accessing US cash on the pilgrimage?

[Alan Harris]

My experience with using credit cards at ATM machines on the Camino is that
it was safe, efficient and sensible-Allan M.Harris

 -----Original Message-----
From:   Road to Santiago Pilgrimage [mailto:GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU]  On Behalf
Of Sarah Leiser
Sent:   Tuesday, February 25, 2003 12:43 PM
To:     GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
Subject:        Re: accessing US cash on the pilgrimage?

>Question for anyone who's done the Camino:
>
>How do you get $ in Spain from your U.S. bank account?
>When I lived in Valencia in 1993, I simply put in my regular checking
>ATM card in the bank ATM below my flat, and presto, the requested number
>of pesetas popped out.  The equivalent amount in dollars (at the best
>daily rate of exchange I ever saw!) was then subtracted from my U.S.
>checking account.
>It was very convenient not carrying months' worth of cash or traveller's
>cheques.  And I never had to go to compare daily rates of exchange or
>worry about fees (since the ATM was on the network of my ATM card (PLUS
>& Interlink) )
>
>Is this possible on the Road to Santiago?
>
>What are people's experiences with traveller's cheques or ATM cards or
>large amounts of cash?  How can we be safe?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Pi Ware & Susan Kraker
>Honeymooning on the Camino in May

I havn't done the camino yet, but will. My experience this past Nov/Dec in
Belgium with travellers checks in EUROS was that the banks would not cash
them!!  There is a wonderful web site which tells you everything, stage be
stage, stop by stop, including all the hostels, what you find in the town
by way of where to eat, what stores there are, and where the ATM machines
are. The website is:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es. It's in Spanish, but Google will
translate it for you, tho' the translation is a bit odd in places. My
checking account will charge me $5[!!] for each transaction, so I will use
my regular MasterCard, I think. Have fun!  Sarah