Reasonable fees for wires are $ 25. In these cases, you should get the exact exchange rate. However, the receiving bank will impose a fee to receive the money, usually $ 10-20. So this is worth while for large sums.
With checks drawn on a foreign bank (with Euros, make sure it is in the same country, not just any European country), all fees are up-front. Reasonable is $ 15, but you also pay a 3-5% "premium" on the exchange rate. For small amounts, this is cheaper.
Another way Hilary Stone accepts is American Express traveler's checks. Those can be exchanged in Europe for a fee of only 1.5-2%, and you get the exact exchange rate.
So it never is cheap.
Jan Heine, Seattle
>In a message dated 1/13/03 8:10:03 PM Pacific Standard Time,
>heine@mindspring.com writes:
>
>>Paying in Euros: There is no easy way. Banks charge huge fees these
>>days. And even within Europe, you cannot send checks across borders.
>>So I have friends and family in various countries who keep little
>>accounts for me. When the money is gone, I send a lump-sum, making
>>the bank fees more tolerable.
>>
>
>
>I've been wiring US$ to Italy for a $42 fee (at Wells Fargo). Today
>someone told me I could wire Euros for a $22 fee. The exchange rate
>was 1.0934. I haven't checked to see if I got screwed on the rate or
>not. I'll find out tomorrow if the $22 was the only fee.
>Stevan Thomas
>Alameda, CA