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peregrina2000 said:The albergue in the Sobrado monastery is donativo, or at least it was when I was there,
Most of the caminos are through rural areas where a credit card is not accepted. In the U.S. you can swipe your credit card at McDonalds for a three dollar purchase, but in Spain, I found a credit card was only accepted at hotels and a few merchants, and there is a 3% transaction fee with almost all credit cards. Using a credit card for a cash advance at an ATM may be the most expensive way to get cash. You pay for the loan, a transaction fee, and a transaction charge. An ATM withdrawal from your checking account will incur about a 4E transaction fee at the host bank in Spain, and a 3% transaction charge from your bank. It isn't free, but you get the official exchange rate rather than the buy/sell spread you see at airports. Making the maximum 300E withdrawal minimizes the host ATM fee, but leaves you with a wad of cash to protect. Other topics discuss keeping the cash safe, so go there for more information if you want it.MasterCard or VISA or their equivalents can be handier at times than a debit card
Homer-Dog said:Using the ATM machines is a must but don't forget about ATM fees. Being an American with a mid-sized local bank I was hit with a $5.00 fee every time I used an European ATM.
jeffnd said:Homer-Dog said:Using the ATM machines is a must but don't forget about ATM fees. Being an American with a mid-sized local bank I was hit with a $5.00 fee every time I used an European ATM.
That's actually not bad if that was the whole transaction fee. My old Wells Fargo account used to charge me like $3 to use an atm not owned by them. And that's on top of what the other bank charged for using their atm. Usually the whole transaction was about $5.
Dave2013 said:Vagabondette, which credit union do you use, I'm not sure that mine is that generous.
Thanks..,
Dave
Pretty much, no. They may be able to correct problems with the ATM when they are open, but they will not give cash on a debit card or check.Is it possible to get cash from inside the bank? From the teller?
First of all, thank you to everyone here that has added their expertise. I will be walking the Camino Frances this April/May. I have checked with my bank and my debit card *should* work in ATMs. My question is this: do people have backup plans for getting cash should a debit card not work - whether due to the card itself, a bank issue or even this whole Windows XP stuff that's in the news? Is it possible to get cash from inside the bank? From the teller? Are there other possible resources for cash besides ATMs?
Thanks. I await your collective wisdom...
My question is this: do people have backup plans for getting cash should a debit card not work .
Last year mid-way through France my credit card was stopped because some scammer had copied the details along the way and had fraudulently used them to spend 1,000 euro at harrods.com. It happens. My issuer would not send a replacement out to me except to my home address in London. Western Union cash transfers saved me. Fortunately I happened to know all my debit card details by heart (due to a lot of online booking ahead of my trip!) and was even able send my own money to myself, after persuading the officials I wasn't money laundering. It's a very expensive way of getting cash, but as a last resort it certainly helps. This time I'll be bringing good old-fashioned travellers' cheques, so that if all else fails I can go to a big town and cash them in the bankFirst of all, thank you to everyone here that has added their expertise. I will be walking the Camino Frances this April/May. I have checked with my bank and my debit card *should* work in ATMs. My question is this: do people have backup plans for getting cash should a debit card not work - whether due to the card itself, a bank issue or even this whole Windows XP stuff that's in the news? Is it possible to get cash from inside the bank? From the teller? Are there other possible resources for cash besides ATMs?
Thanks. I await your collective wisdom...
. This time I'll be bringing good old-fashioned travellers' cheques, so that if all else fails I can go to a big town and cash them in the bank
I tried to cash travelers cheques at a half-dozen banks without success. They are not useful, in my experience.This time I'll be bringing good old-fashioned travellers' cheques, so that if all else fails I can go to a big town and cash them in the bank
Most banks and post offices used to, though I admit it's years since I tried and things may have changed since then. Perhaps it would be worth checking out which card issuers still Fedex new cards out to travellers...You might want to check if the bank will cash them before you buy them.
They have!things may have changed since then.
I've long thought a pilgrim should do these things even when donating money! It all helpsI have long thought that when a pilgrim was not donating cash at an albergue, they should cheerfully donate time and energy. Pick up a mop! Ask if there is something which they can do! Always be the last one on a cleaning team to finish.
Thank you so much for this info...never considered AAA...any info of atm fees?Hi, jen!
I use a AAA Travel Card (VISA). It worked just fine all over France and Spain, never had a problem.
It is a pre-loaded card, which you "fill" by purchasing with cash or loading from your main bank debit card at your local AAA office. Transaction fee for origination and per transaction is small.
What I particularly like, a side from easy transactions, is that I can:
- maintain security over my main bank account debit/credit cards. (One's credit card is protected from fraud, the debit card not so much - no matter what the marketing department says.)
- track expenditure history, if necessary, from a separate website not connected with my main bank account - - again a security issue.
The only card I take besides this is my bank credit card (only for emergencies), the debit card stays home. The credit card is generally useless on the Camino except in larger cities.
Hope that helps!
B
AAA...any info of atm fees?
First of all, thank you to everyone here that has added their expertise. I will be walking the Camino Frances this April/May. I have checked with my bank and my debit card *should* work in ATMs. My question is this: do people have backup plans for getting cash should a debit card not work - whether due to the card itself, a bank issue or even this whole Windows XP stuff that's in the news? Is it possible to get cash from inside the bank? From the teller? Are there other possible resources for cash besides ATMs?
Thanks. I await your collective wisdom...
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