Best way to Exchange Currency?
May 9th, 2011, 12:27 PM
#1
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Best way to Exchange Currency?
Hi! I finally booked my trip to Italy and leave in a week. i just want to share, you need to follow Airfarewatchdog.com. I got my ticket for $812 coming out of Las Vegas...which is way better than the $1400 i was going to pay. decided not to go with a tour and just do it on my own.
In any case, any experienced travelers out there know which way I should exchange currency? I can get it here at Wells Fargo at a 1.5141 exchange rate. Or should I go to the ATM in Europe (using Wells Fargo or Bank of America), OR exchange at the airport?
Also, any advice on how much to bring or allocate for a 6 day 5 night trip exclusively to Rome (we are doing Vatican tour, Da Vinci code tour, eating and shopping). $1200 ok?
Thanks for the consideration in answering this post!
-jen
In any case, any experienced travelers out there know which way I should exchange currency? I can get it here at Wells Fargo at a 1.5141 exchange rate. Or should I go to the ATM in Europe (using Wells Fargo or Bank of America), OR exchange at the airport?
Also, any advice on how much to bring or allocate for a 6 day 5 night trip exclusively to Rome (we are doing Vatican tour, Da Vinci code tour, eating and shopping). $1200 ok?
Thanks for the consideration in answering this post!
-jen
May 9th, 2011, 03:40 PM
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Everybody is different with regard to what combination of cash and credit that they use, but we like to use as much cash as possible for day-to-day stuff. We charge hotels and car rentals, some train tickets, an occasional tour or something - but mostly we use cash day to day for our meals, sightseeing, transportation, incidentals, etc. Not Italy specifically, but in general we spent between 75-150 euro per day for the 2 of us. More if we find good stuff to buy, but we aren't big shoppers.
May 9th, 2011, 04:35 PM
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General rule of thumb: Use a credit card for major purchases and get cash from ATMs for everything else. Withdraw the maximum amount you can each time so you have fewer transactions and therefore fewer withdrawal fees. Keep your cash in a money belt.
Be sure to tell your card providers when you will be in Europe so your cards aren't blocked by a computer for unusual activity which could trigger a fraud alert.
Read a very helpful article here: http://tinyurl.com/k3vy6.
Be sure to tell your card providers when you will be in Europe so your cards aren't blocked by a computer for unusual activity which could trigger a fraud alert.
Read a very helpful article here: http://tinyurl.com/k3vy6.
