Traveling to Europe, where to get euros?

[Leonard Washington]

Hi all

I'm getting married this month and going to England, France, and Italy for a few weeks. How should I bring my money? It's a poll for everyone's convenience. Please post interesting places to visit in each country if you can.

Also I heard you should tell the hotels that we're on our honeymoon for the possibility of free upgrades. Is this a good idea or an invitation to get hustled?

I forgot to add...would a credit card do? I know the international fees and conversion rates could quickly add up.

[ixcuincle]

Just bring dollars and convert them at the European airport to euros. They got currency exchange kiosks at the airport.

[Elessar78]

LW, sounds like fun and Congrats!

Best way to change money is just bring your ATM card. It will work with the machines there and you'll get the best/most current exchange rate. Make sure you give your bank a heads up that you will be there and to expect withdrawals.

When you arrive in Heatherow/Charles De Gaulle/Da Vinci you'll have access to ATMs in the terminal so I wouldn't worry too much about having it before hand. Just make sure to get some cash out before you leave the airport for safety and convenience reasons.

I spent a lot of time in Paris. Obv you got to hit all the major museums. There's a "secret" entrance to the Louvre so you don't have to stand in line at the pyramid (PM me if you want it, it's kinda long to explain). Oh and it's a good deal to get the tourism pass, it pays for itself and you save a ton of money in entrance fees. I'd suggest you try to limit your museum viewing to about 2 hours/day. It's easy to get sick of all that great art in a short period. Oh and dirty little secret about Parisians, about 90% of them speak English, but you have to struggle with bad French first before they give up and respond to you in English. I have tons more info, but too much to write. PM me with specific questions, if you like. Been to Italy too.

[Corcaigh]

Just about everywhere takes Visa & Mastercard. You will find places that don't take Amex and there's no Discover of course.

Check with your credit card provider for their fees. In the past you were better off using credits cards as you usually get a more competitive rate.

Using an ATM to take out the cash you need should be the most cost effective way - check with your bank again for fees. We use cash very rarely.

[hockeysc23]

I would diversify just in case something happens. Grab a few hundred dollars in travelers checks, bring some cash to convert in the airport, and then verify with your banks about your credit cards.

As for France the obvious ones you need to see: Eiffel, Versaillas, and the Louvre would definitely be on my list. When in Paris hit up the street vendors that make crepes ... sensational.

[zoony]

Agree with Corcaigh. Charge as much as possible- you usually get the best rate.

....

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

I don't have a clue and just wanted to say Congrats!

[JMS]

Hi all

I'm getting married this month and going to England, France, and Italy for a few weeks. How should I bring my money? It's a poll for everyone's convenience. Please post interesting places to visit in each country if you can.

Also I heard you should tell the hotels that we're on our honeymoon for the possibility of free upgrades. Is this a good idea or an invitation to get hustled?

I forgot to add...would a credit card do? I know the international fees and conversion rates could quickly add up.

Countries in Europe have these things called ATM machines. You stick your card in them, and they give you Euro's. It's all very civilized.

I would also convert a few hundred bucks at the airport, either here in the US, or where you land ( all international airports have currency counters)... Just so you have money in your pocket until you find an ATM. ( which will also likely be at the airport, city, hotel etc. )

[karmacop]

Just about everywhere takes Visa & Mastercard. You will find places that don't take Amex and there's no Discover of course.

Check with your credit card provider for their fees. In the past you were better off using credits cards as you usually get a more competitive rate.

Using an ATM to take out the cash you need should be the most cost effective way - check with your bank again for fees. We use cash very rarely.

This is the answer.

Just call all your credit card companies beforehand and ask them what percentage fee they charge for foreign transactions. Then pick the one with the best rate, and tell them when you're going so they won't put a fraud hold on your card when you start charging things.

As for cash, an ATM in the country you visit will always be your best bet, and safer. Again, call your bank in advance to let them know. There's a per transcation fee, so you should try to estimate how much you'll need for the entire time and take out that amount in one shot. You shouldn't need too much cash if you also use your credit card.

You probably know this, but England has kept the Pound while France and Italy use the Euro, so don't take out too much cash in England since the money you get there won't work in France or Italy.

[Elessar78]

I'd check with your credit card company first. In the last five years some have started adding a convenience surcharge to foreign transactions. The surcharge is still probably lower than any other rate, so it may be a good time to look for a card that doesn't have a foreign surcharge and take that with you.

If you choose to rob other tourists. Other Americans are your best bet. They'll never suspect one of their own

[techboy]

We go to Europe pretty much yearly (Italy in a little over three weeks, actually), and when I have time a little later I'll share some tips. For now, though, the answer is simple:

The best rate is virtually always using an ATM to withdraw cash, even if you DO end up paying 3% (which is about the most I've seen). Exchange places usually charge much more.

If you have a credit union, often those rates are better. My credit union just charges the 1% VISA charges, and doesn't add anything extra. Some of the bigger banks add more.

The same is true of credit cards. My Schwab visa, for instance, actually eats the 1% as well as not tacking anything on, so along with the 2% cash back I get, it's easily the best choice.

