Heathrow ATMs - GBP or Euro choice?

[Hazelnut1106]

Does anyone know if when using the ATMs at Heathrow airport are you given a choice as to whether you want British pounds or Euros in return?

[CruiserBruce]

From just a little ways down the board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1662355

[Hazelnut1106]

From just a little ways down the board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1662355

 

Thank you for the link.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Did that link answer your specific question?

 

There are (or at least used to be) multi-currency (combinations of €,£, $) ATMs at Heathrow, both air-and land-side. I believe Travelex used to have them next to their desks, but it's in my mind that last time I went to one it was now only a GBP machine. The rates will not necessarily be great, but can be useful if convenience is more important to you :)

 

I'm going through T5 at the weekend and will try to remember to look....

[Hazelnut1106]

Did that link answer your specific question?

 

There are (or at least used to be) multi-currency (combinations of €,£, $) ATMs at Heathrow, both air-and land-side. I believe Travelex used to have them next to their desks, but it's in my mind that last time I went to one it was now only a GBP machine. The rates will not necessarily be great, but can be useful if convenience is more important to you :)

 

I'm going through T5 at the weekend and will try to remember to look....

 

Yes the link answered my general question and so we will most likely try to purchase our euros before leaving home. But I would appreciate your input if you remember to look at the ATMs in T5. We will be arriving at T3.

[MATHA531]

I hope you will not be angry, but why would you expect an ATM anywhere in Great Britain to offer any currency other than British pounds? The euro is as foreign a currency in the UK as is the US dollar. Now some foreign currency dealers may exchange US dollars say for euro while you are in Great Britain but you lose big time when you do that, almost 20 to 25% of the value. Here's why. They will first convert US dollars to sterling imposing the surcharges and using the awful rates cash exchanges give as compared to ATM withdrawals and then convert the sterling to euro using the asininely low rate given when exchanging currency. To each, they may add an exchange fee.

 

Get your sterlng from the airport ATM when you arrive in London and then get your euro at your first arrival point in Euroland (I assume what might be happening here is that you have a cruise leaving from a British port whose first stop may be in euroland....you can handle the atm situation upon arrival in your first euroland port.

 

Again, I don't mean to be arrogant here but I see this question a great deal and don't get it.

[Pushka]

I get it.

 

I would have thought that international airport ATM's would dispense several currencies. We can get Euros and Pounds from ATM's at our international airports in Australia. ;). And those two currencies are very foreign in Australia.

 

I would have thought Heathrow would certainly have this option.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I hope you will not be angry, but why would you expect an ATM anywhere in Great Britain to offer any currency other than British pounds? The euro is as foreign a currency in the UK as is the US dollar. Now some foreign currency dealers may exchange US dollars say for euro while you are in Great Britain but you lose big time when you do that, almost 20 to 25% of the value. Here's why. They will first convert US dollars to sterling imposing the surcharges and using the awful rates cash exchanges give as compared to ATM withdrawals and then convert the sterling to euro using the asininely low rate given when exchanging currency. To each, they may add an exchange fee.

 

Get your sterlng from the airport ATM when you arrive in London and then get your euro at your first arrival point in Euroland (I assume what might be happening here is that you have a cruise leaving from a British port whose first stop may be in euroland....you can handle the atm situation upon arrival in your first euroland port.

 

Again, I don't mean to be arrogant here but I see this question a great deal and don't get it.

 

I hope YOU won't be angry, but why answer a question when you don't actually know the answer?

 

Did you not read my post about multi-currency ATMs at Heathrow? They are also available at various banks and post offices in towns and cities in the UK, and recently have been installed at quite a few other airports (http://www.atmmarketplace.com/article/199415/Moneycorp-intros-multi-currency-ATMs-at-UK-airports).

 

At least next time you see this question you don't get, you'll have the right answer :D

[Pushka]

I hope YOU won't be angry, but why answer a question when you don't actually know the answer?

 

Did you not read my post about multi-currency ATMs at Heathrow? They are also available at various banks and post offices in towns and cities in the UK, and recently have been installed at quite a few other airports (http://www.atmmarketplace.com/article/199415/Moneycorp-intros-multi-currency-ATMs-at-UK-airports).

 

At least next time you see this question you don't get, you'll have the right answer :D

 

:) I think they were more offended by the thought that someone might dare think there is 'foreign' currency in UK than giving, actually even knowing, the current info.

