Switch Euro for lower denomination at airport

[SCHappilyRetired]

Hello all! I wasn't sure where to post this but because I am asking about "airport" info thought this best.

 

My cousin offered to get Euros before our trip so I gave her some USD for myself. Good exchange through AAA. Well, she gave me back 50€ bills!! Can I give them to Travelex at JFK to exchange to a lower denomination? Fee involved to do that? Or should I just wait til I get to Paris and go to a bank?

 

Thank you in advance!

[Keith1010]

You can see if they will do it for you but don't pay a fee. If they are nice they might do it for you. Otherwise I would just wait.

 

Should you need more money use an ATM in country (eg., in France).

 

Keith

[kerryincork]

Don't bother. When you arrive in Europe there are cafes and newsagents in airport. Just buy a stick of gum hand over €50. Get change. Or buy a cup of coffee or whatever you prefer. There will be no problems getting change of a €50 in Europe, most bank atm give out €20/50 notes, so totally common.

If you had €100 notes it would be harder

[wowzz]

If you went into a US corner store and gave them $50 for a 99 cent purchase, what sort of reaction would you get? Well, you ll get the same reaction in Europe.

[FlyerTalker]

If you went into a US corner store and gave them $50 for a 99 cent purchase, what sort of reaction would you get? Well, you ll get the same reaction in Europe.

Not at airports. Especially the shops right next to the ATM kiosks. They are used to people doing just that.

 

If you don't like the idea of changing your fifties with a newspaper purchase, and you are taking money from an ATM, try this and see if the ATM will oblige. Instead of getting 100 Euros (or whatever round number of whatever currency), try to get 95 or 90. They have to give you some kind of smaller bill. And if the machine isn't configured for that, look at the "quick transaction" screen. If it says that the ATM can give 20 Euros, you know they can give 90. Or 110.

 

Did this in Vietnam. Rather than get 2 million dong, asked for 1,900,000. Promptly spit out three 500,000 bills and four 100,000. (FWIW, that's about $90 in total).

[kerryincork]

I live in Europe, my currency is euros. I can assure you that it is no issue paying for a news paper, can of Coke, etc. with €50. It's totally normal, I do it all the time. If it is a busy shop, café, it won't be an issue (like in an airport ) a lone country shop, it might be a problem, the person at the till might ask if you have anything smaller, if you say no they will either serve you or tell you they don't have any change. It's highly unlikely this will happen except if you are unlucky enough to have several people in front of you who have paid in large notes.

 

This not embarrassing situation, the person in the shop is not going to give you funny looks. It is totally normal to pay for things with a €50.

 

You will need exact change on busses and small notes for public transport, as they don't normally have means to give change.

[SCHappilyRetired]

Not at airports. Especially the shops right next to the ATM kiosks. They are used to people doing just that.

 

If you don't like the idea of changing your fifties with a newspaper purchase, and you are taking money from an ATM, try this and see if the ATM will oblige. Instead of getting 100 Euros (or whatever round number of whatever currency), try to get 95 or 90. They have to give you some kind of smaller bill. And if the machine isn't configured for that, look at the "quick transaction" screen. If it says that the ATM can give 20 Euros, you know they can give 90. Or 110.

 

Did this in Vietnam. Rather than get 2 million dong, asked for 1,900,000. Promptly spit out three 500,000 bills and four 100,000. (FWIW, that's about $90 in total).

 

8:30 am arrival so a coffee it is. Thank you!

[SCHappilyRetired]

I live in Europe, my currency is euros. I can assure you that it is no issue paying for a news paper, can of Coke, etc. with €50. It's totally normal, I do it all the time. If it is a busy shop, café, it won't be an issue (like in an airport ) a lone country shop, it might be a problem, the person at the till might ask if you have anything smaller, if you say no they will either serve you or tell you they don't have any change. It's highly unlikely this will happen except if you are unlucky enough to have several people in front of you who have paid in large notes.

 

This not embarrassing situation, the person in the shop is not going to give you funny looks. It is totally normal to pay for things with a €50.

 

You will need exact change on busses and small notes for public transport, as they don't normally have means to give change.

 

Thank you! Will do. In laws from Clare/Sligo. Love your Country!

[waterbug123]

You can see if they will do it for you but don't pay a fee. If they are nice they might do it for you. Otherwise I would just wait.

 

Should you need more money use an ATM in country (eg., in France).

 

Keith

 

The OP isn't trying to get more money. She is trying to get smaller denominations of bills. If you go to an ATM in Europe you'll typically get 50euro notes so she'd still have the same issue.

 

If you went into a US corner store and gave them $50 for a 99 cent purchase, what sort of reaction would you get? Well, you ll get the same reaction in Europe.

 

Not really. We've never had any problem using 50euro notes -which is what we usually get from the ATM's there- to make small purchases. We usually use an airport ATM and get a couple hundred, then buy a couple bottles of water or a couple of coffees to get smaller bills/coins in change to make it easier to pay for cabs etc.