I have been reading all the posts about using ATMS once you get to europe for the best exchange rates etc... We will need some euro's as soon as we get there. We want to have a small amount with us. Is xe.com as good as any place to exchange our money before our trip??

I've used xe.com (actually xetrade.com) for sending large amounts of foreign currency, and it's been easy. There is a lengthly sign up process with lots of ID verification, but after that it's effortless.

I'm not quite sure how one would get small amounts of Euros from xe.com though - it's good for telling you the going exchange rate

ok, i see XE cash purchase option now.

200 Euros costs $338, + $13 shipping. That's about 10% above the cost of using an ATM (assuming no ATM fee from your home bank and 1% forex fee).

Compare rates with your local bank. And, AAA if you are a member.

Whichever way, I like to land with €100 or so - to buy a bottle of water at the airport, get to the hotel, sit in a cafe, before finding an ATM (though, by then, we've usually stumbled upon one).

Interesting - so you can buy euros through your local AAA office? I did not know that...

why need some euros as soon as you get there

and why not use the ATMS omnipresent in airports just outside Customs?

tight schedule or what?

even using the change desks right outside customs would effortlessly yield better rates than you have

what's the rush? why the concern

just curious

If you are renting an apartment and paying in cash upon arrival, sometimes hitting up your ATM will take you to your daily withdrawal limit, leaving you without enough spending money for that day. Yes, you can call your bank ahead of time and ask them to increase your limit. Or you can get some pin money before you leave.

When we land, it's when our bank is offline for overnight processing and "your bank did not approve your transaction". And, this has often happened before 9-9:30 AM while in Paris, so we have to wait a while and try again.

We ran into some people at a cafe who were in a panic because their ATM cards "did not work". They tried it only once at CDG when they landed and assumed their cards just would not work in Paris. When the husband went across the street and tried it in an ATM that afternoon, it worked just fine. They were SO relieved!

PalenQ We arrive at FCO late in the evening and we are taking a limo service to our hotel. I want euro's to be able to tip and for a little spending for breakfast before we hit the town and find an ATM. Didn't know there were ATM's at the airport. Will it be an ATM that is compatible with my cards???

I've compared a few currency exchange sites in the past (as recently as 2 months ago)... Bank of America has about as 'good' a rate for buying currency as anywhere, usually around 6% markup. I think there is a base amount you must buy to avoid a delivery charge.

I have on more than one occassion found airport ATMs out of service, or for some other (unknown) reason, my card will not work in them. I too like to arrive with some currency in hand already.

Most major airports also have exchange booths that you can use if for some reason you can't get money from the airport ATM. It won't be the best rate, but the ones I've had to use have always had better rates than anyplace I could find in the USA. You can check airport websites to find out where the ATMs and exchange booths are located.

Jake1 will the exchange booths be open at 10pm??

Since this is going to be for a small amount, wonder if it be easiest to go either to bank or local currency exhcange where you live...or at departing airport?

You can buy foreign currency at AAA, but they have a markup, of course. Right now, they give you about 59.9 euro for US$100, so that's a markup of about 5.4%, which isn't too bad. Of course, you do have to pay a delivery fee of $10 on top of that, unless you are buying some real big amt (over $1000, I think). I think they have a higher markup if you do not buy at least $300 worth (minimum for above rate), but get some packet of pre-determined notes. I think then it's about 7-9 pct.

I have arrived at CDG from London very late at night due to airplane delays, and all exchange bureaux were closed. It was real late, though, I think around 11 pm. However, I would not want to count on them being open at 10 pm, myself.

Thanks Christina.

Dawn

it could be fine, you just never know about places like that -- if they aren't busy, maybe they'd decide to close, etc. The exchange bureau at Quebec City airport closed for two hours for lunch when I arrived from the US, I was really surprised. So I had to use something else or wait, I forget (not sure if they had ATMs).

Anyway, I forgot to add with AAA, you actually order it online and have it delivered, that's why the fee. I suppose you have to have a member number -- you probably can order it at a AAA office, but think you'd have to wait for them to get it in, you couldn't get it right away. They do have small amounts in those tip paks or whatever they call them.

I called my bank and told them that upon landing I would need to withdraw 1600 euro for the apartment cost. They ade sure to increase the amount I could withdraw from my account for 2 days. While at FCO waiting for my bags, I used the ATM twice to withdraw all the money I needed to meet the apt owners and pay them.

Christina,

Thanks! I will check online with AAA. As to why I want to do it now as opposed to then - it is a great way for me to save the money. I know it costs me more - I know there is zero logic in it - I could save the dollars and then just take them out as I go - but I cannot spend EUROS here