accessing US cash on the pilgrimage?

[Liza Van Peski]

Travellers checks were a pain this winter...but a credit card with a credit
balance avoids cash advance fees, and all three in my wallet worked at atm
machines (telebancos) of most banks and there's one almost everywhere. But
remember that on some keypads the numbers are in different order so you have
to type your pin looking at the keypad rather than by feel.
buen camino
Liza just home this week

Sarah Leiser wrote:

> >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