Holidays and euros....?

Question

going westcoast ireland, i no we need euros but can i take travllers cheques instead, and do i get the same back on them as i buy them for i know i get less for the euro.

Answer 1

Travellers cheques cost you money when you buy them and when you cash them in. Take cash and exchange it over there. I know the cheques are insured ( another charge ) but cash is very safe if you look after it. I carry mine in a body belt.

Answer 2

Yes to the first question. No to the second one.   My advice is change your Pounds to Euros at Marks and Spencers before you go, just turn up at the store with Pounds or a debit card and they give you Euros there and then, and in my experience they give by far the best rate.   Try not to bring too many back, as you will not get a good rate, anywhere by changing them back to Pounds, best to keep them until your next holiday, as most places in Europe are Euros now.   Take plenty of money to Ireland as it is VERY VERY expensive!

Answer 3

Take a travel money card from the Post Office, you can use it at most cash machines and in shops, you can load as much as you like and it isnt linked to your accoune, so if you lose it or get scammed they cant get at the rest of your money.

Just used one on holiday in Slovenia, no problems.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk

Answer 4

Traveler cheques are a poor idea.

They are hard to exchange, specially in all the small towns on Irelands west coast. You will stand a better chance in the bigger towns, but even there it is hard these days.

Better bring your bank card, (check that it is ready for use abroad,) and use it in the ATMs, you will find those even in the smaller villages.

You buy traveler cheques, at a cost. If you buy them in your own currency you do not pay for the money exchange when you buy them, you will loose than money when trying to get your money out of them.

If you buy them in Euros you will loose the exchange rate when buying and then again when selling them back to the bank.

If you have a credit card that is a better option, at least for payment in all places that accept it, you still pay a little exchange fee, but it is smaller than any other way.

But to get money out of the wall with credit cards you pay for an cash advance, which is a much higher fee than you would pay on your bank card.

The systems most used in Europe and MasterCard and Visa, also accepted, but in fewer places is American Express.

Prepaid cards on those systems are accepted in most of Europe as far as I know, and are much cheaper in use than travelers cheques.

If you want to take some back-up money you can take your own currency, (like about $100 in $20 bills,) so that if your card fails or you can not find a working ATM you still have some money available.

But with ATMs as widespread as they are that is rather unlikely. But you can use that money when you come back home too.

Answer 5

as long as the travellers cheques are in euros which i presume they will be cashed one for one but any you may have over when you get back you will only get the exchange rate at the time you change them back here is an example

1.00 EUR = 0.793115 GBP

Euro    United Kingdom Pounds  

1.00 GBP = 1.26085 EUR

United Kingdom Pounds    Euro  

so you will not get back as much as you paid out