Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
Best way to buy Euros with USD while in the United States?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
Planning your move to Spain?
Get the free step-by-step roadmap used by 10,000+ expats — covering visas, budget, housing, and the mistakes to avoid.
Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“NEVER exchange at the airport. Use your US ATM card at a bank in Europe. You will get the most favorable exchange rate. Agree with others that most places take CC’s but very few take Amex. Make sure your card has no int’l transaction fees and when presented with a choice of being billed in euros or dollars, always choose Euros. Good luck”
“Honestly I use Nextdoor (tons of people come and go) OR I trade with others in person when I get back, I do not buy from the scummy banks if I can avoid it”
“You can open a Wise account online and start converting USD to Euros and saving them there. The upside is the conversion rate & fees are great. The downside is… no interest accrued. Now, note they are not insured, but read their disclosure on their site. I felt safe enough to store enough Euros there in anticipation of upcoming travel. Nice to take advantage of that parity exchange rate.”
“I have found that the ING bank atm has been giving me the best conversion with no fees (compared to the 7€ from Banco Santander). I have a credit union in the US, I’m not sure that makes a difference”
Not sure which city is right for you?
Compare cost of living, weather, expat community size, and lifestyle across 13 Spanish cities in our free guide.
Explore Cities →Useful links:
- Here are our recommended immigration & tax experts
- These are Spainguru’s recommended health insurances for NLV application and medical certificates
- Spainguru’s recommended sworn translators
- Best health insurance for visiting the U.S.
- Join Spainguru’s Facebook group (16K+ members)
- Join Spainguru’s NLV Facebook group
- Join Spainguru’s Digital Nomad Visa Facebook group
- Join our NLV whatsapp group for quick community advice
- Spainguru’s Resources page (70+ services)
- Share your story on Spainguru
- Sign up for our weekly Newsletter
Get your free step-by-step Spain move plan
10 emails over 2 weeks covering visas, budget, housing & the mistakes to avoid.
Join 10,000+ expats who used this roadmap.
100% free · No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime
