Which currancy to use?

[Robert]

Going to spend four days in London. Will I be able to use US dollars or will I have to change to local money? If I have to exchange US dollars for local money where we I have to go for the best rate?

[JeannyCT]

Is it possible to pay in New York/Washington/Los Angeles with British Pounds?

 

You have to get local money or use credit cards, if any shop were to accept US-$ it would be at a bad rate for you.

You’ll get the best rate at an ATM. Read the board, there are many threads about how and where to get money (advantages and disadvantages of getting it at home or abroad).

[Ine]

Going to spend four days in London. Will I be able to use US dollars or will I have to change to local money? If I have to exchange US dollars for local money where we I have to go for the best rate?

 

British pounds of course...

Use ATM or change your US$.

Also creditcards are accepted

[Kathie44]

England uses pounds/pence. Last year we did the Jewel Brit. Isles/Nor. Fjords cruise. The hotel exchange fee was high, so we waited till we got to Victoria motor coach station where we picked up the coach for our Evan-Evans tour to Leeds Castle, Canterbury and Dover. The exchange desk at the station had a better rate. After that we used the service desk on the ship , which had a reasonable rate.

[Globaliser]

Will I be able to use US dollars or will I have to change to local money?

As a follow-up to JeannyCT's question, also ask yourself: How much would someone in New York/Washington/Los Angeles want to make out of you if you wished to pay in pounds?

 

There are some places in London where you will find your (and other) foreign money accepted. But you can expect to be royally ripped-off if you want to do so.

[chasetf]

When we travel we hit the ATMs for local cash. I get the best rate and smallest fee through my Credit Union. Using a credit card gets the current rate but also adds a percentage for the exchange.

 

The money changers are the worst. I have seen 12-18% differences :eek: in their buy and sell rates....that is horrible. Avoid taking dollars (cash or travellers checks) to exchange into local currency.

[pcur]

When we travel we hit the ATMs for local cash. I get the best rate and smallest fee through my Credit Union. Using a credit card gets the current rate but also adds a percentage for the exchange.

 

The money changers are the worst. I have seen 12-18% differences :eek: in their buy and sell rates....that is horrible. Avoid taking dollars (cash or travellers checks) to exchange into local currency.

 

Capital One Visa card does not charge an additional 3% international purchase fee like the other cards. Got one for our upcoming trip, and I called them twice to confirm.

 

ATM's are the easiest, and then the ship's currency desk. Check your bank for partner banks in the UK, then you pay no ATM out-of-system fee. Bank of America partners with Barclays bank.

[SaylorGirl]

The ATM's (Cash Point) are the easiest to use. You might want to check with you bank before you leave to tell them you will be making foreign withdrawls. Also, check to see how much money you can withdraw each day. Don't forget 100 pounds is around $200 US.

[pcur]

We just returned from our trip, and used Barclay's ATMs throughout London for British pounds, and Euros in the rest of Europe. They are everywhere.

 

We would just get amounts to do us for a short while, and ended up with 20 pence left over at the end! You can get as little as 10 pounds from the ATMs.

 

Our Capital One credit card worked great for us, too, and like I said, no extra surcharge for international purchases.

[ollienbertsmum]

 

The money changers are the worst. I have seen 12-18% differences :eek: in their buy and sell rates....that is horrible. Avoid taking dollars (cash or travellers checks) to exchange into local currency.

 

 

Again there is a need to be aware of what the rate is. Money changers in Gibraltar give the same rate as the bank, we are always happy with what we get.

 

Check the rate before you go so you know if you are being offered a good deal.

[pcur]

We used Celebrity's currency exchange desk several times on our Millie cruise 4/21 - 5/3, and they charged about 3% over the exchange rate. They do NOT exchange coins, so rounding off to the nearest dollar can cause you to lose a little.

 

One VERY nice man at the next station actually chipped in a dollar for me so my exchange would be even. What a sweetie he was!