US Dollars to Euros

[Cruisin' Again 86]

Is it necessary to convert $ to Euros for port stops in Europe ??

[cruisemom42]

Yes, there are very few places in the European ports where you can use dollars. Since you posted this on the Italy ports of call board, I assume you're talking about Mediterranean European ports such as Italy, France and Spain -- in which case you will definitely need euros. Credit cards can be used for most larger purchases.

[Chairsin]

Better than convert your $ just use local ATMs to get the euros you need.

[diane.in.ny]

I use ATMs all the time. Just be careful that you don't run into exorbitant fees or exchange rates.

 

This won't happen by accident. Any fees will be displayed asking for your OK. Some machines show you how much your choice in Euros will cost you in U.S. $$. In my experience, I cancel the transaction when I see either of those. There are plenty of options where the transaction looks just like your transaction at your home bank ... no extra fees .... no ridiculous exchange rate.

 

Once you find a machine with a simple-like-at-home transaction, make a note of the bank. I discovered Telebanco in Spain. Checking my bank statement when I got home, got good exchange rate and only fee was my bank's standard 1%.

 

I also take with me a little chart of Euros to $$ and $$ to Euros . You can find one at Oanda.com. I print off, protect with scotch tape and slip it into my purse. I print it with the Interbank rate. Close enough

 

https://www.oanda.com/currency/travel-exchange-rates

[wheezedr]

You are really just withdrawing funds from your account much like you would at home. The difference is that you will be getting whatever is the local currency, in this case ,Euro's. Do let your card holder know that you are traveling and where.

Also be wary in airports. Many of the ATMs in terminals are just extensions of the money exchange companies and give horrible rates, look for an ATM associated with a recognizable bank. For most transaction your CC will work.

[MATHA531]

The simple answer is that in general, you need euro (note the official plural of euro is euro not euros).

 

The simplest answer is to use a credit card for all purchases and you won't have to worry about it. Even there, one has choices. The first choice, and there are lots of them available today, is get a credit card that has the proper foreign transaction fee which is 0%...not 1%...not 3% but 0%. Credit card issuers are supposed to tell you when they issue you a credit card whether they have a foreign transaction fee. If you bank has a 3% ftf, get another card which doesn't have one. Period. Easy to do.

 

I never understand why people say to use a credit card for large purchases. Use your credit cards for all purchases wherever you see the infamous credit card decals. Some people do claim they can get discounts for using cash but in most places, at least in Europe, that is not generally true. Also, unfortunately, there exist some merchants who insist on establishing minimums for use of a card. I don't use merchants like that. Luckily, that is far from a majority of merchants.

 

Also watch out for a scam called dynamic currency conversion. If you are following the advice above and using a card with no ftf, your credit card company will give you the best exchange rate. Some merchants scam you by doing the conversion for you and it is always at a rate far above what the banks offer. You know this scam is being pulled on you when you get the charge slip which they pressure you to sign without reading and it shows the amount both in euro and in your case US dollars. Politely tell them no way Jose or whatever. Insist they VOID the transaction and do it properly in euro. The merchant agreements of the credit card companies allow this scam with the consent of the scamee namely you. That is why before the transaction is completed, they have to push a button on the machine indicating you want to be scammed. Many have the decency to follow the rules and ask you euro or dollars. Tell them euro. If they present a slip that has both a euro amount and a dollar amount, you tell them you don't want to be scammed and insist they VOID the transaction. They may tell you they can't (a lie), that the US dollar amount is only shown for your convenience and that you are being charged in euro (another lie) or the infamous no speak English (usually a lie). If they refuse to void the transaction and do it properly in euro, ask to see the manager. If they still refuse to do the transaction properly, do not under any circumstances pay with banknotes. Rather write on the slip local currency option not offered and when you return home, dispute the charge for not following proper procedures. Your bank will then chargeback the transaction hopefully charging the scammer a fee.

 

I must report to you that DCC is metastasizing throughout the travelling world and it is incumbent on everybody to put an end to this scam by following the above suggestions.

[Keith1010]

Then answer depends on what you plan to do in port.

 

If you want to make cash purchases than definitely get euros.

 

If you plan to shop, eat, etc. you can possibly just use your credit card.

 

Back to cash. Do not expect that they will take USA currency as we in the USA would not take Euro currency for cash payments.

 

Keith

[John Bull]

Is it necessary to convert $ to Euros for port stops in Europe ??

 

Absolutely.

This isn't the Caribbean. ;)

 

Sometimes convenience takes precedence over value' date=' and taking just a few euros with you will avoid the desperate need to find an ATM as soon as you arrive (note diane & the wheezer's comments about ATM exchange rates & fees, including ATMs on the ship).

 

But for best value......

..........for purchases, use a credit card which doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

Advice to use cash for [u']small[/u] purchases is for those whose card has a minimum foreign transaction fee, which can prove expensive for a couple of beers or coffees.

Merchants who try to charge in the currency of your card are rare, but some merchants in tourist locations may offer to do so. As non-US residents know, US cruise lines do the same :rolleyes:. Always decline such an offer, as MATHA's post your card supplier will give you the best rate.

