Money

[Yarma]

Hola Pilgrims

It's a nervous 12 days before starting my first Camino and I have a question.
Should I buy Euros before leaving Australia ? Or do the exchange when arrive in Paris. BTW
If I was doing this by myself , should I be concerned? I will be with a person who walks a lot faster than
myself, so will most days be walking solo.
In reality my head is still full of questions, but that will do for now.

Bien Camino
Debbie

 

[grayland]

Buen Camino.. Everyone is nervous before they start out on the great adventure!

1. You can buy a small amount of euro before you leave... But the usual thing is to use the ATM at the airport or at a bank. The exchange rate at airport ATM is normally better than you will get at home.
Just be very sure you notify your ATM bank card that you will be using in France and Spain (and any other country).

2. Walking alone during the day will not be a problem. You will find you are near others most of the time and will probably meet up with your partner at bars several times a day.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I will be with a person who walks a lot faster than myself, so will most days be walking solo.

I think you will find that a blessing! Companionship is great, but you can actually injure yourself by trying to walk at someone else's pace. Ditto walking someone else's distance. Be sure to agree before hand that you are walking different caminos, and that no one has an obligation to match the other's pace or distance. If you have cell phones with Spain capability, just text each other each night your location. Three days distance apart is about a 5E bus ride, or a much more expensive taxi ride (about 2E per kilometer these days).

Enjoy the people who walk at your pace, and have a buen camino!

 

[nreyn12]

Hi Debbie,

Twelve days!!! So exciting! It's so fun to do the countdown...

Instead of getting euros before you leave home, I'd recommend this instead:

1. Bring along $100-150 in your home currency.
2. Go to the first ATM you come to and withdraw 200-300 euros.
3. If the first ATM isn't working, find the money exchange counter at the airport and exchange just enough for your first day in Spain (or France). Then withdraw from the next ATM you come to.
4. Tuck the rest of your home currency into the safe place where you are keeping your passport.

Good luck and have a fantastic journey!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

And you will need a four-digit PIN. A friend had a six-digit PIN, and was completely broke in the middle of Spain!

 

[burritobear9]

I just came back from my Camino journey.
I purchased Euros before leaving Canada,
kept them in my money belt.
Only ended up using two ATMs along the way,
(one in England to obtain Pounds).
Fortunately I didn't have any trouble with my banking (except for my on-line credit cards)
as I did in India.

Whatever you choose to do, do it with confidence.

Good luck.

Buen Camino.

Cheryl

 

[freeflyer123]

We exchanged money (I went with my husband) at the beginning of the year as soon as we knew were were doing the camino. We had to take it back because it was given to us in 100 euro notes! They gave us 20 euro notes which we found perfect - most albergues aren't happy to give changes for large notes. We didn't have any problems with finding atms (although they didn't look anything like those we have at home!).

Please, please, get something to keep your valuables in; something that you can keep with you all the time - we used small bags that we kept around our necks. You will meet some lovely, honest, people, but be aware that there are also some people desperate enough to think nothing of rifling through your things in the hope that you have left some money in there. In one albergue I was in, I saw a notice that said "dear thief, I hope you realize that you stole from students who needed that money". I do not know if the sign had just been put up, or if it had been there for some months. But it did bring the message home to me, and everybody else who read it. Most of all, have a brilliant camino.

 

[David]

A few euros before you leave, get more as you need them when there. Whatever you do, don't get a lot and carry them with you. A woman was carrying 1000 euros with her when she was robbed - all her Camino money.

Can you imagine even thinking it would be a good idea to carry 1000 euros with you?
Is that not slightly, errmm naive? :|

 

[Kanga]

Hi Debbie,
Have fun. You should be able to get Euros directly from ATMs. Ensure you have a 4 digit pin - unlike Oz the Spanish and French ATMs won't recognise a longer one. Also suggest you take at least two different cards, just in case there is trouble with one. We usually buy a hundred euros in Sydney before we leave (ask your local bank), just so we don't have to worry as soon as we arrive - usually frazzled after a long flight. We don't carry large amounts of cash but withdraw what we need as we go, although watch the ATM fee per service charge. There are a couple of ways of minimising bank charges - travel money cards are worth considering and one of the credit cards does not charge a conversion fee. Have a look at the article on the Australian Consumers website (Choice).

 

[Deleted member 3000]

one of the credit cards does not charge a conversion fee

If you can find a banker who will give an honest answer (keeping in mind that they lie as often as used car salesmen, airlines, and lawyers), there is always a fee in converting currencies. Some banks do not charge extra for an ATM fee, refund the host bank ATM fee, or do not charge an additional transaction cost, often about 3%, so look for them. Know, however, that no bank will sell you Euros for the price for which they purchase them! Any assertion to the contrary is just salesmanship, so be sure you still have your watch and wallet when you are done.

 

[Kanga]

one of the credit cards does not charge a conversion fee

If you can find a banker who will give an honest answer (keeping in mind that they lie as often as used car salesmen, airlines, and lawyers), there is always a fee in converting currencies

I am not suggesting she ask a bank but consult the investigation on "travel money" done by the Australian Consumers Association - a completely independent body non-profit which takes no money from any business but is funded entirely by members (so subscribe! It pays for itself many times over). And indeed they did identify one credit card that does not charge a conversion fee. Obviously the credit card charges interest on purchases but we avoided that by "preloading" the card before leaving home.

 

[Monya]

A few euros before you leave, get more as you need them when there. Whatever you do, don't get a lot and carry them with you. A woman was carrying 1000 euros with her when she was robbed - all her Camino money.

Can you imagine even thinking it would be a good idea to carry 1000 euros with you?
Is that not slightly, errmm naive? :|

Just a comment... I went to a Camino talk where the speakers (experienced Pilgrims, I might add) said that is exactly what they did. I wouldn't walk around with the equivalent of R14500 in my wallet at home, so I suppose it would make sense not to do it in a foreign country, but what if cards don't work, or something else gives wrong? I have already been stuck in Germany with a card that wasn't being accepted anywhere to draw cash.

So... I think it is just best not to act like a pilgrim carrying a large amount of cash, and most certainly not say anything about it. Was this lady's money stolen from her money belt while she wore it or from a backpack, etc?

 

[David]

a thousand euros would last at least ten weeks on the Camino - max pilgrims do is five weeks. A couple of hundred Euros would last a really long time.
People carry large amounts of cash because of fear, it is always fear, nothing but fear - remove the fear and you remove the need for false security. Spanish banks are like banks elsewhere, it is a civilised country - there is nothing to fear.

 

[Jen Juneau]

We are thinking of getting a travel visa card instead of using our own bank cards. Good? Bad?

 

[David]

I don't know about travel cards, sorry - Though, if a UK citizen it is worth getting a Post Office Mastercard credit card as there are no fees for foreign usage.

Those who have a Paypal account can get a Paypal Access Mastercard. Usable for purchases and with every cash-point showing the Mastercard sign anywhere in the world it is a debit card for your Paypal account.

It draws on the money in your Paypal account, and if that is empty draws it from your connected bank account, or you can load from your bank whenever you want to.

I believe there is a fee of about 2 Euro for using a foreign atm plus a 2.75% fee, which is about the same as most ordinary cards, and I think no fees for purchases - I have one and it works fine, though I rarely use it in Spain as I keep a French bank account in Euros and I use that card when in the Eurozone as well as my zero fee Post Office card.

Have a look here - at the Paypal card
https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/Marketing/account/DCIntro-outside

and here for the Post Office card
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/credit-card

Buen Camino

 

[Bajaracer]

Get a fresh ATM/Debit card before you leave.