Best way to transfer dollars to GBP if I've got cash in the USA?

Hi guys!

So I've got quite a few USA dollars on me and I'm travelling back to the UK in the next few days. What's the best way to get GBP back into my bank account?

Should I find a bank over here and get Sterling before I leave? Wait until I get back to the UK and use one of those places in London? Give it to my USA friend and get him to Paypal it over to me, or perhaps bank transfer it to me?

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

Mark

Comments

  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,572 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    I'm not so good at math to figure out the cheapest of those, but with the pound itself so cheap at the moment perhaps it's not so important.

    You could open a TransferWise Borderless account, ask your American friend to send it from his bank to your personal USD account details, a domestic transfer, then exchange it to pounds at an excellent rate and withdraw, or use the card, etc.
    Evolution, not revolution
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,281 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    If you have a trusted friend with a US bank account, that is the way to go. Exchanging electronic money avoids all the costs of moving pieces of paper around the world, and so will always give you the lowest fees and best exchange rates (so long as you don't ask a bank to transfer the funds directly, in which case they can charge what they like).
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