GrandmaCarol

Has anyone used Euro travelers check?
If so, were they easy to use or hard to cash?
I'm thinking of buying some and would apprecaite any feed back.
Thanks

xyz123

According to other posts they are next to useless. Few if any merchants take them in Euroland which means you have to go to a bank to exchange them for Euro banknotes and the banks charge for this service despite the fact there is no currency exchange involved.

And if you have any left over, you lose on exchanging USD to Euro both ways...

Stick to a couple of hundred dollars in US cash to use as a back up in case there is a problem with the ATM's which rarely happens.

ira

Hi

I agree with xyz.
You pay extra to obtain the TC's in Euro, then you often have to find a bank or post office to cash them (often with a charge) anf finally you lose when you convert them back to Euro.

I bring USdollar TC's as a backup and get cash from ATM's when needed.

Patrick

I do not favor using travelers checks at all, but if I were to get any (for emergencies) I'd definitely get them in Euro, not in dollars. The reason? If you needed one in an emergency, you are totally at the mercy of the merchant, hotel, or whatever that cashes it for you as to how much they will give you for it. They can and easily may charge you up to 20% above the current rate if they want -- and if you look at exchange rates posted in many hotels you will see exactly what I mean. On the other hand if it is for 100 euro, they will give you 100 euro for it.

And don't worry about the old argument that if you have any left they are too hard to cash back home. Just use all you have left to pay your last hotel bill -- you'll get full credit for them.

On the other hand, I still suggest to live by ATMs and credit cards -- much better rates and so much easier.

Christina

no, I only take my own currency, USD. I think Euro checks are dumb. I really don't agree with most of the things that Patrick has said on this point, except that hotels may indeed charge you a lot to cash them.

Also, I don't agree that "there is no currency exchange involved" and that charging to cash them in unfair. They are not cash, they are checks, so getting real cash for a check is a currency exchange. Anyone who cashes them for you is doing you a service and any bank that does that when you are not their customer has a perfect right to charge you.

There is no reason to get them in Euro. It costs a lot more to do that as you'll pay a stiff exchange rate wherever you buy them (in US I'm thinking), and you'll pay some small fee again to cash them in Europe. Those fees will be higher than the rate difference if you cash them in Europe from USD.

YOu won't have to find a bank or post office to cash them, though, any major city in Europe has exchange bureaus that I've been in.

StCirq

Not worth the trip to wherever you buy them, IMO. You won't be able to use them as currency and you'll stand in line at banks to change them into euros and pay a hefty fee to do so at any bank. Bottom line: NO WAY. Use your ATM card to get cash from your checking acount or use a credit card (Mastercard or Visa) for purchases.

Patrick

Christina, you say you don't agree with most of what I have said. Does that mean you think hotels or merchants would give you a GOOD rate exchanging US dollar TC's for euros? And does that mean you don't think you could put the remaining TC's on your hotel bill and get full value for them (if they were in euro?). And do you disagree that the best method is still to use ATMs and credit cards? What exactly do you disagree with?

What I was saying is that you can control the rate of exchange buying them at home in euro -- at your own bank or AAA for example -- not a great rate, but one you can live with or choose not to accept. But if you have the conversion in Europe as an emergency and the place chooses to charge you a 20% conversion rate, you have no control over that. If you are using them because you have no other funds, you must accept what they offer you. But if they are in Euro, and the place will accept TC's at all (agreeably often they will not), at least you can be assured that they will give you the full face value for them if they are already in euro -- not so if they are in dollars.

Again, I agree that Travelers Checks are not a good idea. They are hard to cash and you lose money using them. But I still maintain that if you ARE going to use TC's, then it is easier to cash ones in Euro than in US dollars, and you will know what you are getting when you do cash them.

martytravels

Don't do it! You'll get ripped off on the exchange when you buy them and you'll get ripped off when you cash them at a bank. Use your debit card - it's so much easier and less costly.
I cashed 100 euro worth of AAA travelers checks at ABM Amro in Amsterdam and walked out with 87 euro. It sucked royally!

martytravels

I meant, use your ATM card for cash. (see above)

rhkkmk

i generally favor them, but have had some difficulty in using them....in ireland in march they would not take them in most places....in france for several years i have had problems....yes they are easy to negiotiate at banks but you MAY incur service charges....

i now favor the atm withdrawal....you have the cash so just leave it in your CHECKING account, not savings account (many atms automatically withdraw only from you checking a/c)....best exchange rates generally and most flexibility....atm's are now quite numerous everywhere you go in europe and it is easiest....don't let your security down however....don't draw your money out in a poorly lit place at 2 in the morning and not expect trouble...