I am going to Munich this week. Is it a safe bet to fly in and get money at the airport at an ATM or should I get the currency in advance? Is it DM or the Euro? I'm a new traveler! Many thanks!

The DM no longer exists. Get cash, as little as you can get by with once you arrive in Germany. You will likely do best at ATMs. Wouldn't necessarily have to be at the airport.<BR><BR>If you feel less apprehension with some currency in your pocket before you arrive, I recommend checking out your local American Express office. It will cost you about $5 per $100 (compared to buying the same item directly with a credit card), so do this sparingly.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Germany is on the Euro. You won't have any problem changing money in a major airport and ATM's also work quite well. I would also have some hard currency in US dollars as a backup, even if you plan to use the ATM.

As a general rule, rely on your credit card and your ATM card for your foreign funding needs. I find that the fee for using an ATM card is about 1%.<BR>Visa and Master Card both charge 1% conversion fee for credit card purchases.<BR>HOWEVER, be aware that some banks which issue credit cards, like Bank of America, add 2% on top of what Visa charges. MBNA, which issues cards directly and through AAA, does NOT add on the extra 2%.<BR><BR>Because you are going to Munich, you will be able to find an ATM at the airport. There are six banks in the general area. There is also a good map as part of the comprehensive web site.<BR>http://www.munich-airport.de/english/index.htm<BR><BR>I think you can wait to acquire your euros until you arrive at the airport.<BR><BR>Do not change at most American airports. I checked the exchange buro at Hartsfield in Atlanta, and the difference was about 10%. You would not take a much worse beating than that if you paid in dollars and took retail merchants rates for a few dollars.<BR> <BR>My general strategy to date has been as follows:<BR>1. Acquire the minimum in currency of the first country I visit, unless it is Germany. Now that so many nations are using the euro, that task is easier. I do this so I have enough for cab fare without having to find an ATM.<BR>2. Use my MBNA credit card for most purchases of any size. <BR>3. Use my ATM card for routine money needs.<BR>I use bank ATM machines for this purpose. <BR>4. I carry a few traveler's checks as a safety net, just in case something goes amiss. Some of my checks are now veteran travelers. <BR><BR>Only once was I forced to use a check.<BR>I was waiting for my train at the Zurich airport station and wanted to make a purchase. The bank ATM was out of money, but there was a man in the bank window. I cashed a traveler's check out of necessity.<BR><BR>If you have a few US dollars, you might be able to use those, but don't count on it. The exchange rate you get is usually not in your favor. But cashing traveler's checks is going to cost you, too. <BR><BR>So that you will know what types of fees you are paying, look up the wholesale rate of exchange between the dollar and the euro before you depart.<BR>Right now the two are just about equal. <BR>At the close of business on August 17th the wholesale bank exchange rate was <BR>$1.00 US = 1.017 euro. <BR><BR>Just don't poke your credit card in the ATM machine for money!! That is a cash advance and you will be paying more than 1%!!<BR>

topping<BR>