RETURNED
STUDENTS' COMMENTS ABOUT BANKING SERVICES AVAILABLE |
ARGENTINA |
• Exchange
rate favorable for U.S. dollars. ( 1 US: 3 pesos) |
BRAZIL |
• They
have the worst bank services. • Traveller's
checks are extremely hard to cash and not widely
accepted. ATMS are the best choice. • Exchange
rate good and have many ATMs. • Exchange
rate is favorable for those with dollars. |
CANADA |
U
Alberta: • Multiple
ATMs available, but not all connect to U.S.
bank so conversion fees charged. |
CHINA |
Shijiazhuang: • Banking
with a debit card is very inconvenient. The
school is not in an urban setting so some
things (transportation, banks, medical services)
are inconvenient. Chinese government/bureaucratic
sanctions inconvenient. • ATMs not
in Shijiazhuang. Banks will give cash advance
on credit cards, sometimes on check cards. |
COSTA
RICA |
• Bank
lines are really long on Mondays and Fridays.• Banco
Nacional was the most accurate bank for ATM
use. Banco de Costa Rica wouldn’t accept
my Bank of America Visa check card for ATM,
I used it for cash advances inside the banks. • Be
prepared to wait in line at the bank. • Banking
hours are inconvenient-the school could have
helped more with that.• Make
sure you bring a good amount of money on you
because ATMs are a little tough to find if
you need funds from an institution here. • Dollars
are accepted but get bad exchange rate (best
rates at banks). • Banks closed on Saturdays. |
ECUADOR |
• Find
ATM machines in more respectable part of Quito.
Some ATMs run out of money and a refund with
a failed transaction is impossible. • Take
plenty of small bills. Large bills and travelers’ checks
are difficult to change. |
EGYPT |
• You
can't have a bank account unless you are 21
and going to be here for longer then 3 months.
But as far as ATM's go, you just have to walk
around and find ones, the fees aren't too bad,
but you need to tell your bank that you're
out of the country. Oh and if you exchange
money or travelers checks, the people working
there rip you off and short change your money.
They skim off an extra fee for themselves,
so you should just stick to the ATM to get
L.E. |
GUATEMALA |
Quetzeltenango: • Be
careful with traveller's check since banks
are very picky about the way you sign your
name. |
|
|
| ITALY |
• Make
sure your ATM works at international locations. |
JAPAN
|
• Usable
ATMs for American banks are very limited. • Make
sure that you have cash money when you arrive!
Many of the stores will not take traveler's
check.
|
KOREA
|
• Financial
system and processing is extremely slow.
|
MEXICO
|
Playa
de Carmen: • ...
money exchange was convenient.
Cuauhnahuac
(Cuernavaca): • ... currency
exchange provided on campus. • ...
options terrible. • School provides
money exchange during the week so no need
to use bank. Fenix: • Withdraw
a lot when using ATM to avoid multiple fees
and take credit card as backup. • Could
have used guide to hours banks (and post
offices) are open. • ... paid tuition
with traveler's check when I arrived, but
carried ATM care and took out money from
local bank as needed. • Be careful
with banks since my credit card number was
stolen by a bank worker.
ICO
(Oaxaca): • Traveller's
checks hard to cash in the area.
|
NETHERLANDS
|
Utrecht: • On
your own to set up bank account.
|
SPAIN
|
• Bring
plenty of Euros to get by for one month.
Open a foreign bank account (Barclays) to
avoid fees. • Bad exchange rates. • Buy
currency before you go. • ATMs
will take debit cards, but remember
that ATMs charge fees.• The
only way to use traveler's checks is to open
a bank account and swap them.
|
UK
(England, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
|
• ATM
fees can add up quickly.
|
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Last
Updated:
Friday, 11-Sep-2009 15:30:32 MDT |
