Going on Holiday to Phillipines. Exchange Help needed

cundall

Voyager is correct the fees can only be paid in php or $ (US)

I did not see many places changing money though you can find places... i just use my my Nationwide card and then take US dollars...

PS if your off soon try and go down to Boracay its a great place

mrsbudget

hi, there,fcorry, your best bet is the nationwide..and maybe a £100-£200 notes which you can exchange in the airport but take note, it will be a lower rate inside the airport so, maybe try to withdraw from the ATM..

your inlaws may ask you to go to duty free so,,it is in dollars there but if u have the flexi account it is better..are you sure,,£500 is enough,....:eek: ????

If you have cash, you can exchange them in "black markets" dont bother looking at websites..rates will be very low on these places. Your inlaws will know all the black markets where you are staying,,and dont carry too much cash in one go,,

So many places to visit there,,(oh! you make me feel homesick now!!) For shopping,best place is Glorietta..in Makati,,.or the new Mall of Asia..

Oh, well, hope you have a nice holiday:j

soco1

Can confiorm the Nationwide debit card definately gives good exchange rates.
Today I checked my latest euro exchange rate, tourist rate was €1.21 but got €1.26 from bank so the €40 I withdrew cost £31.74 instead of £33.05.

Not a huge saving (but it all adds up, better in my pocket than someone elses!) but was only a small amount withdrawn. If taking out larger sums then obviously the savings will be proportionately more.

Their credit card also gives the same excellent exchange rates with no conversion fee added. I take both on holidays. One for cash withdrawals and one for purchases.

Voyager2002

mrsbudget wrote: »

hi, there,fcorry, your best bet is the nationwide..and maybe a £100-£200 notes which you can exchange in the airport but take note, it will be a lower rate inside the airport so, maybe try to withdraw from the ATM..

your inlaws may ask you to go to duty free so,,it is in dollars there but if u have the flexi account it is better..are you sure,,£500 is enough,....:eek: ????

If you have cash, you can exchange them in "black markets" dont bother looking at websites..rates will be very low on these places. Your inlaws will know all the black markets where you are staying,,and dont carry too much cash in one go,,

So many places to visit there,,(oh! you make me feel homesick now!!) For shopping,best place is Glorietta..in Makati,,.or the new Mall of Asia..

Oh, well, hope you have a nice holiday:j

There is really no black market, since money changing is legal. As with any country, exchange rates vary. Places like those in the airport are for tourists who know no better and so give poor rates, while there are many other places that offer excellent rates. Your family will almost certainly know where you should go for good rates.

cundall

i remember in the lonely planet talking about scams with changing money... I never really had an issue but just be careful, when i was at someones birthday party in Metro Manila (first time i stayed in a slum which was a bamboo hut above a river of waste) on the local news channel they said about people making fake 10php coins (about 8p)

drknot

Hello I just got back from spending a few weeks in the Philippines.

There is definatley no arrival tax at the airport.

However if whoever meets you is using the official airport carpark, there is a parking fee of Php 45

Departure - International
Airport User Tax - All Nationalities - Php 750
Filipinos also pay a departure tax of 1620 Php

Departure - Domestic
Airport User Tax - Php 200 (although this is based on last years prices at Cebu)

As for changing money, None of the money changers around Robinson's In Ermita are recommended, nothing but bad reports about them. Although to be honest I've never used them.

There is a HSBC bank in the 1st floor of Robinsons Mall In Ermita which allows big withdrawals, I frequently take Php 20,000 out from there when I arrive. There is another one just around the corner from Mall Of Asia. A lot of the other banks ATM's will only allow you withdraw upto a certain amount. (Of course being the Philippines they ask you how much you want to withdraw so you select Php 10,000 from the menu and then you get a message saying it exceeds the withdrawal limit for this machine, so you have to guess how much the machine will let you have, Equitable do this a lot.)

If you haven't got a nationwide card then using those machines means you are paying approx 5 % in fee's (Very roughly - Php 5000 = £50.00,) Overseas transaction fee is £2.50.