Where to buy Czech currency?

hawfannybaws

Can anyone advise where to buy Czech currency at the best price?
cheers

alanrowell

Czech Republic when you arrive.

sooz

you can only buy it there....some older guide books say the best place to buy is at the one [govt] currency ex at the airport. now there are several, and the best one is closed most of the time....so we arrived late and got ripped off. you will need some money for taxi/bus and train - unless you are lucky enough to be picked up by a friend, but change as little as poss for taxi fare. then change it at a proper bank the next day.

edited to add..............
doh, brain just got into gear, we went before May this year. didn't they change to the EURO in May...........so, all prices will have doubled then, like in the rest of eastern europe that's converted. in montenegro, they changed - unofficially - from deutschmark to euro couple of years ago, and the DM was crossed out on prices and replaced with E. both subtle and cunning.

grumbler

hawfannybaws wrote:

Can anyone advise where to buy Czech currency at the best price?

At any ATM on arrival with Nationwide debit or cash card :

The cheapest way to spend overseas: save 6%

sooz

watch out for the taxi meter rates...in the good old red days they used to have 4 rates. 1 was day, 2 evening, 3 sundays and public hols and 4 was for nuclear fallouts. :rotfl:

if you are just going for a short trip to prague, the prague card is good value, sold at the amex office on wencelas square....3 days travel and free entry to loads of museums.

hawfannybaws

I have prepaid for transfers from the airport so that is covered. Trouble is I have to pay for the balance of my accomodation when I arrive. It's a private apartment so I doubt if they will have CC facilities. They have asked for the balance in Czech Kronin.

bargain_2

Where did you get the private apartment from.

hawfannybaws

I got the apartment from these people https://www.mlongagency.com

worked out about £26 /person /night.

waster_2

sooz wrote:

you can only buy it there....some older guide books say the best place to buy is at the one [govt] currency ex at the airport. now there are several, and the best one is closed most of the time....so we arrived late and got ripped off. you will need some money for taxi/bus and train - unless you are lucky enough to be picked up by a friend, but change as little as poss for taxi fare. then change it at a proper bank the next day.

edited to add..............
doh, brain just got into gear, we went before May this year. didn't they change to the EURO in May...........so, all prices will have doubled then, like in the rest of eastern europe that's converted. in montenegro, they changed - unofficially - from deutschmark to euro couple of years ago, and the DM was crossed out on prices and replaced with E. both subtle and cunning.

Not sure where you got all of this information from?

The Czech Repulic are not yet members of the Eurozone and are unlikely to be so for at the very least another 5 years. However, they are now member of the EU since May 2004.

Consequently they still use their own currnecy the Koruna. You can buy your Koruna in the UK before you go and the current selling rate through Marks and Spencer's (normally one of the best 3 for the rate) is 41.803 to the £.

See http://www.fxcorporation.co.uk/marksandspencer/order_currency.asp

sooz

sorry, i was wrong. was there in april [oh god was it last year already - time flies], and everyone was getting v happy about joining the eu, and starting to put euro signs on all prices....guess they will have to wait a bit longer to double their prices.

was also there 10 years before where the only place to get currency was at the airport on arrival. cashpoints hadn't got there then. even visa cards were looked on very suspiciously. you also had to spend all your money/exchange it back before you left the country or you'd be shot [or worse]

spender

I went to Prague in May and ordered my money from Travelex Online and picked it up at the airport. Very easy and good exchange rate. Found it difficult to spend all the money though (not through want of trying, plenty of fun)