This is the first I've heard about a debit card with euros on it? Can I get that at a local bank? I don't think there is enough to time to order one and expect delivery before I start travelling. Wish I knew about this before!
I've got Visa and Master Card already though, so if it's a debit card like that then it won't help me much more than what I have. My thing is I don't want to wait too long in ATM lines, especially if they break down or become empty.
If you go to your local Travelex they can set you up with one. Just go up to the window, tell them you want one with Euros on it and how much. They will then be able to transfer that money onto a card at the exchange rate that it is on that day. My memory is a bit rusty but I think I got my card and everything the same day, if not long after. They give you a card, instructions and a PIN, then you go online to change it to your own PIN or something. If you go over a certain amount you will get more for your money. To get an idea you should expect to get 3 cents per dollar less than what is advertised on the TV in finance news (as they put up the average, not the buying price) or up to 6c if you only put on a small amount.
Doing it this way you'll save on exchange fees, if you buy at the right time you will save more money, and if you run out of money on the card you can do phone banking to put more funds on it. It is seriously the most hassle-free way of doing it. If you do this and get like $100 more in cash money at the airport on the day you leave you'll be set.
My only warning is that some devious shop owners might ask if you want to "change it into" their currency to try and squeeze more money out of your card by changing it back to $US then back into euros, but I only ever experienced this sort of thing in the UK.
Anyway, like I already mentioned, if you estimate an amount you will want to play with and get it out in Hamburg you may even walk out of the festival with change as I did. If you stick to the metal markets, the camping grounds and the streets of Wacken itself there's no reason you should pay rediculous amounts of money on anything except fuel, basically. Trust me, unless you plan to purchase a new wardrobe then 300 euros is plenty for everything.
P.S. just incase you haven't been warned: 8 beers is 4L (or a gallon?) so you may not want 3 square meals per day anyway
At least at festivals. I wouldn't worry about missing any bands though. Unless you plan on seeing every other band, there'll be time to check out the supermarket. Especially in the mornings - I don't think bands start until what, 10 or 11am or so? Something like that. Even later on Wednesday.
