Euro (€) Currency Thread

RachelW1987

Where is the best place to change your currency?

antenna

RachelW1987 wrote: »

Where is the best place to change your currency?

IN SPAIN..........but dont get conned in the bureau...........ask this........if i give you £100 how many euros will you actually give me.........if they point at the board WALK AWAY............if they hesitate or just repeat the exchange rate to the pound WALK AWAY...........

paul2468

toothpick wrote: »

i'm going to spain in 2 weeks, where should i get my £ converted to euro? I am only going for a 5 days, would you guys still recommend a card?

Same here..i was looking at the post office card that says you can use it abroad without getting charged any fees.....would i be better taking a couple of hundred euros to Spain then using the card when we need anything ?

dealsearcher

The general advice has always been:

1. Take a small amount of cash with you for immediate expenditure.

2. Use a Nationwide debit card at an ATM when abroad.

There are small variations depending on destination but the above is a general rule.

It is also usually better to change money when you are abroad. UK exchange places and banks usually have high commission charges and poor exchange rates. In overseas locations most people are travelling to tourist destinations where they want your business and therefore offer reasonably good rates.

antenna

Cash is King,take around 50 euros emergency cash and the rest in £s,unless you think euro rates will fall,then take more euros bought in uk at the better rate.You will nearly always get a higher than uk rate at a good bureau in spain,but read my earlier post.
You will allways pay a fee if you use anything other than cash,the fee may be added before you get a "card" or when you use the card,and this applies to travellers cheques as well,even though the nationwide dont charge a fee when you use your cashcard abroad,a fee will be charged by the cash machine bank abroad,

paul2468

dealsearcher wrote: »

The general advice has always been:

1. Take a small amount of cash with you for immediate expenditure.

2. Use a Nationwide debit card at an ATM when abroad.

There are small variations depending on destination but the above is a general rule.

It is also usually better to change money when you are abroad. UK exchange places and banks usually have high commission charges and poor exchange rates. In overseas locations most people are travelling to tourist destinations where they want your business and therefore offer reasonably good rates.

What about the post office card...it says use abroad with no fees...i was speaking to the counter clerk and he said pay a few hundred ponds onto your card before we go to spain....i dont know if this makes sense ?

MEMBER02

paul2468 wrote: »

What about the post office card...it says use abroad with no fees...i was speaking to the counter clerk and he said pay a few hundred ponds onto your card before we go to spain....i dont know if this makes sense ?[/quote
Caxton fx cards are very good,apply online you pay an inital £10 but this is converted to euros on youre 1st deposit so its free to get,no charges when paying in euros in shops etc only charge is using atm 2 euro charge,you can top up using internet or phone.a very good card and exchange rates are alot better than high street.

Lemonade_Pockets

Anyone got any views about the ECB's lack of control over monetary policy. They can only cut the rate so far, what are they gonna do then??

From a purely selfish narrow minded point of view. Hopefully if they run out of ideas it means my £'s might go further in france come the end of march.

antenna

The ECB will cut rates at the march meeting,this was admitted at the february meeting,they are just refusing to admit what a state the euro is in

Lemonade_Pockets

Yes i realise that, but apart from cutting the rates what can they actually do?
Assuming the CC doesnt end anytime soon. My current line of thought is Investors realise ECB monetary policy is weak/limited, lose faith in € investments so start pulling out. € falls. = Cheap Apres Ski for me in march!
Wishfull and selfish thinking maybe but i think its entirely feasible if not quite in that time scale.