 

.........for cash, use a debit card in an ATM. Again, some cards don't carry foreign transaction fees. And, as diane's post, to avoid ATM fees check with your card issuer which banks / ATMs are your card issuer's overseas partner.

 

If for whatever reason you have to use a credit card in an ATM, pay the balance off in full and as soon as you can - you'll be charged interest from the moment the ATM dispenses the money.

 

If this cruise is a one-off foreign trip. you may or may not feel it's worth the bother to get one of those no-fee cards.

If you're expecting to travel abroad a lot, it's a no-brainer.

 

Repeating the wheezer's advice, do tell your card issuer/s about your impending trip.

 

You don't quote your ports, but not all European countries use the euro. In tourist places in those countries you can usually get by with euros, but you're likely to get a poor rate. You'll get mixed advice about whether to get those one-off currencies, but it depends on a number of factors including how many days you're in that country and whether you've booked excursions.

 

Worst exchange rates I hear about are those offered by the ship. All cruise ships.

Avoid like the plague, with the possible exception of the currency of a port you're visiting for just one day & plan to get less than an ATM's minimum. It can be simpler to get a few dollars-worth from guest relations, especially if they'll change-back some unused money at the same rate.

 

BTW, even the EU can't make up their minds whether the official plural of euro is "euro" or "euros". :rolleyes: Ditto "cent" and "cents"

 

JB :)

[ExpatBride]

 

BTW, even the EU can't make up their minds whether the official plural of euro is "euro" or "euros". :rolleyes: Ditto "cent" and "cents"

 

:rolleyes: Indeed... lol!

 

I live on the Continent and I've never heard anyone refer to it in plural as "euro" only "euros." The only time I've heard "euro" used is if referring to "the euro." So most of the eurozone must have it wrong :rolleyes:

 

In answer to the OP, if you intend to buy something, then yes. And if you buy something, please don't ask the person selling it, "how much is that in American dollars?" It's not their job to know. I've seen this happen more than once and it makes me embarrassed for my country.

[LondonTowner]

We go to the Eurozone very often, so always have some Euros in cash. However, nearly all our spending is done on our CCs which have no charge for foreign transactions. Almost always the CC machine asks if you want to pay in Euros or, in our case, GBP. Always choose the currency of the country you are in. So, in this case it would be Euros.

[diane.in.ny]

. And if you buy something, please don't ask the person selling it, "how much is that in American dollars?" It's not their job to know.

 

Exactly, which is why I take an Oanda cheat sheet with me for every currency we'll experience.

[marazul]

Download the XE app to your phone. It does all the currency conversions for you at the bank rate.

[MATHA531]

:rolleyes: Indeed... lol!

 

I live on the Continent and I've never heard anyone refer to it in plural as "euro" only "euros." The only time I've heard "euro" used is if referring to "the euro." So most of the eurozone must have it wrong :rolleyes:

 

The original documentation issued when the euro was introduced did indeed proclaim the plural of euro should be euro.

 

Later on, a "clarification" was issued giving English speaking countries the liberty of using euros (in this case, it would apply to Ireland) in official national documents. So, yes, it is unclear.

 

However, when visiting Japan, one doesn't say yens.

 

When visting Italy pre Euro, one didn't say liras.

 

So it is hardly unpresedented. :o

[John Bull]

The original documentation issued when the euro was introduced did indeed proclaim the plural of euro should be euro.

 

Later on, a "clarification" was issued giving English speaking countries the liberty of using euros (in this case, it would apply to Ireland) in official national documents. So, yes, it is unclear.

 

However, when visiting Japan, one doesn't say yens.

 

When visting Italy pre Euro, one didn't say liras.

 

So it is hardly unpresedented. :o

 

On the currency itself are the word euro or cent as plurals, the EU wanted to avoid various languages using different plurals - for instance in German it might be "euren".

But countries outside the Eurozone all use euros and cents as the plurals, and EU countries have done the same. Which shows they're just a bunch of sheeps :D

 

JB :)

[ItaloAmericana]

Hello--

 

Call your credit card companies before you go. For one thing, they will know that you are using the card in Europe. You can also ask them what their foreign transaction fees are. You may find that one of your cards is great for ATM withdrawals and another is great for purchases.

 

We always get about 100 Euro from our local bank at home before we leave. Yes, you feel like the bank is robbing YOU, but we like to have some cash to get a gelato or something after we land.

 

Once we get to our hotel, we then find an ATM to withdraw cash.

Edited August 2, 2016 by ItaloAmericana

[cruisemom42]

Hello--

 

Call your credit card companies before you go. For one thing, they will know that you are using the card in Europe. You can also ask them what their foreign transaction fees are. You may find that one of your cards is great for ATM withdrawals and another is great for purchases.

 

 

Warning: It is almost NEVER a good idea to use a credit card to withdraw cash unless there is literally no other option. Credit card companies treat cash withdrawals as a cash advance, which carries a VERY high interest rate -- which is charged from the moment you withdraw the money.

