Are there any banks in this area that offer same day currency exchange (dollars to euro). I'm not too keen on giving up an arm and a leg to travelex at the airport.

10/12/2012 9:52:19 AM

Wells Fargo told me their large branches can do this. I would call and make sure before heading over to one though.

Travelex actually isn't too bad from what my students have told me. You can check the rates on their site and even go ahead and order and have it ready for pickup when you arrive at RDU: http://www.travelex.com/

10/12/2012 10:09:36 AM

take your debit card and make a withdrawal at an ATM that dispenses euro

10/12/2012 11:14:40 AM

Quote :

"take your debit card and make a withdrawal at an ATM that dispenses euro"

THIS. I got a much better rate and lower fee when doing this in Germany.

10/12/2012 11:30:09 AM

check the fine print for your bank. That was the case for a long long time, but in the last couple of years, as the big banks have started adding nickel/dime fees all over the place, foreign ATM withdrawals may not be cheaper than currency exchange anymore.

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/blog/seat2B/2012/08/bank-fees-for-foreign-transactions.html?page=all

[Edited on October 12, 2012 at 11:43 AM. Reason : .]

10/12/2012 11:41:45 AM

^this

10/12/2012 1:59:11 PM

Credit unions are the best for ATM fees.

10/15/2012 9:29:00 PM

Charles Schwabb and I think Edward Jones checking accounts refund ATM fees, so it might be worth it to open an account with them before traveling, assuming they also reimburse foreign transaction fees. Maybe something to look into.

10/15/2012 9:39:37 PM

i suppose it never hurts to look at the fine print for your bank. i studied abroad in france in 2007 and remember being amazed at how easy it was to put my american debit card in the machine and just pull out local currency anywhere i was. at the time, it was a direct exchange rate plus a 1% surcharge through first citizens, iirc. still less expensive and a heck of a lot easier than doing your typical currency exchange.

another negative about using currency exchange is, if you're not willing to use an ATM at all, you will need to get a large stack all at once. i was always pretty wary about carrying large sums of money while traveling and lodging.

[Edited on October 15, 2012 at 9:52 PM. Reason : .]

10/15/2012 9:51:18 PM

You could also get a Chase Sapphire preferred or some similar travelers CC.

10/15/2012 9:53:46 PM