I like to have some Euro before I leave the states and I will have to pay for my apartment in cash Euro anyway when I arrive - they dont take credit card - so have been checking on XE
what it would cost me for $1000 US of Euro.

$1000 will get me 627 Euro.

I noticed 627 Euro equals $933, not $1000 which means they are charging about 3 1/2 percent exchange rate.

Is that a good rate or too much ?

Why would you get $1,000 worth in the States, at a lower rate, and not just wait until you get there? Are you arriving very late at night and have to pay for the apartment right on the spot or something? Happy Travels!

If you really want to do that for some reason, yes, I think that is an excellent exchange rate in the US. Most banks and online services I've checked charge about 6 pct, so 3.5 is pretty good.

I just checked that website, and that isn't 3.5 pct. It does give you 627 euro, but the rate is 1.5944 which is 7 pct over the current rate of 1.49 which is listed on the front page. Besides, they charge you another $13 for delivery, as I thought, which makes it an effective rate of 1.616 for that amount of euro which is a 8.4 pct markup.

If you have time, you might try something that was kicked around on this forum a while back:

Open a checking account, and deposit the apartment rent plus some extra for fees in it. A credit union might not charge any exchange markup, so that would be the way to go.

<u>Mail</u> an ATM or debit card for the account to the landlord. Email or phone or fax the PIN. The landlord can then withdraw the rent in Euro over several days.

Christina,

If you're not an accountant you should be! I couldn't have figured that out.

Could you tell me which ones you checked which were about 6 percent?

My banks' sisterbank in Paris is Parabas but they gave me a really hard time when I went to get funds, refused to assist, one of the few people who suddenly didnt speak English, and I had to use the ATM with charges.

I also noticed last time although I had capitalone and paid for hotels with it, exchange amounts and perentages were tacked on by the French banks it went through which I didn't expect - and didn't find out about until I got home and got my statement.

hmmm - just read on another thread that Capitalone IS now charging surcharge fee for ATM use/exchange use.