> If you have an account with American Express and access to one of there offices you can buy currency before you travel. Not as inexpensive as an ATM but much cheaper than the transaction you described. I usually purchase $100 worth of the currency of the country in which my I'm arriving. Simply for peace of mind. Then I use ATM's from there on out.

Ditto.

And John, your rundown on Spanish Literature was terrific... I'm not sure which file to save it in: Literature or Travel. I think I'll put it in the Lit file. Thank you very much; other than Garcia Lorca and Cervantes, I was unfamiliar with nearly every author and work you mentioned. I appreciate having the door opened to Spanish literature. Thanks again, Debbie