Frommer's Portugal 18th Edition - Asociación de Amigos de Portugal ...

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CHAPTER 2 . PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO PORTUGAL
ATMS
The easiest and best way to get cash
away from home is from an ATM.
The Cirrus (& 800/424-7787 in the
U.S.; www.mastercard.com) and
PLUS (& 800/843-7587 in the
U.S.; www.visa.com) networks span
the globe; look at the back of your
bank card to see which network
you’re on, and then call or check
online for ATM locations at your
destination. Be sure you know your
personal identification number (PIN)
before you leave home, and be sure to
find out your daily withdrawal limit
before you depart. Also keep in mind
that many banks impose a fee every
time a card is used at a different
bank’s ATM, and that fee can be
higher for international transactions
(up to $5 or more) than for domestic
ones (where they’re rarely more than
$1.50). On top of this, the bank from
which you withdraw cash might
charge its own fee. To compare banks’
ATM fees within the U.S., use
www.bankrate.com. For international
withdrawal fees, ask your bank.
You can also get cash advances on
your credit card at an ATM. Keep in
mind that credit card companies try to
protect themselves from theft by limiting
the funds cardholders can withdraw
outside their home country, so
call your credit card company before
you leave home.
If you have a PIN and a Visa, MasterCard,
or EuroCard, you can head for
the main office of Unicre-Unibanco,
Avenida Antonio Augusto de Aguiar
122, 1050-019 Lisbon (& 21/350-
9500). ATMs are in a generally secure
area that’s accessible 24 hours a day
from the sidewalk. Some branches also
have ATMs.
If you have an American Express card
and a PIN, you can use almost any
ATM in Portugal, including the Unicre-
Unibanco location listed above.
Machines are usually reliable, but it’s
best to have a backup system for getting
cash in case the ATMs in Portugal can’t
decipher the numbers on your card.
If you want to get cash as a debit
against your American Express account,
consult Amex’s Portuguese representative,
Top Tours (see “American Express”
in “Fast Facts: Portugal,” later in this
chapter). Bring your Amex card, a
photo ID or passport, and one of your
personal checks drawn on virtually any
bank in the world.
TRAVELER’S CHECKS
Traveler’s checks are something of an
anachronism from the days before the
ATM made cash accessible at any time.
Traveler’s checks used to be the only
sound alternative to traveling with dangerously
large amounts of cash. They
were as reliable as currency but, unlike
cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen.
These days, traveler’s checks are less
necessary because most cities have 24hour
ATMs that allow you to withdraw
small amounts of cash as needed.
However, keep in mind that you will
likely be charged an ATM withdrawal
fee if the bank is not your own, so if
you’re withdrawing money every day,
you might be better off with traveler’s
checks—provided that you don’t mind
showing identification every time you
want to cash one.
Tips
Small Change
When you change money, ask for some small bills or loose change. Petty
cash will come in handy for tipping and public transportation. Consider
keeping the change separate from your larger bills so that it’s readily
accessible and you’ll be less of a target for theft.