money in the UK

[Boston lab girl]

This is my first trip to europe and I thought every one was using the euro. I am going to Scotland and Ireland on the century. I changed my money to the euro. Should I have changed it to the pound? Will the ship change money? should I just take dollars.. I am confused /

[paul929207]

Great Britain uses the pound. The exchange rate is about $2.00 = 1 pound. This includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 

Ireland uses the Euro. The Exchange rate is about $1.30 = 1 Euro.

 

Evrey ship I have been on had currency exchange at the pursers desk.

[Oahucruiser]

Just a warning . . . the exchange rate on a ship is awful, very poor. Save some of your euros for Ireland and maybe change the rest of the euros to pounds while you are at home.

[cberge]

If you are just going to be in a port for the day where the pound is used just take out what you think you may need at an ATM or use your CC if you feel you won't need any cash per se.You should be fine.

[ollienbertsmum]

This is my first trip to europe and I thought every one was using the euro. I am going to Scotland and Ireland on the century. I changed my money to the euro. Should I have changed it to the pound? Will the ship change money? should I just take dollars.. I am confused /

 

 

i wonder if you can use the euro you have taken out to pay your on board bill so that you are not losing out changing between currencies.

 

We paid our RCL bill in europe in dollars, but maybe your line is different

[Boston lab girl]

Thanks everyone for your response. I think I will save my money for Dublin. I was planning on doing the get on and get off the bus once I was there so having the extra money will be good. I will bring more American dollars and change them as I need to. I have already booked all the excursions so I don't need a lot of spending money.

[coxswain]

Hi there - a word of warning in Northern ireland we have local banks which issue their own Bank Notes ( still UK pounds ) but they are hard to change in other places in the UK

 

The bank notes are issued by the Northern Bank - Ulster Bank and Bank of ireland - if at the end of the day you still have any of these notes just go into any shop or bank and ask for English Bank notes.

 

 

These are English ( UK pounds ) notes - http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/pound-note.jpg

 

 

 

jj......

[pacmom]

Don't take a lot of US$. There are atms all over. Scotland banks issue their own pounds, as does England and No. Ireland. Atms are the most favorable way to change money. You might want some currency of the your departure country. Make sure your atm card has a 4 digit pin anf the bank knows the countries to be visited. Travel safely and enjoy. Pat

[PrincessYoga]

Hiya, Boston.

 

I used to live in Jamaica Plain and went to boarding school in Waltham. I am in Ireland as well (but the in northern part aka Northern Ireland), like Coxswain. Northern Ireland is still technically part of the UK hence why the UK pound. We can save that complicated discussion for another day. :D We are in the same place. although Coxswain describes himself/herself as living in there UK. :D As Coxswain said we have our own bank notes but they are still UK pounds. There are a fair few places in Belfast city centre that will take Euro notes (there will be a sign in the window or next to the till that says Euros accepted here) but it is far easier to go to one of many places (Going Places travel agents in Castlecourt a big shopping centre on Royal Avenue. It is on the second floor. It don't think they charge commission). Most of the travel agents and the post office (in High Street) will change your euro or US dollars to sterling/pounds. As my fellow poster also said, it can be difficult to spend your Northern Ireland notes in the UK (Scotland, Wales or England). I travel to England for work every couple weeks and am well used to this. If by chance you still have some left don't panic. all you have to do is point out the person taking your money in the UK (Scotland, England or Wales) where it says sterling on the notes. Don't worry about the coins they are all the same in NI, England, Scotland or Wales. The other thing I would be wary of is if someone gives you change in Back of Scotland or Clydedale bank notes (the Scots also have the own notes) because some places can funny about taking them. I always ask for them to be exchanged for English or Northern Irish notes. I hope this does not confuse you.

[cb747]

HELP!

 

I thought I had the money issue straight, now I'm confused:confused:

 

I need GB Pounds in England (London & Southampton)

Euro in Dublin

and GB Pounds in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

Can someone correct me if this is incorrect. Thank you. Chantal

[pacmom]

Yes, yes and the Bank of Scotland prints their own UK pounds. Can be very confusing. Pat

[cb747]

Pat,

 

Thank you for responding. If the Bank of Scotland prints it's own notes, can I use the pounds that I get in London in Scotland? (I feel real dumb.) Sorry! Chantal

[daiB]

Pat,

 

Thank you for responding. If the Bank of Scotland prints it's own notes, can I use the pounds that I get in London in Scotland? (I feel real dumb.) Sorry! Chantal

 

 

Yes,

 

English notes are taken all over the UK, England Wales Scotland & Northern Ireland.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

Dai

[calmac]

In Scotland there are 3 banks who issue notes - Bank of Scotland (BoS), Clydesdale Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) - so in Scotland you are likely to come across 4 separate sets of notes. Most common in Scotland are BoS and RBS then Bank of England and occasionally Clydesdale Bank.

