Currency Exchange

[abefroman329]

'Uber' Taxis are available n Southampton. to tap and ride

 

Our mobile phones won't be set up for U.K. use yet on arrival, still have to go buy top-up vouchers.

 

If I buy ££ from Travelex and pick up from their store in downtown Chicago, I can buy £40 and only overpay by about $5. I recommend that option for anyone looking to obtain ££ before arrival.

[BobBranst]

If I buy ££ from Travelex and pick up from their store in downtown Chicago, I can buy £40 and only overpay by about $5. I recommend that option for anyone looking to obtain ££ before arrival.

 

We usually try to get into to NYC at least a day before an east bound crossing. There are many walk in places there (especially in tourist areas) that exchange money at competitive rates.

 

Some have suggested getting foreign currency through a local (US) bank, but at least in our part of the country, there is a fairly high minimum which is frequently more than we need since most places in the UK and the rest of Europe take US credit cards.

[abefroman329]

We usually try to get into to NYC at least a day before an east bound crossing. There are many walk in places there (especially in tourist areas) that exchange money at competitive rates.

 

Some have suggested getting foreign currency through a local (US) bank, but at least in our part of the country, there is a fairly high minimum which is frequently more than we need since most places in the UK and the rest of Europe take US credit cards.

 

Travelex's minimum is $50 worth of local currency, and since they won't sell me GBP35, GBP40 it is.

[njkruzer]

If you have a AAA office you can get foreign currency. They also have travelers checks, which we've cashed at guest services on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, but don't know about Cunard. Don't need on our upcoming trip so haven't checked.

[abefroman329]

If you have a AAA office you can get foreign currency. They also have travelers checks, which we've cashed at guest services on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, but don't know about Cunard. Don't need on our upcoming trip so haven't checked.

 

Travelex is cheaper than AAA if you can pick up in person, or you're ordering enough currency that they'll ship it to your home for free.

[Scrapnana]

If you have a AAA office you can get foreign currency. They also have travelers checks, which we've cashed at guest services on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, but don't know about Cunard. Don't need on our upcoming trip so haven't checked.

 

Cunard does not accept Travellers Cheques. I was told in one of the High Street travel agencies (that also has a currency exchange) that very few places still took Travellers Cheques - and this was in 2015.

[pwake]

We were there a couple of weeks ago. The taxi company accepted credit cards and I added a tip to the charge - it gives you that option.

 

If you need cash, the taxi driver will stop at an ATM and wait for you. There are a couple of banks with ATM's on the way to the station.

 

 

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[pepperrn]

Cunard does not accept Travellers Cheques. I was told in one of the High Street travel agencies (that also has a currency exchange) that very few places still took Travellers Cheques - and this was in 2015.

This is my understanding as well (Cunard won't accept them). In the brochure I am looking at they are not even mentioned in the "FAQ" (however I expect the "small print" at the back does).

 

I cannot remember the last time I used a Travellers Cheque; many decades ago :confused: .

[ToadOfToadHall]

Travellers Cheque ? The last person to use one of the those was Noah on his Ark when he was paying for animal feed !

[abefroman329]

I cannot remember the last time I used a Travellers Cheque; many decades ago :confused: .

 

I used to purchase them for trips to Las Vegas and (later) Atlantic City, in an attempt to limit the amount of money I spent at the casinos. They would happily cash them at the cage, but the most recent time I tried to do so, they wanted all sorts of personal info before doing so (I suspect this used to be a popular way to launder money), and that was about a decade ago.

 

If I remember correctly, even back when they were a commonly-recognized instrument, buying travelers checks in a foreign currency was an even worse deal than buying foreign currency in your home country.