There are sites you can go to and more I could add, and I will later, when I have time.

And now, lunch!

[SkinsHokieFan]

I always used the ATM while in Europe. By far the best rate

[Buford T. Justice]

PLEASE call your credit card and banks first!! A few years ago I went to Austria and both of the cards I had got locked! I tried calling but they refused to unlock them (MBNA and Riggs) since I wasn't calling from the phone number on the account and I didn't have answers to the security questions (also good idea to set those up before you leave!).

[AsburySkinsFan]

Bring dollars and convert them when you get there...but DON'T convert them at the airport, you'll most likely get hosed on your exchange rate.

When I was in Guatemala last month the exchange rate at the airport was 7.35% at a money changer near the place where we stayed it was 8.05%.

Or as SkinsHokieFan said, just use the ATM when you get there check to make sure it a compatible system though and a call to your bank might not be unwise.

[Predicto]

These guys have covered the money situation, so I will speak on the "where to go" question.

Best advice: DON'T try to do too much. Three weeks is not very long at all in three of the most interesting countries on the planet. I could spend a month in Italy alone, and barely dent it. Especially on a honeymoon. :evilg:

So pick a few good spots and enjoy them, rather than spending all your time in trains and buses rushing around to get snapshots of every single out of the way place like Stonehenge, Canterbury, Chartres Cathedral, Mont Saint Michel, the Milan Duomo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Those places are all cool, but they will still be there when you go back someday.

I would see the sights in London for a few days, then the sights of Paris (maybe a day trip to Versailles), then go to either Florence or Rome or maybe Venice. That's it. 3 places.

I would leave time at the end to finish up with a few days on the Amalfi coast, staying someplace like Positano or Praiano or even staying on Capri. This may be the most romantic region I have ever seen.

Anymore than that, and you are speading yourself too thin.

[Peeping Wizard]

ATM for cash and credit card wherever you can.

They aren't as friendly toward credit cards as we are here and will often have a minimum purchase rule in place. So don't expect to go into a kiosk for a newspaper and a pack of gum and swipe your card. However, for meals out, theatre tickets, expensive souvieniers, tour packages, etc, a credit card is the safest and cheapest way to go. Try to bring a Visa or Mastercard if you have one as Amex isn't as widely accepted.

Have a blast and let us know how the trip was.

[Peeping Wizard]

PLEASE call your credit card and banks first!! A few years ago I went to Austria and both of the cards I had got locked! I tried calling but they refused to unlock them (MBNA and Riggs) since I wasn't calling from the phone number on the account and I didn't have answers to the security questions (also good idea to set those up before you leave!).

Excellent advice

[Special K]

Coolio! Congratulations!!

As has been stated repeatedly in this thread, charge as much as you can b/c it's the best exchange rate. Also, use the ATMS to withdraw cash. I'd withdraw some at the airport as soon as you get in just so you have some of the country's currency in hand for taxis, snacks, etc. Although, we usually use our credit cards for them, too.

Make sure you call your credit card company(s) ahead of time to let them know when and where you will be traveling so they know to not deny your card.

If you plan on using your cell phone over there, make sure your carrier knows this as well.

And YES, tell each hotel you stay at that you are on your honeymoon. Heck, tell them it's your first time to Europe (if this is the case). My husband and I did Italy and Malta for our honeymoon last fall and we milked it for all we could get (yes, we have no shame ). They gave us a few special upgrades AND we had champagne and chocolate covered fruit in our suite when we arrived. So I definitely recommend this. They don't hose foreigners over in Europe like they do the developing world...usually.

Most of all, have fun and take lots of pics!! I wish you a very blessed and happy marriage!

[Tulane Skins Fan]

If you go to Greece, you aren't going to want Euros. Bring some livestock with you because they are going to a barter system.

Also, I realize you said you weren't going to Greece, but to Italy.... In Italy, my favorite places are on the Amalfi Coast... though Italy has much to offer and you pretty much will find a beautiful country wherever you go. (Just not Naples).

[Skins-Canes-Mounties]

Use ATM machines everywhere you go. I've been to a dozen or so European countries, and I've never had any issues.

[Corcaigh]

If you go to Greece, you aren't going to want Euros. Bring some livestock with you because they are going to a barter system.

Laugh it up, but they are arguably in better shape than we are.

[Sikbug]

This is what I've done in Spain, England and Japan. Bring some pocket money $100-$300 to exchange in the airport or before you leave and then just pull money out of the ATM's while you are there (just be sure to let your bank know you will be there). Traveler checks are a waste and have a bad exchange rate and you have to go through the trouble of finding a bank that will actually take them.

[nebster21]

I would suggest a bank there and use a credit card. It uses the latest trade rate. unless you think the dollar is going to get weaker while you are over there. I just use my credit card as much as possible when I am in Europe.

[techboy]

Okay, here's my more general advice. As I wrote earlier, my wife and I travel to Europe at least once a year (sometimes twice), and this is some of what I've learned (I'm the planner):

1. Pack Light

2. Pack Light

3. Pack Light. My wife and I travel to Europe every year, and we each take one carry-on size bag each. That's it. The freedom is amazing, especially on public transit like trains and buses, where there's no room for huge luggage and the typical overpacked American is getting glared at, if he fits on the bus at all.

