Do you take some cash?
 

Hi, this is my informal poll question.
How many of you take some cash, in the currency of your arrival city , when you go to Europe.?

I always take either 150 euros or 100 pounds,, I always take into account that perhaps the ATM machines will be down , or that I will be too tired to go find one the first day.

I assumed most people did this too, but since have read many people say it is difficult to get foriegn currency where they live.
I live in a tourist town, so I can pretty well go to any big bank for 100 euros or so,, but, others say they have to order it and pay a fee for this service!?

What do you do? ( Ps, mention if you live in a small town, small city or big city, I think that helps) I live in a small city.

I do

Hi,
We don't bring cash in the local currency with us. We just hit the first bank ATM when we get to the airport.

Paul

I do.

I take whatever Euros that are left from my last trip. I also take some US dollars just in case my ATM card gets eaten again by the machine.

I always take some, maybe equivilent to about 100.00-150.00. When that runs out I start using the ATM's.

Not a penny. With only one exception (Brunei airport, stu*id city) it NEVER was a problem.

Taking my 85 euros left from Italy trip last year. Going to Spain last of this month. Will get some more euros at the ATM upon arrival.
I have not done this before so hope it works as well as everyone is saying. Before I usually got some through a bank. Too expensive.

I only take it if I happen to have some leftover from a previous trip.

I've done it both ways. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends what I'm going to be doing immediately upon arrival.

I always carry USD (that I could exchange in the strange circumstance of ATM machines not working). Sometimes I change it, sometimes I bring it back home with me.

It totally depends where I'm going. I take euro if going to those countries (and Mexican pesos and Czech Koruna) because I travel to those places repeatedly so always have some left from my last trip.

I don't ever go to a bank or exchange bureau in my city to get foreign currency before traveling, if I don't have it already. I just get it at the airport upon arrival (or train station or immediately outside one, if I'm traveling between countries with different currencies).

Maybe the ATM machines will be down, but they always have exchange booths. I always have some TCs and a couple hundred USD on me when I travel. I've never been in a place that didn't have some exchange bureau at the train station or airport, at least not major cities where you'd arrive between countries. The only time I would is if I planned to arrive at some very unusual time of night, say midnight. I might in that case.

Yes and No.

Most of the time, I have euros left from my previous trip, so I take those w/me.

If I don't have any euros at home, then no, I don't go out and exchange some before the trip.

I always take some US$ along, just in case the ATM card doesn't work.

I never worry about getting rid of € when I leave the EU so I always have some pocket money when I get back there. In hindsight, I should have held on to more € than $.

I always take USD and almost always take a small amount of money--about $75--in the local currency. The only exception is if I went to Travelex at the last minute and they didn't have the currency on hand (e.g., Maltese lira).

I realize it isn't absolutely necessary, but I like having enough local currency to get me through the first day or two. Plus, I have had problems with ATMs before. In Greece, sometimes my card worked and sometimes it didn't, even at different branches of the same bank. It never worked in Argentina at all, at any bank, so I like having USD and local currency as backup.

Like many others, I take whatever I have left from my last trip and count on an ATM at the airport.

I always make sure I have 150-200 euro with me when I leave Europe, so I always have that when I begin the next trip.

We all have bank accounts in the UK and we take any sterling we have with us. Any euros left over from prior trips that we can find we take with us.

Always; never leave home without it.

I notice alot of Americans bring their own currency.,, which a even a year ago might have made sence, but now with it being as valuable as Canadain money,, why bother,LOL

I of course take about 30-50 bucks Canadian to use in transit airports, but it has never occurred to me to bring my poor currency as emergency back up as it is not that welcome..

I am concerned about ATM's in Italy, I keep hearing that they tend to be problematic,, I have never had a problem in France or England,,but I haven't been to Italy for many years.

hi bozama,

DEFINITELY take some with you. we loaded DH's debit card for his Nationwide a/c [better than our normal Lloyds a/c as it doesn't charge for currency whilst abroad] and it was refused every time. the ATMs took the Lloyds card with no problems.

this also shows the wisdom of taking at least one alternative means of getting cash with you too.

regards, ann