If I don't have currency left from a prior trip, I go to AAA and get about 100€. There is a small delivery fee, but it's not as much as the bank charges and they are able to get it quicker than my bank.

Just don't take traveler's checks--they are almost worthless. Nobody wants them, we were charged about 18 percent to cash them, finally stood in line at Amex to cash them for free. Thank goodness we only had a few and for emergencies. We took two credit/debit cards as they wouldn't always work--each day was different. You will need at least 100E to get into town, eat a little, find an ATM and hope card works that day, so be sure to take at least that. Our card never worked in the one ATM in Murren, but we had taken Swiss Francs (in case) since our BB took cash only. The card that worked each time in Italy, didn't always work in France and vice versa. We made a large purchase in Italy and it didn't get approved on the one card, so it isn't always the ATM. And, we checked and double checked with the cc companies before we left to be sure they knew we were in Europe.

I always take about 200 euros with me so that I don't have to rush for cash upon arrival. That will allow me enough to take a cab, eat several meals and have spare change for the pay toilets!

My bank no longer has foreign currency available locally. For convenience sake, I go to the American Express office that handles foreign currencies.

Did you check out Wells Fargo online??

My DH goes to Wells Fargo every now and then, and gets a few Euros or a few British Pounds when he gets down there. We're going in September, and just plan on taking about $100 of each for us for "landing money". We find that at a big bank in a major city, they have the BP and the Euro...now getting ahold of a lot of Turkish Lira -- last time, took a special order.

I think it was Ira who gave me the following web site http://www.xe.com/ It shows the current exchange rates, and now it' bookmarked and compulsively checked every time I log on. The Euro has fallen from around $1.30 US to $1.20, and has pretty much hung out there lately. ;)

Jules