Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Dollars and Euros

I think it all depends on how frugal you are. If you are willing to put the time and effort into finding the best ATM deal, and the best credit card deal, you still won't save that much money; I would guess perhaps $35 per week, probably much less. So are you willing to spend hours and hours checking out deals to save that much? I'm not saying it is wrong to be frugal (I am), but it is perhaps not worth the time and effort to a lot of people. If you are frugal, try a search here for ATM, and I bet you will find tons of postings as to who has the best deal. As with any information from strangers, verify before using.

Convenience and security is important. I think ATMs and judicious use of credit cards gives the most convenience and security (it would be quite convenient to carry a wad of 5000 euro and you can often haggle for a cash discount, but a pickpocket could ruin your day.

A lot of people insist on getting some euro before departing; just as many say to get them from an ATM on arrival. Those who have to have them before leaving often report that this is a comfort to them, or that they are in no shape upon arrival to find and operate an ATM; given the American penchant for drugging ourselves, and the number of posting here about various conscious-impairing medications, they may very well be right.

One item that I think hasn't been mentioned is that a lot of US banks will put a hold on a card when it is used far from your usual haunts, thinking it has been stolen. The remedy is to notify your banks before leaving of your planned itinerary. My bank handles this well, but there have been a rash of postings about banks losing this information unless you give it to them very shortly before departure. While I haven't had this problem, I do carry, separate from my cards, a listing of the numbers to call when there is a problem. Ask your banks what those numbers are, as often the one in their literature is good only for domestic calls.