The Cheapest Way to Spend Overseas Discussion Area

Aletank

Use the Nationwide card!! I remember not so long back I was in Amsterdam, the best high street rate was 1.39Euros and i withdrew cash on my card and got 1.46
Here's the Visa Exchange rate web site which shows the rate you will get from Nationwide card, Don't forget to put 0 in the % box!! http://www.corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_ex_rates.jsp

eeja

hi aletank
Right and wrong !
Yes you will probably get the best rate from N/W.
Probably only...as the rate from M&S is a one off fixed rate. Use other cards and you will get the rate of the day you use the card .ie Say the pound is high and you buy at M&S then by the time you get overseas the pound has dropped substantially...you will get a far worse rate wherever / however you change money.
Compare like with like however and N/W is tops as they claim they are non profit making .

pin

Have a look at this thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=201733

smiffy

Thanks to the original poster. I've just been shopping around for some AUD $$$ and TravelEx have just got my business. I've only spent £835 where everybody else wanted £850 - so thats a £15 saving.

eeja

There is another factor involved which unfortunately only experienced travellers know namely local conditions.
If you change sterling cash at banks in Thailand you get a terrible rate. Travellers cheques give the best rates there at banks. DO NOT TAKE THIS AS A RULE. In Hong Kong it's the exact reverse ! The moral : every country has its quirks..take Myanmar or Lao...oh no..wont go into that !!

u2o

thanks all - and when asked if i want to pay in euros or pounds i choose euros yeh?

pin

u2o wrote:

thanks all - and when asked if i want to pay in euros or pounds i choose euros yeh?

Spot on!! Yep make sure you pay in local currency if using your Nationwide card.

u2o

cheers - you've all been thanked

alison74

Aletank wrote:

Use the Nationwide card!! I remember not so long back I was in Amsterdam, the best high street rate was 1.39Euros and i withdrew cash on my card and got 1.46
Here's the Visa Exchange rate web site which shows the rate you will get from Nationwide card, Don't forget to put 0 in the % box!! http://www.corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_ex_rates.jsp

Do you really get these rates ? I know NW is good, but some of the rates seem more like the xe.com rate i.e not what you would realistically get.

I am very interested as I will solely be using my card from next week for a few months in China, Laos, Thailand etc

For example M&S rate for Chinese Yuan today is 13.96, but visa rate is 14.69.

I am just curious as out of all the NW threads I have read before, I have never seen the rate link.

Could you just confirm this for me that I have picked it up right ? I will email myself the link and use it when I am away - thanks !

alison74

Ooops, forgot to subscribe to the thread .............