4almost30

I will be travelling to Europe for 14 days from the USA and were wondering if people had any comments around the pros and cons of using Cash or Swipe Debit Cards or use ATM withdrawals. I will be travelling to Germany, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, France and Italy.I amprimarily using BOA and Citibank for banking.

Mimar

Use cash for small purchases, credit or debit cards for bigger puchases like hotel charges. Get your cash from an ATM machine. (The European ones automatically pull from your checking account.)

I'm not sure what a Cash Card or a Swipe Debit card is.

screen_name_taken

My personal preference is ATM, because the bank I do business with (First Republic) does not charge fees for such withdrawals.

I do not ever use Debit cards, at home or abroad.

StCirq

Six countries in two weeks? Wow. Use your ATM card for cash, credit card for large purchases. Have no idea what a cash card or swipe debit is, but if it's some pre-paid thing, avoid it at all cost.

RonDace

My own rule both at home and when traveling is to only use the ATM/Debit card for cash at an ATM, never for purchases or anything else for that matter. Cash for the small stuff, credit card for big stuff. If you don't have a credit card you might want to consider one for use when traveling. A prepaid card or a debit card can be a real hassle if the number is stolen. Yes, you will probably get your money back, but it may not be until you return home and meanwhile you are on vacation with no money. With a credit card, the bank is out the money, not you.

Christina

I don't even own a debit card, only an ATM card, but presume a "swipe debit" card is just a debit card, right? And that just means to charge something, the card is swiped in a machine. I've never heard that term, either.

I"m not sure what you need to know about the pros or cons of using cash. It's like at home, the pros are that it is usually a quicker transaction, and for small purchases and some kinds of vendors, you can't use anything but cash. I never use a credit card for anything under ten euro (well, rarely, I have a couple times for metro tickets or something). I don't usually use one at home for small amounts, either.

But the big issue with the pros or cons on these is the terms you have with your banks or issuers, and we can't know that. It depends on any fees or exchange rate fees, etc., you may have for usage abroad or at ATMs other than your own bank.

4almost30

Hi,

Thank you for your replies. Sorry about the confusion with "Swipe debit card", just meant to say To swipe a debit card . In ant case going with atm withdrwals with a couple of credit cards seems like the way to go. Also, one my credit cards is an Amex card, is it widely accepted in Europe?

nytraveler

AmEx i s fairly widely accepted in europe - but not as much as Visa or MC. It will generally be taken at upscale hotels and restaurants and museums etc. But a lot of smaller places don;t take it since the premium they charge the vendor is higher. Just sign up for a Visa card before the trip. (You should always carry at least 2 cards anyway - in case one goes lost - or there is a temporary problem. (I've never had one - but I know some people on this board sometimes report having one.)

sfgirl42

Remember to notify your bank that you're going to Europe and will be using your credit and ATM cards there. Used to be in France the pin number had to be 4 digits...don't know if that's still treu--ANYONE?
Capitol One charges the least for credit cards, I've used both that and VISA--VISA (Carte Bleu in France) is the preferred one--I had some problems with MC (Maestro there) but it was unfamiliarity by the person doing the transaction (at a hotel, late...).
Since transaction charges are often percentage AND per use, get enough euro for a couple days, just keep them safe.
I've never used anything but my ATM in 10 years...

Christina

I've had problems with one credit card several times in Europe. It had nothing to do with the card nor the person doing the transaction, it had to do with the network being down for some hours for that card (I dont know if this was store-specific or country-specific or what). In fact, when that has happened the store/restaurant would accept American Express but could not accept Visa/MC (this has always been in France but probably just because I am there most). So it is good to carry with you, it can come in handy.

november_moon

We use our debit card to get cash from ATMs - we use cash for just about everything other than hotels, rental cars, and sometimes train tickets (use credit cards for those). It is easier for us that way, plus it helps us stay on budget.

Lolo12

Over the years, I have come to belive that using a ATM card is the most efficient and best way to go. You get the cash and use it for almost everything, except big-ticket items.

Most banks charge a fee. Even so, you get the best rate.

There are a couple of banks in the US that don't charge fees from foreign banks. They are TD Bank, Capital One and maybe one other. I know that TD requires a balance of $2500 for one month. I have an account with them that I use only for this purpose. I transfer $ a month before I go away, then transfer it back after I get home - thereby avoiding all fees.

If you use them and can handle the balance requirement, (that's after any withdrawals) this might be the way to go. Just make sure you notify the bank that you will be using the card.

suze

Check on the partner banks for Bank of America in your locations. Sometimes you can avoid the ATM fee by using one of them.

Use you card at an ATM machine to get local currency, don't plan to be "swiping" for individual purchases like you do at home.

Dayenu

To use ATM cards, check your banks' websites for international connections - if your bank has a "sister" bank in Europe, you will avoid additional charges.

Remember to call your bank and hold till they make a note on your account so not to "freeze" your account when they see "suspicious" activities. When I called my bank, I was advised, the 4-digit PIN code cannot start with zero in Europe.

Kyliebaby3

If you bank with B of A, in Germany use Deutschebank and in France use BNP Paribas ATMs. You won't be charged a fee to withdraw from these ATMs because they are part of the Global ATM Alliance. Unfortunately, those are the only countries where this will work, but you can plan accordingly and withdraw more money from these ATMs if you want. That's what I did on a two-month trip that routed me around a bit. You will still get charged the currency conversion fee, however.

CYESQ

When you use your ATM card, remember there is a daily limit that is significantly lower than in the US. My recollection is that it ranges from $200 to $300. This is low if you're moving around on a cash-only basis and you want to make a purchase over this amount. Travel with one or two credit cards as well. Also, as one person replied above, you cannot make withdrawals from a US savings account, you can only access checking.

Nikki

I have heard the comment about pin codes beginning with zero not working before, but I used to have a card with a four digit pin and had no problem.

Nikki

I left out the part about how my four digit pin started with zero.

My kingdom for an edit function.

J62

Your own bank sets the daily withdrawal limit - mine is no different in the US, Romania, or Timbuktu.

A particular ATM machine may have a per-withdrawal limit such as 250 or 300 euros, but you can should be able to make a 2nd withdrawal at the same machine or another bank the same day if your bank has a higher daily limit.

Coquelicot

We set up two accounts with our credit union so we'd have two different ATM cards. They issued two cards for each account, so each of us carries a pair of cards in case one is damaged. Before a trip we try out all four cards to be sure they still work. And we notify the credit union and our credit card companies in advance of the dates of our travel.

We get euros every couple of days and pay cash for everything. (Only the advance costs, airfare and car rental, go on the credit cards.) We take our credit cards along but haven't had to use them. In small establishments, restaurants, B&Bs, only cash is accepted.

Our credit union adds the 1% international services fee but charges nothing for ATM use.

So far, so good.