GBP to Lira

ShamA29

Hi all, need some advice.

So I'm going on holiday soon - to Alanya (Antalya Area, Turkey) - and need some advice on GBP to Lira. I will be exchanging £150 in total, as will my 3 mates. Here's my queries:
1a) I've read online that it's better to exchange a small amount here in the UK, and then exchange the majority of it in Turkey. However, a lot of the articles that say this are several years old, so I'm unclear if this is still true as of today.
1b) If the above is still true today, where do I go to convert the money? Are there any tips for which stores to look for?

Thanks in advance guys!

Kentish_Dave

Check the rates there and here, online, and go with the best one...

ShamA29

Kentish_Dave wrote: »

Check the rates there and here, online, and go with the best one...

That's what I'm asking. What do I search to check it there? Whenever I try looking at the rate there, it just shows me the rate here in the UK.

Westin

Personally I wouldn’t bother changing GBP into Lira in the U.K. - or possibly at all.

We have been going to Turkey twice a year for the past four years and have yet to buy Lira. Euros are widely accepted and often shops prices and restaurant menus give prices in Euros. GBP and USD also seem widely accepted. We have found the Turks prefer being paid in a hard currency.

If you do decide you would like Lira, there are several bank ATM’s in the arrival hall and immediately outside at Antalya airport.

Kentish_Dave

ShamA29 wrote: »

That's what I'm asking. What do I search to check it there? Whenever I try looking at the rate there, it just shows me the rate here in the UK.

Find the name of an exchange company out there and look on their website.

The idea that you’ll get better in a small town with a captive audience who have left it too late to have a choice than you will in the U.K. always struck me as strange.

Best of all is (in my opinion) to use a card such as Halifax clarity and withdraw money from cash machines there. You’ll get close to actual mid, and pay no commission.

EveryWhere

ShamA29 wrote: »

Hi all, need some advice.

So I'm going on holiday soon - to Alanya (Antalya Area, Turkey) - and need some advice on GBP to Lira. I will be exchanging £150 in total, as will my 3 mates. Here's my queries:
1a) I've read online that it's better to exchange a small amount here in the UK, and then exchange the majority of it in Turkey. However, a lot of the articles that say this are several years old, so I'm unclear if this is still true as of today.
1b) If the above is still true today, where do I go to convert the money? Are there any tips for which stores to look for?

Thanks in advance guys!

A bit confused. Is £150 going to be your spending money for the whole holiday?

If so, get a https://www.starlingbank.com/travel/ account and debit card and use that to withdraw/spend the cash.
That rate is as good as it gets. Don't exchange cash in the UK.

If just one of you have the account between four of you, you can pull out approx half the cash(£300) at a time and then share it between four. Then halfway through the trip, pull out the other half.
Current approx. rate using this method, approx. 7.275. You can compare that figure with what you will be offered in the UK. You won't get close.
Take into account that there may be a few Lira left on the card, as of course you can only remove round numbers from the ATM, but that can be spent on purchases.

EveryWhere

The Starling account card should arrive within a week.
If you aren't old enough to get a Starling account, one of your parents can apply and hand over the card or you can apply for one of these; https://www.nationwide.co.uk/products/current-accounts/flexone/whats-flexone

Exchange rate the same.

That is as good as it can get. You are looking at approx 1090 Liras each at the moment.

So you can take out say 1000 each time and split it four ways. Four times. Then you'll be left with around 360..

But really you should each have your own card, as if you lose the only card, that's your holiday ruined.

zagfles

Changing cash is out of the ark. Get a decent card and withdraw local currency at ATMs, they are everywhere in Turkish holiday resorts. See https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

A lot of places do take GBP, particularly if they advertise prices in GBP, but some places will convert at rubbish rate - one was converting at 6 when we were getting 7.7 at the ATM!

Whatever you do, don't convert GBP to EUR and then convert/spend EUR there! That's a good way to lose twice!

bradders1983

A few points here:

- A lot of places abroad, especially in tourist areas, are going to be "one man band" exchange places, you arent going to find their rates online, just find a couple once there and use the one with the best rate
- All this faff for the sake of changing £150?

meer53

Change just enough for the first day then change when you are there. In Turkey lots of shops/restaurants will change money for you, their rate is often better than money exchange places. Shop around. I use my Starling or Clarity card.

£150 isn't going to last long, we're off to Dalaman again in 3 weeks, for 2 of us we budget £100 per day. How long are you going for ?

PompeyPete

It's not so much the exchange rate you get, but keeping your wits about you when spending.

If you pay in £GB or €uro, then the rate you pay will be beneficial to the vendor, not you.

If you pay in £GB or €uro, then any change you get will be in Turkish Lira, so like it or not you're going to end up with Turkish Lira in your pocket.

And surely half the fun of being in a Foreign country, particularly one like Turkey is being able to spend in the currency of the country you're in.