Where to Get Local Currency, What It Costs and the One Question That Trips Everybody Up
In 10 Seconds
No. Skip the hometown bank and absolutely skip the airport kiosk.
Use an ATM attached to a real bank once you land, and you will get the actual going rate.
When a card machine asks if you want to be charged in US dollars, always say no and choose local currency.
Carry a little cash for taxis, tips, and the bakery that has been cash only since 1962.
People ask me this every single week, and I know we covered a piece of it under Before You Go, but it deserves its own corner.
The airport kiosk with the blinking sign that says NO FEES? Sweet friends, there is always a fee. It is just baked into a rate so bad it would make your grandmother clutch her pearls. Your hometown bank is not much better, and they will want three days notice to order currency you did not need in the first place.
Here is what actually works. Land, find an ATM attached to a real bank inside the terminal or in town, and pull out local currency. Skip the standalone machines sitting in the corner of a souvenir shop next to the snow globes. Those are not your friends.
Before you go, tell your bank where you are headed so they do not freeze your card the first time you buy a croissant. While you have them, ask whether they refund foreign ATM fees. Some do, and nobody ever tells you.
Now, the one that trips up almost everybody. When you pay with a card and the machine asks if you want to be charged in US dollars or the local currency, always choose local. That helpful little offer to do the math for you costs three to five percent every single swipe.
💰 Jani’s Tip: Tuck a hundred dollars US somewhere separate from your wallet. Not for spending. For the day that goes sideways.
XOXO, Jani ❤️
Updated August 2026
Exchange rates, ATM fees, and bank policies change constantly. Check with your own bank before you travel.
Related Articles
Money Matters, Cash, Credit Cards & Foreign Currency
Journeys With Jani: Traveler’s Handbook 
Leave a comment