Currency when jumpseating overseas

[relief tube]

did a search and found nada.

Whats the best way of going about getting money for overseas travel?
I know the airport places suck. Are banks overseas good? I've also heard there's places in the states where we can get the money ahead of time.

I'd need euros and pounds. Btw, too lazy to luck up, anyone know the current exchange of euros to dollars?

Thanks in advance

 

[Sig]

If you're in uniform and you convert cash- usually the comission is waived.

At least it is so in PHL.

 

[cobalt]

use an ATM at the airport when you get there. easy, and you get a great exchange rate.

for your conversions...

http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi

 

[Sig]

use an ATM at the airport when you get there. easy, and you get a great exchange rate.

for your conversions...

http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi

No sheet? I used my AMEX and a VISA card in Ireland. Got hit with a f'in ginormous fee for using it overseas due to the conversion (on top of the lovely VAT).


Shoulda thunk first.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Usually your bank will have a branch (if it is a large chain) which carries foreign currency for exchange. Pretty good rates and no fee for their customers.

 

[cobalt]

No sheet? I used my AMEX and a VISA card in Ireland. Got hit with a f'in ginormous fee for using it overseas due to the conversion (on top of the lovely VAT).


Shoulda thunk first.

i guess i wasn't clear... i meant use your bank card at an ATM to get cash. probably depends on the bank, but washington mutual just charges you a 3.00 foreign atm fee and that's it. and if i used it as a Visa, no fees, ect.

 

[sweptback]

If your bank is a larger one, usually they have "partner banks" in major countries that don't charge a fee. It's worth checking into.

Airport currency exchanges are usually a ripoff, even without the commission. You can usually do better if you plan ahead, unless you're only changing $20.

 

[Thedude]

Stay away from Thomas Cook at all cost. They sell high and buy back at a lower rate and charge a fee on top of that. Its truly a scam

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

I've used credit cards all over Europe last summer and got great exchange rates and no hidden charges....
As far as cash, I used my bank's ATM card and got a great rate too....
That's the way to go, and you can check your daily activities (as well as rates and charges) on the credit card's website.

ceo

 

[744]

Guys, listen to Cobalt.

An ATM card with the Visa or Mastercard logo works well. Use it just like you would at home.

You can pay for things with a credit card, again just like home. However make your first purchase at a large place of buisness such as a name brand hotel. This reduces the odds of the credit card company flagging the account as possibly being stolen.

And that is it. I usually leave home with $100, hit an aiport ATM for local cash and pay larger bills with my credit card. There is no reason to be paying large fees for "converting" money, nor is there any reason to make this complicated.

When checking out of the hotel to head home collect all of your local currency and use it to help pay the hotel bill, putting the balance on a credit card. Hotels are used to split payments like this, and it is the most effective way to use up your remaining cash.

 

[doug_or]

Call your bank before leaving to avoid being flagged. In addition 2 years ago I had no problem with unreasonable fees using ATMs in Barcenlona and Paris.

 

[Herman]

AMX charges 3% on top of the current exchange rate

Most US banks will also use the current exchange rate, but they usually will not use the published rate at closing, instead an arbitrary one which is a lot higher then the 3% AMX charges

When exchanging cash in Europe, the institute that you end up using is most likely required to use current rates, but they will add a fee for their services. You will have to shop around a little to find the best deal. In my experiences they are all very similar. Don't forget that if you exchange too much cash you will have to pay another fee to convert currency back to US $.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

You have to be current to ride in the jumpseat?