RFI: Is it even possible to exchange currency cheaply?

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Here's the situation, if anyone has any ideas it'd be great.

I am going to rent a room in another country for 3 months, and I'm supposed to show up from the airport (flying in on a Sunday, so no banks open) with my first month's rent in hand. I therefore need to get this money in euros, and since it's such a large sum for me, I would really like to avoid paying 10% commission on exchanging at the airport like I did last time I traveled. On the other hand, my bank told me that a lot of ATMs have restrictions on how much cash you can take out per day, so I'm afraid I won't be able to withdraw the full amount for rent from an ATM. Is there some cheap way to get around this, or should I just suck it up and consider my first month's rent 10% higher than I thought? Thanks for any suggestions.

― Maria, Monday, 10 September 2007 21:10 (eighteen years ago)

what about those currency exchange places that are in a bunch of sketchy malls and such?

― Will M., Monday, 10 September 2007 21:25 (eighteen years ago)

Withdraw from more than one ATM? Because that's really by far the best way to exchange currency in my experience (not great, mind you, just a few trips to Canada).

The currency exchanges are totally sketch. In Montreal, a grizzled man who wouldn't allow my fluent but imperfectly accented girlfriend to speak French actually haggled about the rate with me at one of those.

― en i see kay, Monday, 10 September 2007 21:30 (eighteen years ago)

Check with your bank. Mine (BofA) doesn't charge for foreign currency. You can even order it on-line. There is a charge for foreign currency traveler's checks though.

― Jaq, Monday, 10 September 2007 21:31 (eighteen years ago)

purchase in the us. you'll lose 3-5% but that's a better option than any of the above.

aka jaq otm

― jergïns, Monday, 10 September 2007 22:39 (eighteen years ago)

charge yr credit card? here it's a very good exchange rate.

― stevienixed, Monday, 10 September 2007 22:43 (eighteen years ago)

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