ATM still working in Europe?

We are just back from 33 days in Europe which included some time in France. No problems anywhere using a Visa debit card. The can be some problems with auto ticket machines, toll booths, unmanned gas stations that will not take the Am credit card with the mag strip. I have not heard or read of anyone having problems with a debit card at an ATM. And our Capital One credit card was accepted everywhere but in train ticket machines in a couple of countries.

How did your friend reach the conclusion regarding the cause of "ATMs did not work?" There are many reason why one cannot get money from ATM machines.

I got EUROs everytime I used a BNP ATM machine using my U.S. issued magnetic strip only ATM card in France two months ago.

There is a new chip on some European bank cards. This is to help prevent skimming. Not very one has one yet - one of my banks has issued them, the other hasn't yet.
As far as I understand it ATMs will still accept the magnetic strip cards, since not every EU bank has switched, and to cater for tourists from countries which don't use the technology.
Many EU banks will wait until the current ATM card expires before replacing it with the new type - which also still have a magnetic strip on them.

We are in Portugal now and have used ATM card successfully in Spain, Andorra, France and Portugal. Only problem we have encountered is on toll roads -- sometimes American Express declined; other times Visa declined; had to resort to cash once.

I have a feeling that your friends' card did not work for a reason other than the one you mention. It had nothing to do with the new chip.

Perhaps they did not notify their bank of their visit to France?

Good to know everyone, makes me feel better. thanks for you help.

Yes ATM cards work -- perhaps they were using a credit card instead??? US-issued cc's will not work in some automated ticket machines and petrol pumps. But ATM cards do work everywhere that I am aware of.

Or as mentioned - maybe they didn't notify their bank they were going overseas. That is VERY important. Otherwise the bank may put a stop on the account and they are SOL.

Did they contact their bank after their card didn'twork the first time??

Their tale doesn't make sense unless some important details were omitted

no, the story doesn't make sense as if someone told me that, you can be sure I'd get the details as to what happened and what they did about it (first, you would contact your bank, of course -- unless you really didn't need money that way that badly, and then you'd be sure to find out what happened when returning home).

I wasn't just there but I was in September --both Paris and Toulouse and had no problems whatsoever. And I actually never notify my bank that I'm going anywhere, but I guess some banks may block foreign withdrawals.

It does kind of sound like they were using their credit card.

Your debit card in the USA is probably part of the Cirrus or Plus system, or both. A couple of times in Italy a few weeks ago, my debit card didn't work and then I realized that the ATM wasn't part of one of those systems. I easily found another one nearby that was.

If they used a regular ATM card instead of the Visa Debit card that can be a problem. I don't know if that's the case in France or not, but when I was in Belgium I tried at least 5 different ATMs with no success. Upon my return I called the bank to ask why my card had worked in 3 other countries but not Belgium. They told me that in some countries it's imperative to have a Visa Debit card as the regular ATM cards don't work. Since then I've always carried the debit card and I've used it all over the world with no problems.

Could it be that your friends had an ATM or ATM/Debit card from a credit union, Brian? I ask as friends had the same problem in France and Spain. And the wife was born and raised in Spain so she speaks fluent Spanish. When they returned home she discovered her credit union card did not work in Europe. She never knew that. And she works for the credit union! So just one thought. I think we use to have travellers to Europe or at least Italy complaining their Washington Union cards didn't work either.

Still working here. When the banks close down in the US, the European ATM will still be working for some time. However, I won't be sure US cards will be accepted then. But we will see, still a few weeks to go until then.

LoveItaly, it may have been HER credit union card that didn't work but you cannot expand it to all credit unions. Our debit cards are issued by a very local credit union and they worked just fine with the big advantage of no additional fees for using the card. Many banks will tack on a currency exchange of about 3% and sometimes a transaction fee.

I too can vouch for (at least mine) credit union ATM cards working just fine -- used mine last month in both Paris and Luxembourg. It's always risky to extrapolate from a single experience.

It isn't bank vs credit union cards. It is whether the the institution's cards are part of the Cirrus/Plus/Interlink systems.

Both of my credit unions and both of my banks belong to at least two of the above and work fine in Europe.