Can you get Euros from an ATM machine in the Miami (or other large US cities) airport? I know you can probably get them from the moneychangers, but from an ATM? A local bank told me this. Sounds strange to me. But I like the idea.

i have never seen an american atm that dispensed anything but american dollars or amex trav cks or us stamps

I don't think so. In fact, I'm sure of it. The answer is NO.

I agree with the above, but my question is why would you want to? If you are arriving in Miami, wouldn't you want to get dollars? And by the same token, if you were flying to a city in Europe, why wouldn't you use the ATM there to get "their" money? Is it possible you think the US ATM will work but the French, German,or whatever ATM won't?

Patrick-- calm down! I thought it was very odd that the bank told me it was so. So I thought I would ask the very helpful Fodor folk. I hope I can continue to ask what may not be considered in-the-know questions on this board without being slapped silly.

The travel experts spoke. That makes it a final and conclusive answer? NOT,
YES, there are ATM machines at the major US airports that will spit out Euros.

In the technical sense, those "ATM's" that spit out Euro are simply doing a currency exchange at probably lousy rates set by whatever the bank sponsoring the currency exchange machine chooses to charge you. Knowing US banks, the rates probably suck.

The ATM's in Europe spit out Euro and the bank has no say on the exchange rate...the international visa/mc systems use the interbank rate with a 1% mark up to determine the exchange. And the European ATM's do not charge fees.

The currency exchange firm Travelex has some machines dispensing foreign currency in airports and urban locations now, but I never thought of them as ATMs. It's really like a vending machine and just a way for them to get rid of their personnel and to lower their operating costs. Travelex charges really high commissions on currency exchange in the US, although not quite as high in Europe. Where I live, I think they take about a 10-12 pct markup.

Yes, I agree, but that was not the question, the question was, is there a "machine" to get Euros at US airports, and the simple answer was yes, not as some earlier posters stated. I never used one, and I travel to Euope at least 3-4 times a year. At most I change $200-300 at the most conveinient spot, whether at money exchange counters at our airports or once I arrive, and the rest is on my CC. I use the little cash that I get to pay for the 'little things', like newspaper, subway ticket, etc..etc.. It would be stupid for me to look for the "best" deal when changing such little amount of cash. What am I going to save? $5-10? I don't know about anybody else, but I could live with being taken for $10 on a trip that costs thousands, as long as I don't have to stand in some line somewhere.
I suppose that somebody that has no CC may be more inclined to look for deals on money exchange, since they are changing thousands, but that's another story.

"Calm down"? "Slapped silly"? Are you serious? I fail to understand where my response could be interpreted as slapping you silly or that I was not perfectly calm. Please read it again. I was simply trying to understand what it was you wanted to do, and at the same time agreeing that the other answers were correct. Sorry if you misinterpreted my response to be even in the slightest way negative!

Thank you all for your replies.
Patrick- when you said "Is it possible you think the US ATM will work but the French, German,or whatever ATM won't?" I took it as a criticism that I was being an ugly American by expressing the belief that "they" couldn't make good ATM machines. I inferred an offence that was not meant. My apologies. But if that ferrin ATM machine eats my card, I shall call you in the middle of the night.

AAFrequentFlyer,

"Can you get Euros from an ATM machine in the Miami (or other large US cities) airport?"

She specifically was asking about ATM machines, not a "machine".

janeg,

My, you seem to be very touchy. Get a grip, relax, have a good time!
Curious

Had I known that the best exchange rate I would receive over two weeks was at the TGV station on our way from CDG to Avignon, I would have gotten more than 150Euros! I think that may have had more to do with the rate escalating while we were traveling, but that is what happened. Perhaps I've gotten too blase about exchanging money electronically, but it is soooooo easy and ATMs seem to be just about everywhere. Since the Euro is the same versus the dollar everywhere, it would make perfect sense to put ATMs in international airports in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if some bank does this.

I'm still trying to figure out why you would want to get Euros at the Miami airport????

Truly I'm not being rude, just curious.

As far as the machine eating your ATM card, if this is your sole or main means of obtaining $, you should carry two (get an extra one from your bank before you leave home).

Jane, really I thought everyone was being quite nice to you.

Since I had misinterpreted Patrick's message, I was just trying to make a little joke about the ATM eating my card. I appreciate everyone's input.
Why Euros in MIA? It is our point of departure to Paris. I thought having a bit of spending money when we arrived would cut down on one more chore to do upon arrival at CDG.