Foreign currency tip for folks going on holiday

[Rotty]

Most folks know that Travelex offer best rate when pre booked

For US$ they are 1.9222

which is better than M+S , post office etc

The only one which is generally better is

http://www.thomasexchangeglobal.co.uk/

They are offering $1.95 which is a fantastic rate but they require you to pay by bacs transfer and fax copy of passport, driving licence and utility bill and it takes a few days, all far too much hassle


so book through Travelex ( you pay by debit card and collect at airport ) and then email their customer services and tell them of the Thomas Global rate

They will then refund the difference thus getting you $1.95 and no hassle

Just done it myself, absolute doddle

 

[eggyoke]

Hmmm interesting. I'm going away soon so I'll check this out, cheers!

For a moment there I thought the link said something else

 

[GuruJockStrap]

I wish the Euro exchange rate was like that

 

[The_blue]

That is a good tip

We were watching all the n00bs buying euros at the airport. We walked up with our prebooking slip and got a far better deal

One bloke behind got quite angry that he was getting the worse rate

 

[jamoor]

More of a doddle just to take money out from an ATM, they charged me $0.99 per withdrawl, though.
Very cheap, convenient and easy.

 

[Tefal]

who else read it as tom a sexchange ?

 

[me227]

More of a doddle just to take money out from an ATM, they charged me $0.99 per withdrawl, though.
Very cheap, convenient and easy.

Surely it depends on what the rate is?

Taking foreign currency out of the ATM usually doesn't have the best rate.

 

[jamoor]

Surely it depends on what the rate is?

Taking foreign currency out of the ATM usually doesn't have the best rate.

I use nationwide, they have always given me a top rate, usually ever so slightly less than XE.com
e.g. I went to US and the rate on xe was 1.98 and I got 1.97

 

[platypus]

who else read it as tom a sexchange ?

Almost, all I saw was sex change.

Which doesn't really surprise me in a Rotty thread !

 

[dadofsam]

In Poland I found the cash machines giving me a great rate,
Also, whilst on the currency topic, should i buy Euros now or shall i wait a few weeks till my holiday as am sure the news reported they are going to change for the worse soon?

 

[Kyle009]

I wish i had the need to change my money into dollars I want to go to Vegas this summer

 

[gumbald]

I use nationwide, they have always given me a top rate, usually ever so slightly less than XE.com
e.g. I went to US and the rate on xe was 1.98 and I got 1.97

Yeah, always got a good rate and no charge using my Nationwide card!

 

[Rotty]

Yeah, always got a good rate and no charge using my Nationwide card!

no good in some places though, in Vegas the charges made by the ATM operators ruin that as a plan ( unless you are very, very selective about which machines you use )

also there are risks in taking a card as only means, you could lose it or the bank could block it if they see a lot of transactions

 

[Kell_ee001]

who else read it as tom a sexchange ?

Yes.

 

[gumbald]

no good in some places though, in Vegas the charges made by the ATM operators ruin that as a plan ( unless you are very, very selective about which machines you use )

also there are risks in taking a card as only means, you could lose it or the bank could block it if they see a lot of transactions

Suppose it might be different in US, never had problems with it in Spain. Don't use it day-to-day either, take plenty out at a time.

 

[Ben M]

who else read it as tom a sexchange ?

 

[POB]

If you warn the bank prior to going, I have never had any issue with nationwide abroad.

Once spent just over $2000 in one transaction and it was authorised quicker then it takes in the UK

Nationwide is awesome, much less hassle then changing money and I can decide how much I want when I'm there.

 

[jamoor]

no good in some places though, in Vegas the charges made by the ATM operators ruin that as a plan ( unless you are very, very selective about which machines you use )

also there are risks in taking a card as only means, you could lose it or the bank could block it if they see a lot of transactions

If you lose it, then you're screwed, I usually take a few hundered £ sterling just in case, I also take credit cards and don't carry them around with me.

Call the bank before you go and they won't block it .

 

[Rotty]

Call the bank before you go and they won't block it .

In theory yes, had mine blocked ( not nationwide ) even after telling them in advance