ATMs

[bmj91]

Hi there,
Im leaving in 1 week! Sorry if this is such a juvenile traveling question but when I use the ATMs on the camino will money be dispensed in euros? Or will it be dispensed in my home country money and I will have to go to a money exchange to change it to euros? Also, how do the ATMs work in the airport(Barcelona for me), do they dispense in euros? Sorry again if this is a dumb traveling question, I have just never dealt with this so please forgive me :|
-Brielle

 

[Sarahk]

Euros. Many little villages don't have ATMs so be sure to check your money from time to time so you don't get stuck low on funds in a village with no ATMs.
Buen Camino,
Sarah

 

[albinvega]

You'll get Euros out of the machines. I recommend you try to pick up some Euros (100+/-) before you leave home so that you're not dealing with unfamiliar machines immediately upon a jet-lagged arrival.

 

[whariwharangi]

In Spain they dispense Euros only. In Britain, the ATMs at the airport dispensed British Pounds and Euros. Maximums apply on some machines. I encountered 300 Euro limits at some machines while others allowed as much as 500 Euros. (I draw maximum to avoid fees)

There was usually a choice of language for the transaction.

Bank card net fees for Cirrus/Maestro network was $2.00

Your bank will likely also charge exchange fees that are on top of exchange differences.

 

[Yallah]

The money will be dispensed in euros at more or less the current exchange rate. Your bank might charge you a fee of $2-5 per transaction.

In our recently-published guidebook we put a symbol to show which towns have ATM facilities. I always recommend having an emergency 50 euros or so stashed somewhere in your backpack, just in case your wallet would be lost or stolen.

 

[crad80]

Hi -Brielle,

At Barcelona Airport, money dispensed from ATM's is in the form of Euros. Also, as previously noted above, many small villages do not have ATM's so make sure you have some Euros "stashed away" in case of emergencies. Hope this helps. Buen Camino.

 

[piogaw]

Hi brielle,

Check with your bank to see what is the maximum amount in us dollars that you can withdraw per day. If you try to withdraw more than the equivalence in euros, the machine will reject your request and tell you you don't have enough money in your account. This happens because the banks have no instruction to tell you you have exceeded your maximum per day withdrawal. Don't panic. if you are over the maximum requested, just start all over again. Ask the teller to help you if you got problem. Always get the maximum amount as your bank will charge you for the usage.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The ATMs dispense in euros and there is no need to bring euros from home. There are ATMs in the airport. Just don't flash your cash .

Withdraw 200-300 at a time. I budget 20 euros per day so that lasts me two weeks.

If you get a Charles schwab online account they reimburse you all fees. All fees.

I take photos of all my receipts and email them to myself instead of carrying them around.

Be sure and call your bank and tell them you will be in Spain so they do not freeze your account

Have fun!

 

[grayland]

It has already been said...But...it is Important....

1. Call your bank and give them the dates and info of your trip. Failure to do this will cause your bank's fraud department to put a hold on your card. Call them before you go!

2. If possible, 2 cards (different banks/credit unions) are good idea.. If something goes wrong with one you will still have access to cash.

3. Do not use ATM card on Friday afternoon or weekend or on Bank Holiday. Bank will be closed until Monday and you will be unable to go inside if the ATM eats your card for some reason. Try to anticipate your need while banks are open.

Just simple suggestions based on observations of problems encountered by Pilgrims on past Caminos.

 

[naplesdon]

Grayland, some great suggestions. I think Americans should be aware that banks in Europe rarely will exchange currency anymore forcing one to use a local currency exchange and few hostels and restaurants take credit cards. Frankly, I do not remember seeing many ATM's on the Camino except in large cities but then I wasn't looking for them either. Always have a pocket full of change and be prepared to find it difficult to use anything larger than a 10 Euros note in small towns and villages.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I have never had a problem finding an ATM. All but the very smallest villages generally have them. You can find ATMs all along the Camino and the all take the same common cards we use in the USA. STAR, interlink, plus, etc. If you have a VISA debit card, it will work.

