smiley525

My mom wanted to take some Euros with her. Had to pay a $4 fee and the rate was 1.352. this is the first time I've seen a Euro (only been to the UK since they were started). They're pretty cool looking...

m_kingdom2

They're characterless notes that are all far too crisp, no cocaine residue on them! (a large proportion of 20GBP bank notes have traces of cocaine on them)

rex

Making fashionably decadent comments, for the sake of being cute is a good example of why many here would not miss the disappearance of the poster above.

The residue of cocaine on currency is not nearly so filled with "character" - - when you see it in the hands of an undernourished pregnant prostitute who has had no prenatal care.

Sorry to continue the hijacking of your thread, smiley.

Best wishes,

Rex

111op

I'm surprised Prozac doesn't play a role in this (reference: traces of Prozac discovered in drinking water in the UK -- this from news reports from a couple of weeks ago).

Keith

Wait until you see the coins. One side is the same for all nations, the other has different designs depending on the country where it was minted.

Keith

111op

The coins stuff is interesting. By the way, there're people working on "mixing" patterns of the Euro coins. For example, you can find a link here:

http://www.cbs.nl/isi/NLet023-13.htm

Basically the problem is one of deducing travel patterns by looking at distribution of Euro coins in each country. When the Euro was first introduced, the coins in each country were minted in that country. But with travel, this changed, obviously.

mari5

You'll probably get lots of comments saying that you could have gotten better exchange rate "here or there' or at ATM's in Europe.....however it's all pretty close and the convenience of having some euro before you go is worth it. This week we got a lot of euro from our bank here by mail (for a trip to Europe next week) and paid 1.32 exchange rate, so it's pretty close to yours. Amex is usually fairly high!
We will have an ATM card to use "in case"! Yes, they are attractive looking ....and so great if one is changing countries within the Europe Union. SO simple. (I just WISH the rate was still " 1 for 1 " , as it was when they first came out !!!!

Guenmai

Why didn't you just exchange money upon arrival at the AmExp exchange in the airport? You really paid through the nose. Happy Travels!

platzman

Just wondering.
Before the arrival of the euro in 2002, what did people do when they were planning multicountry visits?
I certainly never fretted over getting francs, marks, shillings and lira ahead of time. I would have needed a special "foreign currency" carry-on bag.

mikemo

You paid way too much - see previous threads re: currency conversions.
M

P_M

The euros have already been bought, so it's irrelevant at this point if smiley paid too much. However I do recommend you use the ATM's once you get there. It's a much better deal than exchanging. Smiley, have a great trip.

TopMan

Sorry, Rex, but making generalized statements about places and modes of travel without any significant objective information to back those staements up is a reason a lot of people would like a LOT of posters here to "disappear."

As to the so-called "paying through the nose" amd "bad exchange rates" well, some people are willing to pay for convenience and peace of mind.

laverendrye

If you wait until your arrival, the rate will probably be higher as the dollar continues to slide.

Incidentally, the exchange rate was set at 1€=US$1.17, not 1 to 1, when the euro was introduced in 1999, but it quickly slipped below $1.00. By the time the euro started circulating at the beginning of 2002, it was down to about $0.89, but reached parity that summer and has been climbing ever since.

m_kingdom2

It's such a tiny amount to purchase, we're quibbling over a couple of EUR here, not a couple of hundred.

Ryan

We're talking a difference of maybe $10 here, at most, assuming he'd gotten a rate of say 1.30 to the dollar.

I have no problem knowing I pay a few few bucks more to have some Euro on me when I arrive, rather then trying to find a bank or currency exchange at the airport.

After an overnight flight from the States, I'm more concerned about getting my backs and grabbing a cab. The extra cost I might pay is well worth the convenience.

Ryan

Make that bags, not backs.

zola

Interesting comments but not enough of you are remarking on the exorbitant rate of exchange, even though one poster thought there would probably be lots of comments on it. The rate today was no higher than $1.28/1 euro and yesterday the same. That someone is paying at a $1.32-$1.35/1 euro rate, with additional fees in some instances, should arouse both your curiosity and attention. Good advice would dictate that you should, if you feel you must, only purchase a minimum of Euros in the states. If that is your desire, try to avoid going to Amex or a bank. Those surcharges along with the stiff rate are killers. Sometimes AAA will give you a little higher than market exchange rate, but without fees. In any event, the lesson is this: get your Euros from ATMs in Europe. It is by far the best exchange rate for currency. The added incidental fee is minimal and in most cases there are no surcharges. (Check with your bank before you leave to make sure on that). The point is that you will not suffer charges in the same way that you would if you obtained the notes here. If you simply want to see a Euro, got to a currency exchange and ask to look at them. You shouldn't have to pay an additional $4 simply for that exercise.

platzman

On my next trip, I'm going to "live on the edge" and arrive with just a few pieces of plastic in my pocket.

Keith

>I certainly never fretted over getting francs, marks, shillings and lira ahead of time. I would have needed a special "foreign currency" carry-on bag.

I didn't get any German currency before traveling to Germany and Austria with a group in 1989.

It created problems the first few hours I was there and a great deal of stress at a time when I was trying to deal with the jet lag.

Today it is much easier to deal with currency exchange when I arrive in a country, but it is worth a few extra dollars to me to have some of the local currency in my pocket.

Though that is becoming less of a problem. I am starting to keep some funds when I return to the US for the next trip. I already have a few pounds and Canadian dollars for returns to those countries.

Though I kind of miss changing all of my remaining euros or pounds into chocolate at the departure airport.

Keith

zola

addendum for Ryan: the difference between today's HIGHEST rate and what smiley paid is closer to $20; add the surcharge and voila: now you're getting close to $25. I understand your desire to be free of hassels when you arrive, but getting gouged simply on currency exchange isn't comforting to me. Almost without exception, European airports indicate clearly where the ATMs are. I got my cash in Charles De Gaulle Paris (never having been there before) while I waited for the baggage to come down the conveyer belt.