash, just cards.

 

[tvguy]

My daughter is going to be in England and Germany for a couple of weeks next month, so it will be interesting to see how things have changed since she was there for the 2013-14 school year on a exchange program. Chip cards were the norm in Europe then, ahead of the U.S. and she had a chip card, but she had an issue with their readers reading her chip. And while the card readers had a swipe option, many European merchants just didn't think about swiping a card if the chip didn't work. Swiping always worked, but getting them to swipe the card could be a challenge. Thus, she always carried cash, especially on weekends, as a backup.

 

[hrhdhd]

U.S. credit cards are generally chip and sign while European cards are chip and PIN. I haven't had an issue (including my most recent three trips to Europe last fall) using my chip and sign cards. (And I'm a shopper, so I visited a lot of stores. )

 

[morrik5]

Just curious with all those saying they use their bank and credit cards for foreign travel, do you have a special plan on your bank accounts that don't charge you through the nose in foreign exchange fees on top of the exchange rate? Not a naysayer, just wondering what others experience.

 

[hrhdhd]

Just curious with all those saying they use their bank and credit cards for foreign travel, do you have a special plan on your bank accounts that don't charge you through the nose in foreign exchange fees on top of the exchange rate? Not a naysayer, just wondering what others experience.

Neither of my cards has foreign transaction fees (Chase Amazon Visa, AAA Visa). Many cards have dropped those fees; you can shop around for a card that doesn't have them.

Also, the bank exchange rate is the best one you can get. Always be sure to have the store/machine charge you in local currency, not in U.S. dollars, to get the better rate.

 

[georgina]

Just curious with all those saying they use their bank and credit cards for foreign travel, do you have a special plan on your bank accounts that don't charge you through the nose in foreign exchange fees on top of the exchange rate? Not a naysayer, just wondering what others experience.

Using a bank ATM to get foreign currency is generally considered the best exchange rate. My bank reimburses me for foreign ATM fees. Heading to Amsterdam Tuesday, will use my card to get a few hundred euros once we arrive, mostly for tour guide tipping.

We also mostly use Chase cards for charging with no foreign transaction fees.

 

[barkley]

Just curious with all those saying they use their bank and credit cards for foreign travel, do you have a special plan on your bank accounts that don't charge you through the nose in foreign exchange fees on top of the exchange rate? Not a naysayer, just wondering what others experience.

our local credit union card does not charge foreign exchange or transaction fees.

btw folks-remember if you have triple a you can do foreign currency exchange at no fee through them.

 

[QueenIsabella]

our local credit union card does not charge foreign exchange or transaction fees.

btw folks-remember if you have triple a you can do foreign currency exchange at no fee through them.

The only thing about AAA is, there's a $10 fee if you get less than $200 in foreign currency. Signed, the woman who just got $100 each in South Korean won and pounds last week!

 

[QueenIsabella]

P.S. They prefer if you pay by check. Had I been thinking ahead, I would have brought the checkbook, and gotten more won (to avoid the fee), since DH is going to South Korea as well.

 

[clh2]

We always board our plane with a couple hundred dollars of the appropriate foreign currency. While our trip to Berlin Germany was in 2009, many if not most establishments accepted cash, and only cash. We merely withdrew money from an ATM about every other day.
I always feel the need to have enough foreign currency for the cab ride from the airport to the hotel, a cup of coffee, and our first meal.

 

[Moliphino]

We always board our plane with a couple hundred dollars of the appropriate foreign currency. While our trip to Berlin Germany was in 2009, many if not most establishments accepted cash, and only cash. We merely withdrew money from an ATM about every other day.
I always feel the need to have enough foreign currency for the cab ride from the airport to the hotel, a cup of coffee, and our first meal.

I had that experience in Munich in 2017. Germany was weird about foreign credit cards and only the very touristy places took them. I haven't experienced that anywhere else in Europe.

I usually get about 100 euro to have on hand just in case. I try to use my 0% foreign transaction fee credit card as much as possible.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just curious with all those saying they use their bank and credit cards for foreign travel, do you have a special plan on your bank accounts that don't charge you through the nose in foreign exchange fees on top of the exchange rate? Not a naysayer, just wondering what others experience.

The CCs we use don't have foreign transaction fee: SWA Premier, Delta Amex and Chase Sapphire Reserve.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My husband just went to the bank the other day and got just under $300 worth (meaning the USD equivalent) of Mexican Pesos. For the most part it's going to be used for tips (even being at an all-inclusive tips for the drinks are still usually expected) as well as a few other minor things where pesos get you a discount or are preferred.

There's some USD cash as well

Most big things are paid for via CC especially with wanting travel insurance for it.

We'll be going Europe in a few months not sure how much Euros we'll bring but most big things are paid for via CC. The Euros would be primarily for things purchased on the actual excursions while on the cruise.

 

[rwdavis2]

None. Use an ATM at the airport.

 

[goofyernmost]

My daughter is going to be in England and Germany for a couple of weeks next month, so it will be interesting to see how things have changed since she was there for the 2013-14 school year on a exchange program. Chip cards were the norm in Europe then, ahead of the U.S. and she had a chip card, but she had an issue with their readers reading her chip. And while the card readers had a swipe option, many European merchants just didn't think about swiping a card if the chip didn't work. Swiping always worked, but getting them to swipe the card could be a challenge. Thus, she always carried cash, especially on weekends, as a backup.

The other issue she may have is that Germany uses the Euro and England is still using Pound Sterling for currency.