Withdrawing Money
 

For a trip to Berlin, Frankfurt and Hannover primarily, I'm wondering what kind of experiences people have had lately withdrawing money from their home accounts at ATMs.

No problem but some cards do have a heavy fee. Schwab and Capital one are the best with the lowest rates JMHO. Some charge $3-5 + a percentage. So you need to check your card and get a firm answer on what their charges are so you don't get a suprize when you get the bill for their fees.

No problems - I try to use DeutscheBank ATMs - no service charge using my BofA card there.

I have not had any problems using my VISA check card internationally; however, I have always done my homework before I left. I tell the bank (actually I use a credit union) that I am going. They have some specific questions that they will note on your account. If you do not tell them, they may shut your card down (been there, done that). Ask them what the charges will be. If I used my bank card at ATM's, there was no fee, just the exchange rate. Do not use ATM's at any location other than in a bank. It is always best if you use ATM's where you have to use your card to gain entrance into a secured lobby area. Hackers do usually mess with those ATM's.

There are no fees assessed by European banks. Assuming it's a debit card, and you have a bank that doesn't charge you for withdrawals at a terminal outside its provenance, there are no fees at all. My bank (PNC) actually assesses a $2.50 fee for each withdrawal, then refunds me that so there is no cost at the end of the day. As a small business customer, I do have a good relationship with my bank and did tell them that I would shop around if they didn't give me free ATM withdrawals overseas. They did it. They get plenty of fees from me in other areas.

We just got back from Spain and had no problems with ATMs. Our bank (PNC) has no fee for using any ATM anywhere in the world with the type of account that I have--if I do use a non-PNC ATM somewhere that charges a per transaction fee, PNC refunds it. Of course, there is the standard 1% fee charged by the VISA and MC networks.

You should have no problems, as long as you have a 4-digit numerical pin and the card is in good working order (before you leave). Also, call your bank and let them know your dates of travel so that they do not shut down your card (fraud). Your card should be tied to your checking account, not savings. I've read somewhere that European atms pull funds only from checking accounts.

If you have a Bank of America card, withdraw your funds from a Deutsche Bank ATM, as the fees are waived.