Hello Everyone,
I am walking the Camino Portugues this upcoming September and the length of time I have planned out for this is 14 days. I live in America, how many euros should I get at my local bank to bring with me and how easy is it to get more cash along the way once I start my Camino from either an atm or bank along the way? I have VISA by the way not sure if that makes a difference. I heard cash is King along this pilgrimage but you also do not want to carry all your cash for your total time in case of it getting lost or stolen, god forbid it were to happen.
As
@trecile notes, credit cards are now far more acceptable throughout Portugal and Spain. You will of course need cash for many smaller purchases (coffees etc), unsure about Portugal but certainly in Spain occasionally you come across minimum purchase amounts for a card, typically 10 euro. It is not unusual for Albergues to want cash, however an increasing number are also accepting card.
There are many threads on this topic: generally speaking most of us recommend carrying €2-300, and topping up when you get down to between €50-100.
Whilst
@trecile is correct, you can get it upon arrival, I personally prefer to always enter a country with some of their cash. On several occasions over the years I have helped people out because for what ever reason their card wouldn't work, the ATM was down, etc. Without cash they couldn't even get to their accommodation. Plus which it's one less thing to worry about when you've just gotten off a flight all tired and frazzled.
One quick tip: whenever possible use an ATM outside a bank during business hours. That way if the machine swallows your card you can get it back quickly!
Oh, and do remember to tell your bank you're traveling! Every year somebody forgets and wonders why their account is frozen. It's because the bank has picked up 'suspicious activity' i.e. a foreign transaction. (Not an issue for most of us from NZ, Australia, Britain due to different security provisions).
You may be aware of this, you may not:
Many ATMs here in Europe now have a
contactless function, meaning you simply put your card against a sensor rather than physically inserting it. (Probably like your local supermarket, tap and go). Reduces risk. Although do not get hustled away quickly by somebody breathing over your shoulder wanting to use the machine, remember to close out the transaction first. That person in a hurry behind you is a scam artist.
When you physically withdraw your card from the machine it automatically closes off the transaction. However the contactless transactions remain open until you proactively log out, meaning if you quickly move away it is still open and somebody can tap on 'further transaction' and withdraw more money.
Bom Caminho!