Our first trip to Paris, we took large suitcases, and Amy got caught in one of the Metro turnstiles, with her luggage making it through and she behind the bars. Not fun, and neither were the cobbled streets and lack of elevators.

When we did have an elevator, it was literally two people and one piece of luggage, or one person and two pieces of luggage. That was it (there was a sign). That's not uncommon, when there's an elevator at all.

Pack light.

Packing Light and Right, from the Rick Steves website (more on him in a minute), will get you started.

Onebag.com is another excellent resource, from a guy who does it on business. You can too.

You won't regret it. I promise.

4. Get the appropriate Rick Steves guide for each city you visit. They are unbelievably good for two reasons.

First, instead of a dry, short listing of hundreds of sites and attractions, they focus in on just the good stuff, and also what's overrated. He is an art lover, so you need to keep that in mind when bunches of art museums get his highest rating, but he's always been spot on in his reviews of the best attractions, restaurants, and hotels.

Second, and perhaps even more important, he gives practical information not found in other guidebooks, like how to skip lines and where to find a clean bathroom (very important in Europe, and not to be taken for granted like in America).

He has, for instance, the tip another poster was talking about regarding the "secret entrance" to the Louvre in his Paris book, and a way to skip the line at the Colloseum in his Rome book. That saved us like an hour and a half right there.

For a bit of a taste, here are some articles on Great Britain, here's his stuff on France, and here's his stuff on Italy.

Pay special attention to the walking tours (fantastic!) and I've always found his suggested iteneraries very useful for planning, even though I do usually make some changes.

Paris in One to Seven Days, for instance, suggests this for Paris:

Paris in One, Two, or Three Busy Days

Sights are listed in descending order of importance. If you have only one day, just do Day 1 (below); for two days, add Day 2. If you want to fit in Versailles on a three-day visit, try the afternoon of the second day (easier) or the third day.

Day 1

Morning: Follow Historic Paris Walk from Rick's Paris guidebook, featuring Ile de la Cité, Notre-Dame, Latin Quarter, and Sainte-Chapelle.

Afternoon: Tour the Louvre.

Evening: Enjoy the Trocadéro scene and a twilight ride up the Eiffel Tower.

Day 2

Morning: Follow the book's Champs-Elysées Walk from the Arc de Triomphe down the grand avenue des Champs-Elysées to Tuileries Garden.

Midday: Cross the pedestrian bridge from the Tuileries Garden, then tour the Orsay Museum.

Afternoon: Tour the Rodin Museum or Napoleon's Tomb, or visit Versailles (take the RER suburban train direct from Orsay).

Evening: Cruise the Seine River, take Paris Vision's night-time Illumination bus tour, or follow Rick's Paris guidebook's Floodlit Paris Taxi Tour

Day 3

Morning: Ride the RER suburban train out to Versailles.

Afternoon: Follow the book's Marais Walk.

Evening: Take the book's Montmartre Walk, featuring the Sacré-Coeur basilica.

5. Our last trip was to Paris (I assume you're going there if you're going to France), and along with the standard biggies like the Louvre (use the Rick Steves tour to hit the highlights without exhausting yourself, you could spend years there), the Eiffel Tower, and so on, I very much recommend the evening walks in Trocadero and Montmarte (happening night life), as well as the evening boat cruise on the Seine.

6. Most of the practical stuff you need is in the books, but one thing I'd emphasize is to use ATMs to get cash. The exchange rate is way better than anything you'll get any other way. Check with your bank to see if you have a fee tacked on, and if it's big (more than 1%), open another account for the trip. My Fidelity ATM card has 0% on foreign transactions, and many credit unions are very good about that too.

I pay cash everywhere, and replenish with ATMs.

7. Wear a money belt. Violent crime is almost non-existent, but Americans are popular targets for pickpockets. I've heard Spain is especially bad, along with Italy (which we love, so don't worry too much about it).

8. Watch out for scammers. Montmarte in particular has guys that ask you to help demonstrate making a bracelet, then muscle you into buying it. They're very aggressive.

9. Eat a lot of baguettes and pastry in Paris.

10. Eat a lot of pizza and gelato in Rome.

11. A fantastic place to stay in Paris is Hotel Dieu Hospitel. It is on the fifth floor of a working hospital complex (and there are gurneys on the bottom floor of the elevator area, which is a little weird), but it's very comfortable (the rooms were originally for families of patients), the service is good, the rates are very reasonable for Paris, and the location is unbelievable. It's 50 feet from Notre Dame, the only hotel on the original island which is the start and center of Paris.

We stayed there in April, and loved it.

12. In Rome, you must do Rick Steves' Night Walk across Rome, and stop at Giolitti's for Gelato (it's a recommended side trip). It's the best gelato we had in Italy, and the walk itself is magical, and easily our favorite part of any trip we've taken.

If you have any questions, let me know, but I'd again recommend the appropriate Rick Steves book. He'll steer you right.

[Leonard Washington]

Thanks for the advice guys!