- I had figured we'd get cash from the an ATM at the airport on arrival but began to wonder after Happygrandma asked me how I was taking my money. Have any of you had problems with that? Should I bring dollars to change there? Is there any reason to carry travellers checks?
- The Sprint website indicates that Happykid's i-phone is automatically set to function in Spain and can send/receive texts for free, but phone calls are 20 cents/minute. She was in an endless telephone tree with Sprint, and couldn't verify the information with a human being. Will try the Sprint store later this week. Should we just pick up a burner phone there instead?
Your kid might do better to get a short term plan through Vodafone or some other carrier. We were just in Spain and got a SIM card to pop into our existing smart phones. A minimal talk plan with unlimited text could be had for as little as 10 euros per month. Topping up the account could be done at bank ATMs. It was pretty simple to set up and maintain.
If her phone is locked, I would look into a cheap burner phone.
Most people there use Whats App to communicate.
ATM is the way to go. We found Santander had the least expensive fees for foreign withdrawals. Maybe have a couple of hundred in cash in US $ in case of emergencies?
Enjoy!
Some cell phone plans include free international data and texting. Incoming calls are also free. I second that WhatsApp is also free and convenient.
We use credit cards and avoid cash as much as possible. It’s a pain to exchange cash, and the rates that you get at banks are horrible. The credit card foreign currency exchange rates are actually very good, much better than banks. You need to call customer service though and give them a travel alert, otherwise, your card might be declined in Spain because of fraud prevention.
My T-Mobile plan has free data and text and low cost phone in most of Asia and Europe - I have used it in multiple countries with no problems or surprise fees. I had purchased a number of SIM cards before a T-Mobile customer rep called me and told me my plan details - yes, really! My point is, it’s a very good idea to check on your plan(s) - the fine print and changes are hard to keep track of.
No to travelers checks. That is a product of the last century (used to be my go to - how times change).
I use ATMs and have not had any problems other than an occasional machine out of cash on the weekend. I have also taken to carrying additional new US $100 bills as back-up if the ATMs fail me. The rates in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand where currency exchanges are common and I have changed money recently are almost the same as the ATM rates. I suspect exchange rates at currency exchanges in Western Europe aren’t as good - fewer exchanges. The rates at Western Union, banks, hotels and the airports will not be good, so in Europe, I consider my US $$ stash as strictly emergency.
I use credit cards, I carry 2 or 3, for every purchase I can. My last trip to Spain was 3 years ago. One of my cards didn’t work at one of the museums, the other did. The non-working card was fine elsewhere. I don’t get it!
My motto - have a back-up plan! Enjoy your trip!!!
I wouldn’t exchange at an airport, they’ll charge you an absurd fee. It would probably be cheaper to just pay the fees at an ATM.
Just make sure all the credit cards are chipped and get a PIN for them if they are needed.
I always like to arrive with local cash in my pocket. That reduces my stress at the airport. Some airports have ATM at the secure baggage claim, others have them in the public side. I don’t like having anyone see me taking out cash particularly at a place like BCN where the pickpockets are prevalent. I will have a little bit of money in my pocket and the rest secured.
The rest of the time we use ATMs but always have a person dedicated to watching. I am over the top paranoid but have never yet had a problem.
Our orthodontist was robbed at the BCN airport. It was the classic someone “accidentally” bumped into her, pouring a hot chocolate over her and her things. She jumped back, trying to shake off the drink. Her grip on her handbag loosened. It was snatched as well as her carryon. Passports,credit cards, cash- all gone.
Make sure your credit cards have chips otherwise places won’t take them. Take more than one card with you and split them between you so if one gets stolen you have another.
Unfortunately trqaveller’s checks (as noted) are obsolete.
I just returned from Europe. Exchange rates were good – but fees were terrible! Very misleading, too, because they don’t really explain the taxes and surcharge to you so you THINK you will get the rate that is posted…unti you get that disappointing handful of euros. I came home with almost all the dollars I had brought because I couldn’t stand that ripped off feeling.
S’s bank does not charge foreign transaction fees (!) so he used his debit card, and that was the best way to go.
My bank does, tho, and I paid $36 in foreign transaction fees for using my debit card or wiithdrawing euros. I am a low budget traveller so this is actually a lot compared to how much I spent. Still better than changing money, though.