 

Here's a good article on this topic: http://moneyfacts.co.uk/guides/credit-cards/beware-of-credit-card-cash-advances/

[ItaloAmericana]

Sorry, I should have clarified that. I lumped debit cards and credit cards together.

 

Yes, in most cases a credit card will have those high fees. Using a debit card to get cash at an ATM is usually the way to go.

 

Either way, call the credit card and debit card companies to get the details before you travel.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Everyone has been so polite here, to help you out. Using a bank ATM in Europe is dead easy. Using a credit card if you're from the States may be problematic. It's getting harder to use a card without a chip. I don't know the status of this issue since I'm Canadian and all our cards are chip&pin, but others here can chime in.

[MATHA531]

Everyone has been so polite here, to help you out. Using a bank ATM in Europe is dead easy. Using a credit card if you're from the States may be problematic. It's getting harder to use a card without a chip. I don't know the status of this issue since I'm Canadian and all our cards are chip&pin, but others here can chime in.

 

Although the conversion is not complete, all new cards being issued in the USA have the emv chip. Many banks have replaced chipless cards either at their expiration date or even earlier so I would say at least 70% of USA credit cards today have the emv chip. HOWEVER...

 

The USA banks have chosen to introduce emv chip card known as chip and signature. 99.9% of USA credit cards will not call for entering a pin but rather will require you to sign just like the old cards lacking a chip. There has been a lot of misinformation about this by travel writers and the like. For the most part, USA credit cards with a chip will absolutely work everywhere in Europe no matter what some ignorant writers say. They will work even at kiosks despite the fact until recently pins were required at kiosks due to revised mastercard/visa/amex regulations. They will work withut pins at automated fuel pumps they will work on toll roads. There may be a few isolated exceptions but they almost certainly will not affect the vast overwhelming majority of people.

 

Don't waste your time trying to get a chip and predominantly pin card if you're from the United States. With the exception of two small fcu's, they simply don't exist.

[LondonTowner]

How antiquated, even new cards not having chip and pin.

[Wiltonian]

Warning: It is almost NEVER a good idea to use a credit card to withdraw cash unless there is literally no other option. Credit card companies treat cash withdrawals as a cash advance, which carries a VERY high interest rate -- which is charged from the moment you withdraw the money.

 

A bit of an over-generalisation. My CC makes no extra charge for cash withdrawals and no extra charge for foreign transactions. It does conversions at a very good exchange rate.

 

So, instead of getting fewer euros with cash exchange, or paying foreign transaction charges, I pay the interest on the CC cash withdrawals.

 

My card has an APR of 12.95%, so for a two weeks holiday, paying off the balance on my return, the cost is around 0.5%. Beat that!

 

Stuart

[MATHA531]

How antiquated, even new cards not having chip and pin.

 

It's been a contenteous thing to many in the USA. The bottom line is the American banks had to be dragged into just having the emv chip. For a long while they simply shrugged their shoulders and said not necessary. They were willing to eat a certain amount of fraud (understand the banks in the past have been responsible for credit card fraud not the individual). They set a date where responsibility was transferred to merchants if they did not upgrad their equipment; even so many American merchants still do not have the equipment to process chip cards. The banks further argue, remember I am just the messenger here, that as long as the card itself is not lost, chip and signature is as effective in preventing card is present fraud as chip and pin, that customers prefer not having to bother to memorize more pins and that lost card fraud is very modest. Some retailers have considered suing the credit card network to implement chip and pin but that has gone nowhere.

 

The imortant thing is chip and signature cards will work virtually everywhere in Europe; many get a new card with a chip, think the card is chip and pin and are disappointed when they arrive in Europe, use their cards and are asked not for a pin but a signature.

 

As with so many other things, our country always seems to want to do things differently. This is just another example. :mad:

[John Bull]

 

The imortant thing is chip and signature cards will work virtually everywhere in Europe; many get a new card with a chip, think the card is chip and pin and are disappointed when they arrive in Europe, use their cards and are asked not for a pin but a signature.

 

Yep, that's my understanding too.

Not from personal experience (cos my cards are chip&PIN), but from talking to US visitors with chip&sig they can use their card at manned tills but not in ticket machines, gas pumps & such.

 

JB :)

[LondonTowner]

I may be wrong here, but I believe that when chip and pin was introduced in Europe there was a lot less fraud using CCs.

 

So, in the US does contactless payment exist?

[MATHA531]

I may be wrong here, but I believe that when chip and pin was introduced in Europe there was a lot less fraud using CCs.

 

So, in the US does contactless payment exist?

 

It exists. It just hasn't caught on. It's been hard enough trying to get merchants and consumers to be happy with inserting their cards rather than swiping. You are quite correct, though. Credit card fraud has increased dramatically in the past few years as hackers have become very good at what they do alas and have adopted the old Willie Sutton motto (Sutton was a famous American bank robber in the 1950) is reputed to have said when asked why he robbed banks answered by saying that's where the money is. Credit card fraud, especially in the USA before the introduction of the emv chip, is where the money was. The bad news is I just read an article in a British paper saying they expect hackers to be able to counterfeit emv chips within a year. Then what?

Edited August 2, 2016 by MATHA531