Just a note about credit cards in Spain, I think AMEX is geting a bad rap from some of you. I used my AMEX card every where even on the autopista to pay the toll. Another note the clerks/waiters in Spain do not know if they take your brand of credit card. They take it, try it and then come back and shake their head. So you just give them another one. It is important to have two credit cards with pin #s and you don't need to carry hardly any cash because you can get more at any corner.

I agree with Salabagirl regarding not having to carry cash. When my husband and I were still "dating", I traveled to Spain FREQUENTLY (meaning 3-4 times a year) and vice versa for him.

Since our trips were always short, (weekend, 4 or 5 day stays) it was a real hassle to continue to get travelers cheques, etc. So, I just kept a 2000 pta bill tucked in my wallet as well as a few coins and then had my ATM card on my. It was easy to get money from the cajeros automaticos and I was never too concerned about being mugged since I didn´t travel with much cash on hand.

With regards to AMEX, I have had the opposite experience. When traveling with a friend, she opted to bring an AMEX card, I stuck with the trusty VISA. She was sold on the "everywhere you want to be" slogan. When we got to Spain, she miserably found that her AMEX was not accepted in 50% of the places she wanted to use it (restaurants, hostal, etc.). However, that was a good 11 years ago, so certainly things may have changed. Just thought I´d post a few EUROS worth!

The reason why American Express cards as not so widely taken in Spain is because they charge nearly twice the commission Visa or Mastercard charges. If a shop wants to take them, they have to sign another contract with American Express and their bank will enable the TPV so that it can take also AMEX cards.

I'm not saying AMEX are not good cards because I don't know what they offer. They might be wonderful for their bearers but they are not for shopkeepers who get charged much more when allowing their customers to use it.

BTW, I forgot to say that Spain has the highest ATM per person ratio in Europe so unless you are in a small village, you shouldn't have problems finding one.

Hey Antonio! I live in a small village (El Espinar) and there are at least 3 ATMs here!! And that does not include the ATMs that are in San Rafael, and San Rafael de Los Angeles...which are also considered part of El Espinar!



[ 01-13-2002: Message edited by: Chica ]

I've had an AMEX card for many years as well as VISA. I can recall a number of times both in the US & overseas when the AMEX card was not accepted for payment whereas there's never been a problem with VISA.
A while back I was told that establishments that accepted AMEX had to wait longer for payment from American Express and in addition a higher (than VISA or MC) commission was deducted.

madridmanjim writes: There are more details that everyone should know. If you're like me, going in "cold" and not knowing what to do or where to go.... I tried it and this is what I found out:

While in Madrid a couple weeks ago, my ladyfriend and I went to three banks (Caja Madrid, Caixa, Banco de Santander) and they all told me the same thing. First, I went said police station on a Tuesday... Got there late, knowing it opened at 9am. I arrived at 10:30am. I saw a line outside the police station door about 20 people long and thought, "Oh No... I'll be here awhile." Then, I got to the end of the line and glanced across the street where, waiting impatiently, about 150 other foreigners were curving their way into a long, snakelike line that must have been the length of an "American" football field.

I waited at the end of the line for about 25 minutes and it didn't move. I left and vowed to get up early the next morning and get there long before the 9am opening time. SO I DID. Got up at 5am, took my time getting ready on a rainy Wednesday, took the metro, found my way (it had stopped raining, thank god) and arrived at about 8:30am, thinking I was just fine.

BUY MY GOD!! The line seemed longer than the day before!!! I got in line at 8:30am and made it HALFWAY through the line in just a little more than 2 hours!! I was only wearing a shirt and pullover sweater and it was cloudy and windy, MUCH colder than the day before. I waited for 2 hours, SHIVERING, and had to PEE like crazy!! I just couldn't take it anymore and dragged my butt away from the line in which I had suffered for the previous 2 hours and estimated I would have had to wait for at least one more hour to get in the building... where there was another line.

I went to the nearest café, sat at the bar, almost in tears (really!), ordered TWO café con leches, used the restroom, had some porras with the coffee, and was totally down, totally depressed, thinking I would never be able to get a bank account and establish my "presence" in Spain, something useful/necessary if I wanted to someday in the near future live/work there legally.

I told my story to a few people and BAM! Apparently I told my sob story to the RIGHT person because THAT RIGHT PERSON (sorry, I can't tell you who this person was or how I know this person), took me the next morning, armed with ONLY my passport, to a large Spanish bank where this mystery person introduced me to a friend who worked at the bank, a manager, and that manager allowed me to open a bank account with the bank. Now I have a bank account, internet account access, and only deposited 20€ upfront!

Yes. I was very, VERY, EXTEMELY fortunate to have told the right person and totally by chance. 99% of the people aren't so lucky and I've never been so lucky before (THAT'S for sure!). And please don't ask me to introduce you to this mystery person for the same favor. I can't do it.

But at least NOW you know what one has to go through to open bank account if you're foreign and don't have a company (or lawyer) to get you the required paperwork for you.

In 1999, I thought it would be simpler to attempt opening an account with a Citibanc and/or Barclays bank, but they both told me the same (they may have changed their rules since): I can NOT open a bank account at these banks UNLESS I can depost something crazy like $5,000 upfront and this has to be the minimum balance at all times in order to keep the account active. BUT, I could have done this with only my passport. Again, maybe they've changed this policy in the last couple of years. I don't know.

Good luck. And good patience. You'll need both.

Saludos, MadridMan

I am spending this summer in Spain...is there really a $5 charge each time I withdraw money at an ATM??? I was aware there might be a charge, but $5 seems like a lot!! I was told to use the ATMs because you generally get a better exchange rate than if you were going to a bank to exchange currencies.

MM?? Do you know if it would have been easier to open an account with your ladyfriend, since she is a resident? The reason why I ask, is because, when I move there, I would definitely open the account with my Spaniard name on it, So would you or anyone know the answer to this??? Thanks
LittleWing

LittleWing, our first hope was to open a joint account, but according to the bankers this was an impossibility since I wasn't a resident. Our only option was for me to open an account alone but WITH a CERTIFICADO DE NO RESIDENCIA. Sorry.

kelar419, I seriously doubt there's a $5 charge everytime you withdraw money from an ATM. I think it's a percentage rate, but MUCH lower than that you'd pay if you were to exchange traveler's checks. UPDATE: I just checked my current bank statement online. On 4/5/02, I withdrew 100€. At TODAY'S exchange rate, 100€ = $88.6 US. My bank statement shows the 100€ withdrawl as $89.14. So really, the fee is very very little (depending on your bank/card, I'd guess), less than $1 US per transaction. It's also been stated in this forum that when using an ATM debit card from a US credit union (nearly all of them), there is absolutely NO transaction fee when withdrawing cash in foreign countries.

I've mentioned this before but think it's worth repeating- some credit cards charge 2% for purchases made outside the U.S. American Express is famous for this. You don't notice the charge because they slip it into the exchange conversion. Check with your credit card company before going overseas- another reason to go with the credit union!