[LondonTowner]

Airports are notorious for giving the worst exchange rates. I would just get a small amount of GBP and Euros before you leave home. You really only need enough for small purchases like coffees etc. Practically everywher in the UK and Europe accepts credit card. I have a card which makes no charge for using it abroad.

 

Whatever you do, don't bring travellers cheques. They are difficult to exchange in both UK and Europe these days as most people now use their cards.

 

Enjoy your travels.

[MATHA531]

I hope YOU won't be angry, but why answer a question when you don't actually know the answer?

 

Did you not read my post about multi-currency ATMs at Heathrow? They are also available at various banks and post offices in towns and cities in the UK, and recently have been installed at quite a few other airports (http://www.atmmarketplace.com/article/199415/Moneycorp-intros-multi-currency-ATMs-at-UK-airports).

 

At least next time you see this question you don't get, you'll have the right answer :D

 

Those multi currency ATM's are not really ATM's in the strict sense of the word. ATM's dispense the cash of the country, at least to my way of thinking, to debit asnd ATM as well as credit card holders. The multi currency ATM's are in place of foreign exchange transaction done at a teller. As I said, yo can get euro from a currency trader in most banks but as I noted you will lose big time.

 

So perhaps it's the definition of terms. But yes, you can go to a manned or womanned foreign currency desk in Heathrow and covert a foreign country to euro, I get that. But the rates will be terrible, far worse than you would get if you exchange us currency for euro in an American airport as that is only one transaction and if it's so necessary to have euro upon arrival, that's where I might do it or even go to my bank at home and purchase euro with US currency assuming you are from the US. But it sort of defeats the purp[ose of using an ATM namely to get the best rate possible.

 

So maybe I wasn't quite clear. I consider the use of an ATM sinply as a vehicle to get as close to the interbank rate as possible. You won't get that from any so called ATM you might find in Great Britain offering euro worse so if you are exchange a currency other than sterling into euro. It really makes little sense.....

 

I hope that clarifies my feeling on this and again I mean no harm to anybody. I've travelled with people who tell me their banker in the USA told them euro would be acceptable in London (well they are in some places but again at a disadvantaged rate of exchange in the same way many merchants in Canada accept US currency but give you an asininely poor exchange rate (and you won't find ATM's in Canada, at least true ATM's that dispense US cash...it is a foreign currency transaction).

 

Please forgive me, don't mean to be arrogant as I said.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I have literally no idea what you are trying to say.

 

But I am content that I have actually answered the OP's question :)

[Pushka]

Those multi currency ATM's are not really ATM's in the strict sense of the word. ATM's dispense the cash of the country, at least to my way of thinking, to debit asnd ATM as well as credit card holders. The multi currency ATM's are in place of foreign exchange transaction done at a teller. .

 

An ATM that dispenses a foreign currency is still an ATM.

 

You put your card in and get cash. That's it. How you want to define it

doesn't change that.

 

The OP simply wanted to know if they could get euros from ATM's in Heathrow.

 

The answer for the OP is Yes.

[MATHA531]

An ATM that dispenses a foreign currency is still an ATM.

 

You put your card in and get cash. That's it. How you want to define it

doesn't change that.

 

The OP simply wanted to know if they could get euros from ATM's in Heathrow.

 

The answer for the OP is Yes.

 

Question.....

 

Are those multi currency ATM's in arrivals or departures. I have to be frank; the only ATM's I've seen in arrivals are ones that distribute GBP. There are most assuredly foreign currency desks in arrivals which will absolutely distribute euro but it would make much more sense to make only one exchange i.e. to buy euro with your own currency either at your airport of departure or even before leaving at your own bank.

 

I will stick with the question, not in a mean spirited way, what would be the purpose of having an ATM that distributes euro in arrivals at Heathrow? I could understand ATM that distribute euro in departure (as well as USD, CAD, AUD, CHF, JPY, perhaps ZAR or even Chinese currency) so I do stand corrected but I'll stick with what I said. Why would you want to change any other currency than GBP to euro at Herathrow?

 

But I'm not here to cause an argument. If it were me, and I am a cheap person I do admit it, I only use ATM's to make withdrawals of small amo9unts of cash upon arrival in a country. But then again, I hardly ever use cash. Credit cards are more my style.

