In many cases, lost or stolen traveler's checks can be replaced in 24 hours or less. Some U.S. banks even will give its customers traveler's checks without charging a commission, though American Express, perhaps the most popular issuer of traveler's checks, charges holders of its credit cards 1 percent of the amount issued and noncard holders 2 percent. Travel's Booth said. And he gets it at ATMs. I just pop my card in there and out pops the money.
ATMs are easy to find all over Europe in such places as airports and banks.
The Cirrus system, run by Mastercard, has 250,000 affiliated ATMs in Europe and charges nothing for a transaction, said Mastercard executive Marrill Halpern. Make sure, though, that you know your PIN, or personal identification number, before you leave home. You'll have to use it to obtain cash from a machine, Halpern said. If you don't want to stand in line at an airport ATM upon arrival, have a little of the local currency with you when you leave the United States. You can order foreign money from your bank or an institution such as American Express.