Hi All,

We will be going to Madrid from Australia in a few weeks and was wondering if the Spanish ATM's accept Maestro cards. We have a card that we use to withdraw money from which is not a credit card...it has the Maestro logo on it...will this work in Spain?

thanking you in advance,
Dimmy

Hi Dimmy

Yes, both Maestro and Cirrus logos work in ATM's in Spain I used my debit card which has both these symbols on.

If you do a search on the board, I think this has been talked about quite a lot, although not very recently if my memory serves me correctly.

Just don't do what I did and go without remembering your pin number! Trying to get money from a bank without a pin number is seriously difficult (as I suppose it should be). A passport was no help. The only place that would finally give me any money was the Caja Madrid, the huge one sort of round the back of El Corte Ingles off Puerto del Sol. (This particular incident was with a credit card, not a debit card).

But yes, your card with the Maestro symbol on will be fine.

Jo

Thanks so much Joanne...I just didn't know whether I should transfer my cash into my credit card, debit card or travellers cheques...perhaps a combination of all three may be the go?

cheers
Nadim

For what it's worth, I took credit card (that I could get cash with) and traveller's cheques last summer and only used the traveller's cheques to get money at the airport. And that was only becaused I panicked when I didn't see an ATM right away. Of course as soon as I came through the doors in Barajas where you walk out after collecting your luggage, there were ATMS everywhere!

In short, I didn't really need to have traveller's cheques. Though having a few in case you can't find a working ATM is probably a good idea. Last summer there was a one-day general strike while I was there and the strikers had put stickers and other impediments over the screens at ATMS rendering them essentially useless. While I found it mildly annoying, I was actually more impressed with it as an impressive tactic and way to get people's attention (I think they were protesting that banks and other establishments stayed upon during the general strike).

A long-winded answer to your question! Sorry!

Thanks Liz...the more information the better! Someone told me that you have to be careful whilst withdrawing money as pick pockets tend to hang around and wait around...any truth behind this?

The (probably unhelpful) answer is that it depends. I certainly tried to pay VERY close attention to my surroundings whenever I was withdrawing money. I also tried to make withdrawls in non-touristy areas--i.e. I didn't withdraw money at Sol, Plaza Mayor, around the Prado or around the American Express office in Madrid. The Calle Serrano (which runs parallel to the Paseo de Castellana) is a fairly pricey shopping area that is somewhat off the tourist beat without being too far removed--I tended to use ATMs there a good bit.

I was lucky, too, in that there was a nice ATM right across the street from my hotel (Hotel Plaza Mayor) that was actually inside the entryway area to the bank office (the bank office was on the Plaza Santa Cruz at the top of C/Atocha)--so I felt somewhat safer actually being inside and not out on the street. However, it wasn't always open, so I couldn't withdraw $ there on the weekends.

Thanks again for the information...you're a very helpful person indeed. If you use MSN messenger, please add me...I'd like to talk more...(alkemist2000@hotmail.com)

all the best,
N