 

But none of this is meant to be nasty to anybody so in that sense I apologize if I came across nasty. And as I mentioned, too often, I see ill informerd usually Americans arrive at Heathrow thinking they need euro (and this mis information often come from the American banks themselves) so it's hard to blame them.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Having travelled through LHR for the fourth time in as many weeks, I remembered I hadn't come back to this as I promised.

 

I have counted at least 5 multi-currency ATMs airside departures at T5, all offering £/€/$. They are all Travelex and are mostly next to Travelex's desks, although there is one standalone by the stairs down from the North security channel. I checked one and the rates are exactly the same as being offered at the desks. As has been pointed out, they will be sterling transactions, so if you don't have a sterling card you will get an extra conversion and fees. I haven't spotted one in arrivals or landside.

 

For what it is worth there is one airside at Edinburgh airport too, which I think was £/€, but may have had $ too. It is not the one by the exit door for arrivals, it is in the middle of the terminal.

 

And there is one in the departure lounge at the Brussels Eurostar terminal, also offering €/£ (obviously this machine will be a € transaction).

 

I got in to the habit of looking for them!

[knot knormal]

So, what you are saying is that there are no ATM's other than Travelex at Heathrow? We are arriving there for 5 nights before a cruise and while I have a K1 card for most purchases, I need some cash for tips and incidentals. Anyone know where there is a Barclay's ATM at Heathrow? Arriving via Delta.

[Cotswold Eagle]

So, what you are saying is that there are no ATM's other than Travelex at Heathrow? We are arriving there for 5 nights before a cruise and while I have a K1 card for most purchases, I need some cash for tips and incidentals. Anyone know where there is a Barclay's ATM at Heathrow? Arriving via Delta.

 

I was saying that the multi-currency ATMs in T5 are run by Travelex. That said, many ATMs at LHR are run by the two main forex dealers, Travelex and AmEx, but the banks do have some.

 

According to their own ATM locator, Barclays only have one ATM at LHR, at T5 (I think it may be in a cluster of three or so in landside arrivals, but I'm not sure). If you are on Delta, I think you will be at T4 and it's not particularly quick to get from there to T5, I'm afraid.

[Globaliser]

... I need some cash for tips and incidentals.

There are hundreds of Barclays ATMs once you get into town, and it's unlikely that there's anyone you'll absolutely have to tip before you can get to an ATM. You'll probably actually find that there's almost nobody you have to tip using cash that you've already got - the only people I regularly give cash tips to are taxi drivers, and then usually out of the change that they're giving me.

[cruisingmimi]

Does anyone know if the taxi drivers can accept credit cards for payments or do most of them want cash? We are flying into LHR in Nov. and not planning to buy pounds til we get there as everyone indicates the best exchange rates are from ATMs. We will be flying BA into T5. We are planning to book the airport express services for a transfer to our hotel. Also can anyone advise what the typical tip to a driver should be?

 

Another question on tube and busses. We are only going to be in London for 2 days pre-cruise, then heading to Southampton to board the ship. How do we purchase tixs for these rides, do they take credit cards for payment or what. Have been told we should purchase an Oyster Card but have seen pros/cons on buying one. Are we better off just paying cash for whatever rides (tube, bus, etc.) we will use for the 2 days? It's confusing trying to sort it out.

 

Thanks so much.

[MATHA531]

Does anyone know if the taxi drivers can accept credit cards for payments or do most of them want cash? We are flying into LHR in Nov. and not planning to buy pounds til we get there as everyone indicates the best exchange rates are from ATMs. We will be flying BA into T5. We are planning to book the airport express services for a transfer to our hotel. Also can anyone advise what the typical tip to a driver should be?

 

Another question on tube and busses. We are only going to be in London for 2 days pre-cruise, then heading to Southampton to board the ship. How do we purchase tixs for these rides, do they take credit cards for payment or what. Have been told we should purchase an Oyster Card but have seen pros/cons on buying one. Are we better off just paying cash for whatever rides (tube, bus, etc.) we will use for the 2 days? It's confusing trying to sort it out.

 

Thanks so much.[/quoteI

 

I'll just tackle the last part first. Cash fares on london undrground and london buses is prohibitively expensive for single rides....a cash underground fare for a simple ride in central London is £4....but at underground stations they offer 1 day passes (one day travelcard) for something like £6.20 for central London. The good news is the booking officers at London unde3rground stations as well as the machines do indeed take credit cards.

