Hello,
I am planning on bringing AMEX travellers cheques in Euros (buying in Canada) when I head overseas in a few months. Just curious if I will be charged a fee to cash them when I go to an AMEX Office? Does anyone know off hand?
Thanks for your help

How hard it is to find an Amex office? Seems like that might not be particularly convenient depending on where in a city, and what city you are in.

Please reconsider. Travelers checks are a real pain. You would have to find an AMEX office during opening hours - otherwise virtually no merchants, restaurants, hotels take them.

If you have an ATM card - that is the way to go. If you don't have an ATM card - get one

I stopped carrying traveler's cheques years ago -- now rely totally on the local ATMs. However, when I did carry AMEX cheques, personnel at the French post offices were able to cash them for me. So, you can go either way but I agree that it's much simpler using ATMs and they're all over the place, even in some of the smaller towns!

Oops, what I should have said are ATMs are the way to go. I was just stuck picturing having to cross all of Rome, for example, hunting down an open American Express office. Sounds like a real bad plan imo.

>I am planning on bringing AMEX travellers cheques in Euros (buying in Canada) when I head overseas in a few months.

Don´t forget to get a horse and ride to the telegraph office when you need to send a message home. )

No, seriously.... I remember using my German debit card in ATM´s all over eastern Canada - why shouldn´t it be different in reverse. And it was 6 years ago.

Btw. bank of Nova Scotia has a partnership with a few European banks for free-of-charge use of ATM´s. Most notably with Deutsche Bank (Germany), Barclays Bank (UK) and BNP Paribas (France). Not sure about Italy and other countries.

No, you will not be charged a fee at the AMEX office. And at Lloyd's Banks in England, you won't be charged, either.

Thanks for all your help.

Regarding ATM's, I got caught in San Francisco one time without any funds as there were problems with ATM's during my trip, so I am uneasy about this. Regarding travellers cheques, the Canadian dollar is really strong at this point in comparison to the Euro and I want to take advantage of this as it is expected to weaken. Great feedback - I think I have to get over the ATM fear...lol

Cheers

Just a note on my experience:

"Btw. bank of Nova Scotia has a partnership with a few European banks for free-of-charge use of ATM´s. Most notably with Deutsche Bank (Germany), Barclays Bank (UK) and BNP Paribas (France). Not sure about Italy and other countries"

Just a quick note about this - I use Scotiabank and specifically went to Deutsche Bank ATM's in Florence and Rome during my visit. My card didn't work with those ATM's for some totally unexplained reason (even though they are "affiliated?".).

I had to use other ATM's and I was charged the $5 ATM fee by Scotiabank. Once I got home I called them, gave them heck (I wasn't amused) and they reversed the charges. Just a heads up if your a Scotiabank user.

Other than that I had no problem taking $ out of the ATM's and got a really good exchange rate....

Take TCs in your own currency as emergency back-up in case of ATM failure (very unlikely), then deposit the unused ones (probably all you bought) in your bank when you return. This avoids losing on the conversion in both directions.

Just a side note...
DH and I have often cashed large checks at a couple of Amex offices (one in Lucerne and one in FRA). We have platinum cards and can do so without fees (other than typical exchange rates).

But, heads up... the last time I went to the Amex office in Lucerne, it was no longer a currency office. It was strictly for travel assistance/reservations. You might want to double check to find out just how available those currency counters are, at Amex places now!! Don't want to get caught off guard.

No,no,no...from a fellow canuck.

Use your ATM card and credit cards (larger purchases).

Do you want to spend your time on holiday planning on finding an AMEX office, or a bank open on that day, or...

No fees? Tell you what, you send me any amount of travellers cheques you want and I will cash them free, no charges, no fees, absolutely nothing beyond...the exchange rate I choose. Yes, I'll choose it, just like the exhange bureau or the bank will. It is NOT fixed. So while I give you a deal on fees, I can ding you on the currency rate. Can you say...scam.

People don't use TCs anymore, the Interac/PLUS/etc network is everywhere, you get interbank rate, possibly a small ATM charge, why buy something that is going to complicate not simplify your trip.

And check the rate you would pay to buy them in canada, and cash them when you get home. Please reconsider.

Nothing wrong with carrying travelers checks as an emergency measure, same with cash. I would never go with only one method (being entirely dependent on the ATM method is not smart imo).

But for your primary, most convenient and cost-effective way to get euro... ATMs are where it's at.

We opened an ING Electric Orange checking account, got a debit card, and was able to use it in Europe with no problem. Definitely recommend the ATM route over AMEX travelers cheques.