Best EURO rate

jeetster

I'm off to Majorca in a few weeks, does anyone know where I can get the best rate at the moment for buying Euros?

Andybez38

You often find you get a far better exchange rate, where your travelling to. I would take sterling and change it over there.

ManAtHome

Just watch out for anywhere offering a higher than average rate - these are normally the places with "only applies to amounts over £2k" in very small print on the sign and whack you with surcharges and commission on anything less.

When I was there a couple of years ago, quite a lot of places (shops and supermarkets as well as bureaux) were changing around bank rate less 3%.

richardw

M&S are pretty good. Personally I just stick my card in the cash machine at the airport. Get £100 pounds worth and pay £1.50 charge and get a good rate.

pin

Have updated my foreign money list:

Hi, Here is my list of top places on how to get money to spend abroad:

1. Nationwide Debit Card for ATM withdrawals from destination country (no foreign loading) / Nationwide Credit Card or the Audi credit card for purchases in destination country (but watch out for Dynamic Currency Conversion) (no foreign loading for purchases, BUT watch charges for cash withdrawals).

2. SAGA credit card (if you are over 50) for purchases in destination country (no foreign loading for European purchases, 1% for rest of the world, no cash withdrawal interest if balance repaid in full BUT 1.5%/£1.50 cash withdrawal fee).

3. Any other debit card for ATM withdrawals from destination country / any other credit card for purchases in destination country (but for both CHECK T&C's to see exact charges).

4. Thomas Exchange Global in central London - pay and pick up at store.

5. Travelex online (remember Travelex will price match any other exchange service, i.e. the one above) -pay online, pick up at airport.

6. Marks and Spencer - pay online or pay and pick up instore.

7. Online FX (using this link ensures free deliver) - pay online, delivery to home.

8. Thomson Travel (they seem to use Amex as their travel money provider) - pay online, delivery to home.

9. Co-op Travel (they use Curreny Express / Exchange and offer free delivery for orders over £300) - pay online, delivery to home.

10. Post Office (while probably not the best rate, there are many of them around, so may be convinient) - pay online, pick up at PO or pay and pick up at PO.

11. Haggle with High Street travel agent (which may ensure better rates than 5 to 9 above) - pay and pick up instore.

With 4 - 11, if you are paying with debit / credit card check your T&C's as many providers charge for the priviledge of using money exchange services.

Here are links to ATM locators: VISA and MasterCard

Also please read Martin's article: Spending Overseas and Loading Technicals

Also look at the these forum threads: Travel Money: The List & The Cheapest Way to Spend Overseas Discussion Area and How to buy TCs and foreign currency

Hope this all helps!!

Fortyfoot

Last week the rate was 1.477e to the £ with the Nationwide cash card.

Fortyfoot

djl

we allways go to the post office

pin

djl wrote:

we allways go to the post office

But why? It doesn't offer the best rate.

budgetflyer

pin wrote:

But why? It doesn't offer the best rate.

Handy when cashing the giro:rotfl:

Slayerx

Are there any sites that can alert me when the exchange rate goes up?

o_t_e

The exchange rate goes up and down on a daily basis - if you want to check how its doing in relation to the last day, 5 days 3 months etc you can do so here:

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=GBP&to=EUR&amt=1&t=5d