Spending 6 weeks in Germany & Belgium starting next month. Plan to pay with credit card as much as possible but some places insist on cash. Wondering about the most economical way to get Euros. My choices seem to be: 1. Carry Euro travelers checks available from AAA (will have to guess how much I need) 2. Use cash machines in Europe (not sure how readily they are available especially in small towns). 3. Convert US $ to Euros while in US (problem with losing). I would like to avoid losing on the exchange rate as much as possible. Any suggestions?

There are ATM's everywhere. You can do a search here for "travelers checks" to see the general opinion is that they are a hassle. I got two ATM cards just in case I had a problem with one of them.

ATMs are definitely the way to go. If Germany is anything like Italy, you will have no problem in small towns.

Deborah:<BR><BR>Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize that there was a separate section for travelers checks. I read it and it was very helpful.

<BR><BR>From people who don't wear moneybelts.

You left out an obvious option, take travelers checks in US$ and exchange them in Europe if you need to, at a bank or exchange bureau (being sure to understand the rates). <BR><BR>ATMs and CCS are the best options, but do NOT take TCs in Euros if you do get some. Take them in US$.<BR><BR>Obviously, you are not going to get better rates for euros in the US than in Europe. I think you may not have realized that your (1) choice is also converting US$ to euros in the US and you are thus going to lose on the exchange rate PLUS you will pay to spend these checks in Europe in many places, plus you will have to worry about spending exactly the amount you buy or you'll have leftover euros.<BR><BR>If I were you, I'd take some US$ travelers checks from AAA as a backup in case of ATM problems because they are free. If you don't need them, just put them in your bank account or spend them at the grocery store, etc, when you get home.

Explain to me why you all spend thousands of dollars on trips and then obsess over the small amout of money you will have to pay in exchange transfers. <BR>Do what is the easiest for you, and pay the few dollars. I take my ATM card, but it isn't always accepted, so I have euro dollars that I have exchanged before I leave on the trip. Convenience and my trip time make up for the few dollars.

last year, spent two weeks near r<BR>Rome in a small hilltown with 300 residents. Even at that size, there was a church, a bar, a bank open two days a week and just outside the bank an atm. don't overestimate the minimal difficulty of finding the atm-they are everywhere. I have never had a problem with acceptance of my VISA check card at the ATM-but I always check with the bank to make sure that they boost the limit to 300 euros daily so I can pick up enough cash for several days. finding someone to change a traveler's check might indeed be a problem in a small town.

Don't be so smug, there is always the first time, and do you want to be without cash on a weekend? I talked to my bank over and over before I left, and to my surprise, most ATM's spit out my card. Only one ATM in Florence for instance would accept my B of A card.

I totally agree with Midas. Youv'e paid a good price for tickets and lodging and now your concerned with a few euros? Buy $50.00 worth here in the US to cover immediate expenses, charge as much as possible while your there as the best rate is applied to credit cards and whenever you need cash exchange American for euros.<BR>And YES qwear a money belt!!

if your check/cash card is a Mastercard card (MC logo/hologram on front) and the Cirrus network logo on the back, I understand that you may encounter pockets in Northern Italy and Switzerland where the card may not be accepted since acceptance depends on which of the international networks (visa/plus or mc/cirrus) the banking terminal accepts. Mastercard is still not as widely accepted as Visa since Visa cards are issued at three times the rate as Mastercard. And Midas is right - there is always a first time and it is never convenient.

Thanks for all your replies. It looks like my ATM card which can be used at all Cirrus machines will be adequate. Also US$ travelers checks would be a good backup.