Should I exchange money before I travel to Barcelona?

Therefore, you do not necessarily need to exchange money before traveling to Spain if you plan on using your card for most transactions. Just make sure that your credit card waives international card transaction fees, otherwise, those fees will add on very quickly.



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We do not recommend carrying a lot of cash with you while visiting Barcelona. However, it is a good idea to bring a small amount of Euros cash in advance to cover some initial expenses like taxi, meal etc. until you can arrive at a bank or cashpoint to obtain some more money.

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Buy currency before you travel. Doing so gives you time to shop around for the best rate. Plus, when you arrive, you won't have to immediately find a bank or currency exchange. Do some research ahead of time to see if US dollars are widely accepted at places you plan to go to.

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Under post-Brexit rules, Spanish border officials can ask travellers to show that they have 'economic resources' to cover the cost of their trip. This amounts to €100 for each day of their trip. They must also possess a minimum of €900 for their whole stay.

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In Spain you can pay in cash in almost all cases, and usually only Euros are accepted. In some cases, if the payment is made through a machine, it may be necessary to pay by card. The option to pay with credit and debit cards, mainly Visa and Mastercard, is very widespread.

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Is 100 euros a day enough in Barcelona? €100 per day is still not a huge amount but you can probably get by on it. You should perhaps read up on free stuff to do during the day and not plan on paying to go inside too many tourist attractions.

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Resist the urge to buy foreign currency before your trip.
Some tourists feel like they just have to have euros or British pounds in their pockets when they step off the airplane, but they pay the price in bad stateside exchange rates. Wait until you arrive to withdraw money.

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It all depends on where you're going and what you plan to do during your trip. As you can see from our travel costs table above, some European cities are cheaper or more expensive than others. As a general rule, though, it's a good idea to budget at least $100 a day for your vacation.

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You may want to investigate banks that do not charge ATM fees and/or banks that are found throughout Europe. The cheapest and easiest way-and the best exchange rates-to get your hands on some euros is to simply use your US based bank's ATM/debit card at the many ATMs located throughout Madrid.

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But if you pay in euros, you'll get a rotten exchange rate. Ideally, if you're in a non-euro country for more than a few hours, head to the ATM and use local currency instead. Use your credit card to get cash only in emergencies.

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You could opt for a low cost travel debit card which comes with a linked account to hold a selection of currencies - like the Wise debit card. Or you might prefer a prepaid travel money card like the Bluebird American Express debit card which can be linked to a fee free account.

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