 

How are you getting to Southhampton? Oyster cards do work well for pay per ride and are far cheaper than the cash fares for individual rides and will cap at the same price as a one day travelcard but require a £5 deposit. Of course, on the last night if yur hotel is near a tube station, you can get the excess as well as the deposit refunded or depending on how you get to your transport to the port (tub to a train staton?).

 

Now there are also all sorts of discussions about getting 2 for 1 sightseeing discounts which will discourage purchase of an oyster card and require you to pick up the one day travelcard from a national rail ticket office but I won't go into that here.

[Globaliser]

Does anyone know if the taxi drivers can accept credit cards for payments or do most of them want cash? We are flying into LHR in Nov. and not planning to buy pounds til we get there as everyone indicates the best exchange rates are from ATMs. We will be flying BA into T5. We are planning to book the airport express services for a transfer to our hotel. Also can anyone advise what the typical tip to a driver should be?

Unless there's a specific ATM supplier that you must use, you can just use the ATMs at T5. Cotswold Eagle has already mentioned the bank of ATMs in the arrivals concourse which have been very handy for me on more than one occasion after returning back to the UK. When you exit customs and you're facing Costa Coffee, turn right and walk north along the building, and the machines are on the wall on your right. See the last page of this PDF terminal map, and look for number 38 (it also has the ATM icon).

 

Taxis normally run on cash, but many will take credit cards. If you want one that takes cards, tell the marshal who will organise it so that you can have one that takes cards. If you use a transfer service to your hotel instead, and you don't have cash to tip the driver, don't stress. It's not compulsory. Ditto with anyone who takes your bags up to your room - on many occasions when I've stayed at UK hotels, he's been out of the door before I could even look for any money.

Another question on tube and busses. We are only going to be in London for 2 days pre-cruise, then heading to Southampton to board the ship. How do we purchase tixs for these rides, do they take credit cards for payment or what. Have been told we should purchase an Oyster Card but have seen pros/cons on buying one. Are we better off just paying cash for whatever rides (tube, bus, etc.) we will use for the 2 days? It's confusing trying to sort it out.

Paying cash is the worst possible way of doing it, unless you're going to take only one cheap journey each day.

 

The big pro of an Oyster is that you don't have to plan in advance how you use it; you're automatically charged the correct fares for that travel you do and you're automatically price capped for the day at the one-day Travelcard rate for the zones you've actually travelled in. If you do it on a Travelcard, you have to work out in advance which zones you're going to travel in, and whether you're actually going to travel enough to make the Travelcard worth buying.

 

The downside of an Oyster is the deposit, and finding time to get that and the unused credit refunded. But most of my friends just keep their Oysters for the next time they're in London.

 

Like MATHA531, I'm not even going to get into the 2-for-1 deals issue.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Unless there's a specific ATM supplier that you must use, you can just use the ATMs at T5. Cotswold Eagle has already mentioned the bank of ATMs in the arrivals concourse which have been very handy for me on more than one occasion after returning back to the UK. When you exit customs and you're facing Costa Coffee, turn right and walk north along the building, and the machines are on the wall on your right. See the last page of this PDF terminal map, and look for number 38 (it also has the ATM icon).

 

 

You can turn left, too - see the ATM symbol at 49 :) I'm flying out of T5 this afternoon, so I'll try to pop downstairs and take a note of which banks' ATMs are where. That's a good terminal map, by the way, hadn't seen it before.

[Globaliser]

You can turn left, too - see the ATM symbol at 49 :)

It's dangerous down that end!

 

That's where Krispy Kreme is!

 

;)

[Cotswold Eagle]

It's dangerous down that end!

 

That's where Krispy Kreme is!

 

;)

 

Which has NOTHING to do with me knowing there were two ATMs down there :)

 

I checked yesterday and the two there (at 49 on the map) are Raphaels Bank ATMs and the three the other end (at 39 on the map) are Travelex.

 

That's not how I remember them - I could have sworn there were some of the high street bank brands.

 

Which, back on point, means I have no idea where the Barclays ATM at T5 is, if there still is one! There aren't any upstairs in departures landside and I didn't spot one airside (although I was a bit pressed for time, why did no one tell me it was the start of half-term!)

[Cotswold Eagle]

Update (too late to edit!): To convince myself I'm not going mad, I did some Internet digging and it does seem that the high street bank branded ATMs at LHR have largely been sold to either Travelex or Raphaels over the last year or so. Looking more closely at the Barclays ATM finder, it says 'Thomas Cook, T5' and I don't think Thomas Cook are even on the airport....