Which pounds to bring to Gibralter

Can anyone tell me if we should get British pounds to use in Gibralter or are we better off with Gibralter pounds? We will only be in Gibralter for 1 day and not going to British Isles.

If I remember correctly on the tour we took with some folks Great Britain they were complaining that they count not use British we used euros and got change in Gibraltar pounds and used credit card for purchases we made.

British pounds are fine, just be careful you don't get Gibraltar pounds as change. They aren't legal tender in the UK.

From the UK government website -

"Sterling is the currency in Gibraltar. Bank of England issued notes and UK coins are accepted, and circulate mixed with locally issued notes and coins of the same value in pounds and pence. Notes issued in Scotland or Northern Ireland are not usually accepted in Gibraltar, and Gibraltar issued notes and coins are not usually accepted in the UK.

Some businesses accept euros, although exchange rates may not necessarily be favourable. Change is normally given in Sterling. UK debit cards and all major credit cards are widely accepted in Gibraltar."

I doubt you'll find any bank or bureau outside Gib that bothers to carry Gib pounds - British pounds are fine, but as mentioned avoid Gib pounds in your change. I find it so tedious looking for dimly-lit pubs in England where I can pass off Gib coins :D

Euros are very widely accepted in Gib, including taxis & buses, and like other port-of-call visitors in your situation it's probably simplest to rely on euros and plastic.

A Brit like me isn't qualified to advise on exchange rates because we always take GBP to Gib, but a huge proportion of businesses display dual-pricing. And yes, we've noticed that both the euro prices and sterling prices are variable

Don't worry about exchange rates - if the euro price offered by a café or shop isn't favourable, buy elsewhere - there's a huge choice of outlets offering all the same sort of things. And some are rip-offs, so don't buy (particularly) booze or smokes or electronics from the first shop you visit.

BTW, for electronics Gib is a dumping-ground for last-year's models. So beware of impulse buying. If you intend to buy, take with you model numbers etc and home prices - and barter like crazy.

JB :)

ps. Plenty of threads about Gib on the "Mediterranean, other ports".forum. And the Spain forum :confused:

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Use a debit card.

Gibraltar coins will work in machines, in the UK, eg parking or sweets/ drinks. Not strictly legal but the way most Brits get shot of coins like these or Channel islands ones. Swap or spend notes, before leaving Gibraltar, or keep as a souvenir. Coin and note currency collectors , find them valuable. Euro coins from the Vatican and San Marino are also prized like this.

Be sure you get your change in the new British pounds, notes and coins.

Also, as stated, not in the Gibraltar pounds. You don't get good rates for

Euros as the exchange rate is poor.

As above, get English pounds. I think you would struggle to get Gib ones outside of Gibraltar. Any English pounds you have left over, you can of course use in the UK sometime, or change back easily.

As the other posters have said, get English change, as Gib currency is only valid in Gibraltar. That said, the designs on the back of the Gibraltar coins can be very cute, pictures of apes and such, maybe worth keeping any small denomination coins you end up with as souvenirs!

On the other hand, there are dozens of different designs of UK pound coins (which will now be reduced with the new two-tone 12-sides coins) and literally hundreds of different 50p UK coins. So no-one has an encyclopaedic knowledge of what UK coins look like, and no-one checks to see whether it's a Gibraltar / Jersey / Guernsey coin, and no-one cares. Both shops and banks accept them freely.

Notes are different. They're not interchangeable.