I was hoping to get some advice from some more experienced travelers out there. My wife and I are leaving for a 13 day trip to Spain and was wondering if we should get traveler's cheques or just use ATMs as we go. We will be spending our time in Barcelona and Southern Spain.
Thanks

ATMs. Travelers checks are dinosaurs and will soon go the way of paper airline tickets.

Just make sure your card works on an international network (cirrus or plus) and have a backup in case you lose/damage one.

Definitely ATMs. Here's the URL for a very helpful article on money-changing in Europe: www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/moneytip.htm.

Definitely an ATM Card: Just make sure you have a 4-digit Pin.
I was recently travelling in Andalucia with an acquaintance: He had AMex Travelers Cheques but nobody wanted to take them, not even banks. Eventually he was able to cash them at NavSta Rota.

Definitely ATMs (just to parrot everyone else).

I went all over Spain with no traveler's checks and had no problem using ATMs, including the smaller towns.

Karen

Hi VV,

TC's in dollars are useful as emergency backup, but little else.

As time goes on, I keep hearing more and more stories about banks no longer cashing traveler's checks. And if they do, it is with reluctance. Five years ago in Austria, bank tellers were advising me to use the ATM outside and to hold on to my checks since it was a lot cheaper that way. I quit using traveler's checks after that experience.

topping

Let's put it this way. I was old fashioned enough to buy some travelers' checks in 1998. I still have some of them. The remaining ones have made 6 round trips to Europe and 5 to Canada. I have cashed more of them at home at the bank where I got them when I needed money than I have overseas.

Only once, and it was in 1998, did I really need a TC to obtain local currency. I was in the Zurich airport and the ATM machine was out of order and my train was within a few minutes of leaving. Fortunately the bank window had a person on duty and he happily cashed my check for a substantial fee. I think that was when I started wising up that the fee to convert the check to Swiss money was more than substantial. I think I must have paid for the guy's lunch at the cafe next door.
But I wanted lunch, too, and I needed Swiss money to pay for it. My US green was of no value. So, I literally ate the fee.
Take a long a couple of ATM cards, but for heaven's sake know the difference between a credit card and an ATM card.
There are people out there who don't.
To them it is all bank plastic. Stick it in and money comes out.

There are plenty of threads here on this question, and I think the general opinion is that ATMs and credit cards are the best methods.

However, you should check with your own bank. There is a 1 percent fee for using the network, but some banks tack on their own fees (as much as 2 percent or more, and often a charge for using an ATM that they don't own). Finding a bank that doesn't charge such fees can make your money go a lot further, especially if you anticipate travelling more than once.

DO most stores in Lond, Barecelona, and Rmoe take credit cards? Is this the best bet when oversees, or do they tack on a lot of additinal fees as well. I just want to figuire out if my ATM card or credit card is better.