Just realised my pre-loadable cash card has expired d’oh!

What’s the least “bend over Sir” option to get cash and spend euros?

I’ll be at the airport for 8am so no way to get to banks/M&S/Post Office etc.

You might get better rates by ordering online for collection at the airport.

Order online through Travelex or similar and pick up at the airport. The online order rates are always lots better than the walk up to the counter rates, and as Euros are stocked everywhere, ordering them late shouldn’t be an issue.

You may also be able to order the pre-loaded cards very late for collection.

What does your bank charge you for withdrawals on EU cash machines?

I’d go with just drawing cash on a debit card abroad. Rates are normally ok even taking transaction fees into account. Just do it in big chunks rather than £20 here and there

Actually thinking about it, I believe the approved post-Brexit approach is to just pay in Sterling and speak loudly and slowly at anyone that questions it. 😆

You anywhere near a debenams they may be open to 8 ,asda do money but not sure if you have pre order

Ditto; either Travelex en ligne (marvel at the site/software – that was one of mine 😉 ) and/or debit card/cash machines in Johnny foreigner land. Unless you’re dealing in £10’s 1000’s, it’s unlikely to be a material sum and you really don’t need to live up to the stereotype 😀

You’ve already taken a referendum based bumming to the exchange rate anyway, so don’t fret.

Enjoy the holiday.

Ta all.

I have a Santander 123 thingmy, I might get a chance to try to work out the rates & fees while packing.

Lookinng at Travelex, what a god-awful site 😉

Sainsbury’s at meadowbank do currency.

Oh well Travelex don’t have a store in Edinburgh and their website is proper annoying due to a video that starts playing

I’m sure it’s technically amazin and earns lots of cash

Personally I’d just go to a decent sized super market or post office. It’s Euros, it’s the most competitively traded holiday currency, you’re not going to save piles of cash by shopping around, it’s a few cents/pence here or there

Frankly I just use my standard issue Nationwide Debit Card, I don’t get charged fees and any loss on exchange rate I more than gain in not bringing home a pile of useless shrap I’ll lose before next time.

ICE are normally competitive on rates if you order online then collect from Waverley (not sure when they open). They may have offices in some airports.

You will get well and truely shafted at the UK airport exchanges. Try and avoid.

Is your bank debit card VISA ? You should be able to get cash out at an ATM abroad. Its worth getting out so e £ cash and changing that at the other end somewhere.

You can just exchange denim jeans, chewing gum and nylon stockings.

ICE is “discounted” to 1.11, my card was 1.16

Realy worth taking £ over there?

Is there a Moneycorps at Edinburgh? They do online sales with airport collection.
Otherwise, I’d just take money out of the ATMs in Europe.

You can check rates here: money saving expert
When out there a credit card will probably be better than a debit card, but it depends on the card. MSE have some info on that too.

It’s not this hard!

Look on the airport website, they’ll have a list of foreign exchanges in the airport. Go on the website of those foreign exchange places, see what their online prices to order Euros are. Order the best one.

Job done…

Check with your bank. It’s often not too bad just to take it out from a cash machine abroad as long as you take out a reasonable lump at once as there is a fixed charge as well

If you have any left over you can always sell them to any euro folks you might see in the next few weeks

edit: The Santander fee looks like 4.25% plus whatever horrible rate they give you 🙁

+1 Travelex, Moneycorp etc

Order online, then collect at airport. It’s often amongst the best rate you’ll get. Do not go to airport and request it there as you get the shafted rate.

You can also get a pre-load card to pick up there next day. However be careful as many now have hidden T&Cs, such as Moneycorp I discovered has hidden monthly fees for non-use that will eat up any remaining balance, and fees for ATM use, fees for cashing out after the trip unless you pay up front to protect this, and they block transfers to anything else (e.g. use to load PayPal with funds as I used to do to extract the money).

Al the fx changers at the destination airport need £’s to sell to travellers hence the cash suggestion. TBH I mostly use my ATM card getting out larger amounts as I pay a fixed charge per withdrawl.

Andy – ta – trying £, seems I’ll get a similar rate to using ICE at the airport with a voucher 1.11 (1.01 without, similar to airport bureau in Pisa)

Order online from Moneycorps.
Airport outlets usually open at 3am. !!!
Their rate was ok, better than some high street places.

If you’re only changing a grand, there’s so little in it it’s barely worth thinking about, just get whatever’s most convenient

Avoid Travelex at all costs if you can – the website is an absolute crock of shit.