[cb747]

Many Thanks. Chantal

[Elizanessie]

Scottish notes...as in £5 or £10 or £20 Pound notes are frowned upon in England in most of the shops etc...although they are actually legal tender some places will refuse to take them in England.....gets my back up :mad: but to save yourself embarassment you can go into a bank in Scotland and ask if they possibly could change them to English notes.

The coins -£1 or £2 coins arent a problem anywhere...it is just the Notes.:(

[tom_uk]

Let's calm things down by listing some terminological points.

 

There are two states, or countries, that the OP is visiting:-

 

a) the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland ('The UK');

 

b) The Republic of Ireland.

 

The first of these consists of several parts: a) England & Wales; c) Scotland; and c) Northern Ireland. England & Wales, plus Scotland, are often referred to as 'Britain', or 'Great Britain'. Strictly speaking this is a geographic term, not a political one - there is no single political entity that encompasses but does not extend beyond Great Britain as the UK includes Northern Ireland as well which is not part of Great Britain). Northern Ireland is sometimes referred to as a 'Province' within the UK.

 

The Republic of Ireland consists of the majority of Ireland, in fact all of it excluding Norther Ireland.

 

Both the UK and the Republic of Ireland are members of the European Union ('EU'). The Republic of Ireland is also part of the Euro zone, i.e. it uses the Euro as its currency. Despite being a member of the EU the UK is not a part of the Euro zone - that is, it does not use the Euro as its currency. The UK (all of it) uses the Pound Sterling.

 

Pounds Sterling banknotes are issued by a number of banks. The great majority of the Pound Sterling banknotes that you will encounter will be issued by the Bank of England. However, as has been said above, some other banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland have the right to issue Pound Sterling banknotes, and do so. Strictly speaking these bank notes are valid thoughout the UK, but in practice you might encounter some difficulty getting a Northern Irish note accepted in England & Wales - shopkeepers will simply not be familiar with them, and may be suspicious. (Scottish notes are more commonly encountered in England & Wales and thus cause less concern.)

 

Turning to Euros, all of the countries in the Euro zone issue Euros (notes & coins). All Euros are valid anywhere in the Euro zone. Euro notes are identical whever they are issued (e.g. a €10 note looks the same wherever it was issued. Euro coins, however, have a 'national' side (the obverse) on which some symbol or other from the country of issue is depicted. In the case of the Republic of Ireland it is an image of an irish harp. However, as I say, all euro coins are valid anywhere in the Euro zone.

 

(It can be fun checking the euro coins you get in change to see where they originated from. I've had Irish euros given to me in Spain (not surprising) and Italy (a bit further from home), but not so far in Greece - the point being that Ireland & Greece are the western- and eastern-most countries of the euro zone. The coins obviously travel extensively!)

[tech]

Scottish notes...as in £5 or £10 or £20 Pound notes are frowned upon in England in most of the shops etc...although they are actually legal tender some places will refuse to take them in England.....gets my back up :mad: but to save yourself embarassment you can go into a bank in Scotland and ask if they possibly could change them to English notes.

The coins -£1 or £2 coins arent a problem anywhere...it is just the Notes.:(

 

Hi, please check your albums for my message...would like to get in touch.

 

Thanks

Tech

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

The only reason that some shop keepers in England do not like Scottish notes is that when they come to bank them them they need to be accounted for in a different space on the paying in slip.

 

small side note, if you offer to pay for goods and the shop keeper does not take your money then just walk out of the shop with the goods, as you have offered payment and he has declined to accept payment, it is not shop lifting.

 

I make a point of only taking Scottish bank notes when I go south, I am a scot and have nothing to hide, the next PM will be a Scot,

 

a few more years we will have them all eating Haggis.

 

yours Shogun

[Elizanessie]

Hi, please check your albums for my message...would like to get in touch.

 

Thanks

Tech

 

 

Oops sorry Tech just saw this :o ..you can email me at

 

Elizanessie@aol.com

 

Put CC in your subject line please

Thanks

[calmac]

Links within this website will let you see what the current Scottish banknotes look like. Click on the links on the left which are in the darker blue and say "Bank of Scotland" etc.

 

http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_denominations.php