Just landed - wondering what gives the better rate in Germany: ATM withdrawal or airport exchange counter?
Just landed - wondering what gives the better rate in Germany: ATM withdrawal or airport exchange counter?
I usually bring some euros from home for emergencies but prefer ATM withdrawals. Germany has solid banking infrastructure and I always get fair rates with my Wise card at ATMs, especially Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank. Avoid the exchange counters at the airport unless you really need €20 for transport or snacks - their rates are consistently bad.
Just landed - wondering what gives the better rate in Germany: ATM withdrawal or airport exchange counter?
I exchanged $100 at the Munich airport just to have something on hand and lost about 10% instantly. The rate was way worse than what I saw on Google. Two hours later I used an ATM in the city center (Sparkasse) and even with the €5 fee, I got a better overall rate. Next time I’m skipping the airport exchange entirely unless I’m totally stuck.
Used my Revolut card to withdraw at a Deutsche Bank ATM right after landing in Berlin. Way better rate than the Travelex booth right next to it, which was charging commission on top of an already low rate. My Revolut withdrawal gave me something very close to mid-market, with a tiny fee. Would recommend skipping the exchange desk completely.
I landed in Frankfurt and checked both options out of curiosity. The exchange counter at the airport was offering something like 0.86 EUR/USD, while my bank's rate via ATM was around 0.93 after the fee. Huge difference. I withdrew €300 from a Commerzbank ATM using my Schwab card and got a way better deal than what the counter was offering, even after the €4 ATM fee.