P_M

I still take US$ tc's too, but only as a back-up. I always bring home all of them and just re-deposit them. My bank doesn't charge me a fee for these, so there's no loss.

DiAblo

A WORD OF CAUTION…last year I went to London and took along the same credit card I’ve used for the past 5 years in England, Scotland, and France, with no problems. As usual I notified the credit card company before my trip.

When I arrived in Russell Square I went to the same ATM that I’ve always used. It did not recognize my card and eventually locked me out. It was the same story everywhere I went.

I spent hours on the phone with the issuing company to no avail, even changing my PIN (they suggested waiting 24 hours, I actually waited 48 before trying the card again…no dice!)

I could still go into banks and get a limited amount of money, but no ATM anywhere would give me so much as a nickel. Was it the end of the world? No. was it a major pain in the wahzoo, you betcha. Standing in bank lines (your average wait in London will be at LEAST 20 minutes), having to stock up on cash for the weekends, being unable to access cash after hours, etc.

Fortunately I am obsessive and always carry a fair amount of money with me in travelers checks. I’ve not used them for several years, but when I opened my passport/money belt I was damned glad to see them there. Thank heaven for American Express (or any brand, even american $). Don’t leave home without it.

ira

Hi DiAblo

You use a credit card to get cash from an ATM?

Don't they charge you interest for a cash advance?

DiAblo

I have a very good relationship with my CC company. The charge is nominal and most affordable. No problems.

em111

One voice for using the travelers check cards from someone who is currently stuck in the uk and had her ATM card go missing...if you don't have a prepaid card, and some or all of your cards are stolen, you have to wait 2 weeks for your bank to resend the cards to your home address (at which point you're already home but stuck on vacation with no cash. Even assuming they only take your ATM, you are limited to the amount per day you can get out and many places in europe only accept cash. Somethings to think about as someone who wishes she had a back up plan.

Patrick

em111, when my partner realized he'd lost his card (actually he left it in the ATM at our home bank just before we left) we called them and they sent a new one to our hotel in New York within 24 hours. We were there for just two nights on our way to Europe. When I said to the girl on the phone "thank goodness we aren't already in Europe. I don't know what we'd do" she assured us that if we had called from Europe they would send one to us there within 48 hours. Our ATM is with Bank of America.

You might consider changing banks if yours will only send a replacement to your home address and it takes them two weeks!

Patrick

Diablo, I'd love to know what is "nominal and most affordable", if you are talking about using a credit card to "cash advance money" from an ATM. If on the other hand you're talking about a debit/ATM card from the bank that holds your checking account and takes the money from your checking account, that is of course a whole different matter.

janis

em111: "you have to wait 2 weeks for your bank to resend the cards to your home address"

that has never been my experience. Is that what a customer service agent told you? I would be VERY surprised if that was the case. Did you double check or speak to a manager? Often the info supplied by Bank customer service 800 numbers are next to useless. (For instance I have had them tell me point blank my daily limit can't be raised when I have done it for every single trip for nearly 10 years.)

IF by chance that is how your bank does work - I'd definitely get a new bank.

suze

em111- really sorry for your troubles. yikes. but you give a good reminder for people. That it is smart to have multiple methods of obtaining funds when traveling (i.e., cash to exchange, stash of local currency, ATM card/s, Credit Card/s, travelers checks, pre-loaded cards).

kris4n6

On my most recent trip (couple of weeks ago), I used the Nationwide ATMs twice and the Barclays once in England. Neither charged a fee and I got a fairly good exchange rate each time. I could have sworn on my last trip (2002) that I did pay a fee, but I could be misremembering.

In Stockholm, I don't remember the banks, but the exchange rate was fine. A tip though - even if the ATM says that your card won't allow dispension of foreign currency, continue on anyway, just in case. At the Skavsta airport the ATM told me that but I continued and it gave me my money just fine, no problem. (Although the girl in front of me had to go to the Currency Exchange office right there, wouldn't take hers at all).

Keith

"if you don't have a prepaid card, and some or all of your cards are stolen, you have to wait 2 weeks for your bank to resend the cards to your home address"

Now that is bad service!

I would dump that bank right away.

Keith