Reviving this discussion because we are curious too.

We generally always pay with credit card while traveling (Capital One has a nice no foreign transaction fee).

But I always like to travel with some cash in case we arrive and cards don’t work, etc and cash can get us a cab and a hotel to get settled.

So if you want to convert some currency before traveling what is best option:

1) local bank or credit union in US
2) Tyson’s currency exchange at mall
3) Airport currency exchange stateside
4) airport currency exchange in foreign country

On a side not we have a bit of left over currency what is the best way to convert to USD?

Anonymous wrote:Tysons mall had an exchange kiosk on the second level, but in country ATM is the easiest. Or pay everything with CC.

Where in Tyson's Mall?

Anonymous wrote:You really don't need cash in Europe, other than tipping the hotel staff.

Is this true in every country? Pre-COVID I remember needing to have cash in Amsterdam and Berlin because not everywhere would accept American credit cards. I have been back to Germany since COVID and was able to use my card nearly everwhere, so maybe this is no longer a thing. I think I still experienced needing a card with a PIN to make a purchase from a train vending machine, but that was about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is this the first time you ever left the country? You just get your cash from an ATM at the airport in Europe. Don’t be a novice.

DP - So rude - what do you think the definition of "novice" is? Plus, if you only go to Europe infrequently, things morph over time. COVID pushed the cash-free trend, but maybe they haven't been since pre-pandemic...

It’s not just a Europe thing. It’s a travel anywhere outside the US thing. You get an ATM card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees or withdraw fees and hit the ATM on arrival.

Anonymous wrote:Just got back from Europe and never used actual euros, only credit card. Lots of places only took cards.

This was my experience as well. I had converted money and had a hard time finding places to take cash.

Anonymous wrote:What is this the first time you ever left the country? You just get your cash from an ATM at the airport in Europe. Don’t be a novice.

DP - So rude - what do you think the definition of "novice" is? Plus, if you only go to Europe infrequently, things morph over time. COVID pushed the cash-free trend, but maybe they haven't been since pre-pandemic...

Tysons mall had an exchange kiosk on the second level, but in country ATM is the easiest. Or pay everything with CC.

I second getting cash in europe from an ATM. I travel there every year and never ever get euros before leaving. You can actually use the credi card almost everywhere. I travel to italy most of the time and people there do not appreciate cc for small purchases so i keep some euros for cappuccino and ice creams (although most ice cream places take cc). I would not get a lot of money, pickpocketing is thriving and a lot of cash can be stolen.

What is this the first time you ever left the country? You just get your cash from an ATM at the airport in Europe. Don’t be a novice.

Montgomery Mall has a kiosk that sells foreign currency.

I just returned from Spain a month ago. I never bother to get euros until I get to Europe. I just got euros from an ATM around the corner from my hotel. I never needed them except for some taxi rides. Most taxis took card and you can also use cabify so that you can always pay by card, but some taxis that I hailed from the street said they only took cash. Even farmers market stalls took cc.

Get a card with no transaction fees like Charles Schwab.

I think that banks can order them

Bank - any bank will convert your money before and after a trip

or ATM in country - they are everywhere

As others have said you wont need Euros from the airport to the hotel. Just get them when you get settled.

If you use an atm in Europe use an actual bank atm. There are a bunch of atms at airport that are run primarily to fleece tourists with lousy exhange rates