As for phones, be very careful! D bought a SIMS card for her unlocked phone which was good – except taht she travelled to other countries and then spent tons on roaming fees etc. The other students bought cheap local phones.
Have a great trip!
All credit cards have chips and PINs except the AMEX Delta gold card. That has a chip, but AMEX told me that the chip is not operational in Europe, and the card functions there as a swipe. Go figure.
Thanks for the warning about BCN, as we will be arriving there.
I was pretty sure that travellers checks were last century, but neded to verify. I will pick up some Euros before departure, and travel with some 20/50/100 denomination US bills.
For debit cards, note that many countries require a 4-digit pin unlike USA’s 5-digit. You can change it easily enough at your bank. And also don’t forget to call all debit, credit card, and phone plans and let them know your travel plans so they don’t freeze the accounts thinking charges/use are fraudulent. Enjoy!
DS used google voice to make voice calls from his verizon phone when in South America totally free. He needed to be in wifi range. This was on an android phone. Don’t know if it would work on iphones.
11 post is important. Definitely call bank and credit card ahead.
BTW, if there’s time, get her a Capital One credit card. No foreign transaction fees! We used them for most of our purchases. You don’t necessarily have to call ahead to let them know where you are going. If there’s an unusual purchase, they text or email to verify that it’s you. You respond and you’re done.
Also in our experience, it was less costly in fees to take out larger amounts from the ATM at any one time rather than many small withdrawals.
Finally, I recommend that she use ATMs associated with banks (often there is a lobby where one can do one’s transaction off the street). The no name ATMs in tourist areas often have lousy exchange rates.
We never saw a pickpocket or a purse snatching. However, my husband and I did keep at least one credit card hidden separate from the others, just in case.
Find out from your bank whether they have any arrangments with any foreign banks vis-a-vis ATMs. There may be lesser charges is your bank is aligned with a foreign bank.
My B of A manager told me to use Santander, which I did. But I was charged about $40 in fees for withdrawing $800 Euros. The B of A website says they are aligned with Deutsche Bank in Spain. Unfortunately, there weren’t any Duetsche Banks along the Camino de Santiago and there were lots of Santander banks.
I took plenty of Euros with me. Never saw a pickpocket (and we did spend time in Barcelona, apparently the pickpocket capital of Europe). I didn’t use an ATM there because there always seems to be a homeless person camped out right next to the ATM in Barcelona. (There were also a lot of migrants selling knock offs blocking the sidewalks).
I carried two credit cards and a debit card and my passport in a hip belt. I also had an emergency credit card hidden in my backpack along with a photocopy of my passport.
We survived 10 days in Iceland and Denmark completely on our credit cards. Never had to obtain local currency in either country for anything.
Thanks for all the great ideas. Our credit unions charge 1% for conversion with their Visa & MasterCard credit or debit cards, the AMEX Delta gold, and the Discover/DinersClub both have no conversion charges. I’ll pay attention to bank surcharges imposed at the ATMs. The big ticket items are already paid for or reserved from here. It is the every day stuff like lunch that I need to worry about.
We always travel with a large amount of cash from whatever country we visit. The key is to distribute it between spouses and in different areas on you. For women there are bra pouches that can hold a credit card or some large bills quite comfortably. I always use a cross body purse and make sure I don’t leave it hanging off my back.
When my daughter studied there she knew the most common areas for pickpocketers so check with hotels or other knowledgeable people.
At the end of the day always redistribute cash so you don’t have one area holding the bulk. My husband and kids wore the leather monebelts with a zippered band and kept cash there. As a women I did wear a money waist belt under my clothes.
As Americans we are complacent about our things and will leave purses hanging off chair backs but never abroad. Of course I’m a momma who always is scanning the area and making sure no one leaves things sitting around. Kind of obsessive about that here too
We get the equivalent of $200 cash and then use ATM’s we carry cards from 2 different banks should one not work.
I email myself a copy of my passport so I can access the data from anywhere should mine get stolen and I need a replacement.
I also email myself the phone numbers of my credit card companies.
If you have an iPhone through AT&T, you can call and add international calling. For my D, who was going to be in Greece for 5 weeks, I got a plan that covered her at $10 per day for unlimited calls and texts–you didn’t have to pay on days you don’t call or text.