Local Tip
Spanish rules make a cash machine show any fee and let you cancel before it pays out, so read the screen before you accept. If a cash machine or till gives you a choice of pounds or euros, pick euros.
Where to change money in Tenerife
In Spain, cash is changed by banks and exchange businesses, which the Banco de España supervises, and each sets its own rate and commission, so ask for the final euro sum before you hand over pounds. The tourist board says offices in the resorts will change money on sight of your passport, and that hotels can also give you euros.
- Best and Fast Change España, Tenerife South Airport - The only exchange provider on Aena's list, with an arrivals office open 7:00 to 23:00 and a boarding-area office open 9:00 to 18:00. No rates are published, so ask what you will receive in euros first.
- Euronet and Banca March cash machines, Tenerife South Airport - Five Euronet machines and one Banca March, most of them around arrivals, taking Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express.
- La Caixa and Euronet cash machines, Tenerife North Airport - Both stand in the arrivals hall. Aena names no exchange office at the north airport, so plan to use a card there.
Changing money at the airport
Visitors to Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje land at Tenerife South (TFS), reached by the TF-1 motorway; the tourist board puts it 18 km from Los Cristianos and 20 km from Costa Adeje. Tenerife North (TFN), near La Laguna, is closer to Puerto de la Cruz.
TITSA buses leave from the arrivals floor at TFS: line 40 serves Los Cristianos and the Costa Adeje bus station, night line 711 runs from Santa Cruz via the airport to Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje, and line 343 links the two airports non-stop in about 50 minutes. As a guide only, Aena's north-airport page gives EUR 9.70 between the airports, EUR 3.70 from TFS to Costa Adeje (Los Cristianos) on line 343 and EUR 4.75 from TFN to Puerto de la Cruz on line 30. Check other fares on TITSA's site.
ATMs and cards in Tenerife
Cash machines are plentiful and most businesses take cards, though the tourist board says some want a minimum of around EUR 6 and may ask for ID. Under Banco de España guidance, a Spanish machine must say whether it charges and how much, then let you back out. The central bank adds that your card issuer and the machine's owner may both charge, and that the rate carries a margin. No bank publishes a set surcharge for UK cards, so go by the screen.
When a terminal or machine lets you choose between pounds and euros, choose euros. Which? warns that paying in pounds lets the retailer pick the exchange rate, while choosing euros leaves it to Visa or Mastercard.
Paying for transport in Tenerife
TITSA, Tenerife's bus company, sells single and return tickets for a bank card or cash; a return saves 10 per cent on trips of 20 km or more. If you pay cash, TITSA caps the sum you may hand the driver at EUR 10, and from 21:00 to 5:30 night buses take the exact fare only.
The tourist travel cards give unlimited bus and tram journeys across the island: EUR 10 for 24 hours from first use, or EUR 50 for seven days. They are loaded on a ten+ card, which costs EUR 2, or on the ten+ mobile app. Airport ticket machines, TITSA bus stations and kiosks sell the card.
Good to know
- Tips are optional in Spain; loose change, or 5 to 10 per cent after a dinner you enjoyed, is plenty.
- The Canaries apply IGIC, with a general rate of 7 per cent, in place of Spain's 21 per cent VAT, and prices on display in bars and restaurants must already include it.
- Banks usually open 8:30 to 14:00 on weekdays, with a few afternoon or Saturday-morning openings from October to June.
- Cash is still common in smaller towns, so carry a few euros alongside your card.
Key Areas in Tenerife
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Tenerife travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Tenerife?
Set any bureau's quote against a card withdrawal, since each provider sets its own rate and commission. In the resorts, bring your passport and ask for the final euro sum. At Tenerife South, Best and Fast Change has desks in arrivals and the boarding area.
Can I pay by card on Tenerife buses?
Yes. TITSA takes bank cards or cash for single and return tickets. With cash, keep notes small: the most you can hand the driver is EUR 10, and night buses want the exact fare. The one-day and seven-day tourist cards cover buses and the tram.
Which cash machines are at Tenerife's airports?
Tenerife South has five Euronet machines and one Banca March; Tenerife North has La Caixa and Euronet in its arrivals hall. Read any fee on screen and choose euros if asked.
Checked October 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: Aena · TITSA · Tenerife tourist board (webtenerife.co.uk) · Banco de España · Which? · Canarian Weekly
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