 

[Steve.Belfast]

Before you leave home maybe you should let the bank know you'll be in Spain. It could be awkward if they decided the transactions on your card were unusual and stopped it.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Almost every spot along the Camino has a working ATM with the exception of the stretch between Astorga and Ponferrada. Grayland's advice is gold and, not to make you nervous, be careful when you withdraw money at airports and train stations, as this is where pickpockets hang out most-- most of us are distracted and trying to figure out where to go.

 

[bmj91]

Ok thank you all. A few months ago I opened at PayPal debit card because it is only a 1% foreign transaction fee, compared to my chase 3% fee. So I will bring both cards and I have notified both banks already. I am planning to take out 200-300 each transaction. And I will take out little at the airport, only enough for food and taxi then will take out more at sjpdp. Thank you everyone for the help!

 

[SuGardner]

We start our Camino from SJPP in mid-June.

We just recently set up a checking account with Charles Schwab. We will get a visa debit card from this account. The benefits:

- NO foreign exchange fees when we use the card
- NO ATM fees (Schwab reimburses the account monthly for any fees that Banks charge)

If you are interested in this type of account, just remember to set it up a couple of weeks before your trip because it takes a few days to verify your information and a few days to mail the debit card to you.

Buen Camino,
Susan

 

[SYates]

And make sure your card operates with a 4-digit numeric pin code as that is what we use in Europe. Buen Camino! SY

 

[NicoZ]

Plenty of Europeans have longer pin numbers. My Italian number five digits.

To the OP try and use inside ATMs when possible. Less risk of somebody having tampered with it. Check with your bank if they have some sort of deal with somebody in Spain. You may find one group of Spanish banks less costly then the others.

 

[newfydog]

Don't feel bad about a newby question. I once heard someone claim they put exchange rates in European newspapers so that the local residents would know how much money they have. He went on to explain that they use something over there which looks like money, but isn't really money, just an equivalent of real money.

 

[SYates]

Plenty of Europeans have longer pin numbers. My Italian number five digits.

To the OP try and use inside ATMs when possible. Less risk of somebody having tampered with it. Check with your bank if they have some sort of deal with somebody in Spain. You may find one group of Spanish banks less costly then the others.

Interesting, so far I have lived in the UK, Spain, Germany and the Czech Republic and travelled in a few more countries and only came across 4-digit numeric codes. Does your 5-digit code work also in Spain? SY

 

[Kanga]

We were unable to take money out using one card that had a six digit pin - the ATM machines were only set up to accept a 4 digit pin. We now ensure that we only have 4 digit pins which are universally accepted.

 

[NicoZ]

Plenty of Europeans have longer pin numbers. My Italian number five digits.

To the OP try and use inside ATMs when possible. Less risk of somebody having tampered with it. Check with your bank if they have some sort of deal with somebody in Spain. You may find one group of Spanish banks less costly then the others.

Interesting, so far I have lived in the UK, Spain, Germany and the Czech Republic and travelled in a few more countries and only came across 4-digit numeric codes. Does your 5-digit code work also in Spain? SY

I assume so. Ask me in July -) I know people with six digit PINs both from Italy and France.

 

[SYates]

You might want to check with your bank first then before risking not being able to use your card in Spain, SY

 

[newfydog]

We start our Camino from SJPP in mid-June.

We just recently set up a checking account with Charles Schwab. We will get a visa debit card from this account. The benefits:

- NO foreign exchange fees when we use the card
- NO ATM fees (Schwab reimburses the account monthly for any fees that Banks charge)

If you are interested in this type of account, just remember to set it up a couple of weeks before your trip because it takes a few days to verify your information and a few days to mail the debit card to you.

Buen Camino,
Susan

We have been on the road in Europe for two months now, and the Schwab card has worked in every ATM we have tried.

 

[NicoZ]

You might want to check with your bank first then before risking not being able to use your card in Spain, SY

Spain is on the approved list for my bank. I don't even need to advise them of travel. Unlike some other EU countries.