Michael

<i>I can't use XE or xoom because I don't/won't have an account in Europe.Z</i>

You do not have to have an account in Europe. When I did, I transferred money to my European account, but also directly to a contractor's account and most recently to the organization that rented out apartments in Amsterdam; in neither of the last two cases was I required to have an account in Europe.

indyhiker

I linked my XE account (that I created for purposes of paying a deposit for a rental) to a local account in the States. I picked an account my husband and I have at a credit union that has a small balance. In case XE's security is breached, I wanted minimum exposure. You have to jump through some hoops to create the account, but it was relatively painless.

kja

Let me once again recommend the very simplest of solutions: Starting when you reach Europe, take out what you can with your ATM each day. Do so when you can reach your hotel or a restroom quickly, so that you can move the cash to your under-clothing passport pouch as soon as you can. Do that every day until you have enough money. When you need to pay, ask for a private place in which to access your passport pouch and its contents.

Note that most banks set a limit on what can be withdrawn in any 24-hour period -- and they define the start of that period differently. Ask your bank(s) EXACTLY when that time is -- midnight eastern? 4 p.m. eastern? (Yes, that's the time one of my banks uses.) Don't try to withdraw cash twice in one "day" as it can trigger a fraud alert.

Be sure to let your banks know that you will be traveling -- where and exactly when.

Good luck!

cfc

Each time you use an ATM at a foreign bank, you are likely going to be charged a "guest" fee by that bank; and your own bank, of course, may well be charging a 'foreign transaction' percentage.

DebitNM

There are MANY U.S. banks and credit unions that DO not charge a fee when ATM are made overseas - even if not a bank affiliate. Get a different account if your U.S. Bank charges a fee to take out your own cash overseas. It can be done online if there isn't a brick and mortar branch near you.

I have used my ATM/debit card in over a dozen countries in Europe and have never had the "guest" bank charge me a fee.

cfc

I'm happy for you, DebitNM. And as soon as I can get rid of my BofA account, I'm going to - hopefully before our trip in the fall.

However, I have had "guest fees" charged in both France and Italy. Perhaps I don't travel in the right neighborhoods. Or perhaps I'm using the term "guest fee" to refer to something more commonly know by another name. But when you get the message "Attention: users of this machine who do not have an account with us should know that they will be charged ___ Euros for each transaction" -- or some version of that.

cfc

(sorry, an incomplete sentence. Add subj and verb in there somewhere.)

pariswat

tom_mn on Jun 29, 15 at 2:40am
Here's a recent (18 month) summary of European rentals:
UK: 1 credit card
France: 1 credit card / 2 cash
Denmark: 1 cash
Italy: 1 credit card / 2 cash

My own summary
France : 60 bookings, 50 hotels, 10 B&B/rentals : average one night only : 60 times creditcard
Italy, Germany, UK, Poland, Spain, Romania, netherlands : 20 times, average one night : creditcard 20 times.
Slovenia : appartment, one week : creditcard.

I don't know what it is to travel with cash anymore.

Michael

<i> Or perhaps I'm using the term "guest fee" to refer to something more commonly know by another name. But when you get the message "Attention: users of this machine who do not have an account with us should know that they will be charged ___ Euros for each transaction" -- or some version of that.</i>

Might it have been an ATM not affiliated with a bank, as are many in stores in the States?

tom_mn

Pariswat: Hotels and B & Bs take credit cards. This topic is talking about apartment or house rentals.

Christina

No, in fact, this topic was NOT about apt or house rentals to start with. The OP specifically said he was talking about a B&B.

So some other people starting talking about apts but that really wasn't the OP's query nor problem, except he chose a B&B that wouldn't take credit cards. I admit I was confused as it sounded like he needed the entire sum immediately with talk of ATM limits, and I really would not stay in a place that made me pay the entire bill upfront if it were a hotel or B&B (unless you agreed to iot with getting a discount, of course) and in cash on top of that.

flpab

I usually do deposit via PayPal and sometimes payment. This last apartment was part PayPal and part cash. 500 euro. My banks allow me more than 300 a day and take two different cards from two different banks. I always have trouble with the credit union one. Did not work in NI but everywhere else OK. I divide it up and always lock in safe or suitcase.

tom_mn

Yes, although the original post did not specify, a later one did say that it was a B&B. And I agree that it is strange that a B&B is not taking a credit card.