What is the best way to travel with money in Spain?

It's always advisable to bring a mix of cash and credit cards on vacation. You should also exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel before you leave home, or withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM.



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The best way to get local currency (Euros) is to use a debit card, able to access the Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus or Maestro networks, in an ATM (Interac cannot be used). Usually, the bank rate will be given for exchange rather than the local tourist rate.

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European travelers should always have some cash on hand; getting it from an ATM abroad is usually the easiest, most advantageous way. If you need cash from an ATM, it's usually better to use a debit card, because credit cards often charge a high interest rate for a cash advance.

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Deutsche Bank is the only major bank we found that charges no ATM fees in Spain. With regional banks, Bankinter will charge €0.50 while Banco Popular, Banco Pastor, Targobank and Caja Rural will charge €0.80. In contrast, BBVA charges the highest at €6 per withdrawal while ING's 12% fee can pile up very quickly.

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How to travel in Spain on a shoestring budget. How much you'll need for two weeks: €700-800. Cost per day: €50-60 or USD $60-70. The most memorable, exciting part of our time in Spain was living with a local family in one of Costa Brava's villages, Corca.

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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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Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.

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While credit cards are easy to carry and more secure than cash, you should always have some local cash on you when traveling. It's just good sense. Besides the fact that some local shops and vendors won't accept credit cards, having some cash provides a safety net in case your bank shuts off your card for any reason.

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These fees can be avoided by choosing a bank account that doesn't charge fees and reimburses out-of-network ATM fees and by always withdrawing local currency from ATMs. Account holders can also ask their home bank if there are partner branches or in-network ATMs in the destination country or countries.

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How to Avoid ATM Fees When Traveling Abroad
  1. Use an ATM in Your Bank's International Network. ...
  2. Use Your Debit Card to Get Cash Back at a Store. ...
  3. Don't Use the ATM's Conversion Offer. ...
  4. Use a Bank That Doesn't Charge International ATM Fees. ...
  5. Use a Bank That Refunds ATM Fees. ...
  6. Use a Credit Card Without a Foreign Transaction Fee.


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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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Wise is our best value travel money debit card for Spain. There's no fee to open a Wise account, and just a small delivery fee for your Wise card, with no minimum balance and no monthly charge.

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Generally, you should tell your bank the locations you are traveling to and the dates/duration of your travels. This will allow you to continue using your credit cards and debit cards without the fraud detection on your accounts being triggered, preventing you from using your cards.

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