How late can I book last minute travel money?
If you have left your currency exchange to the last minute, don’t worry! You can still buy euros, dollars or up to 60 + currencies and get a much better than airport bureau exchange rate for your holiday. We’ll give you the top 5 tips to ensure a cheaper travel money deal.
It happens to the best of us, and millions of Brits each year leave it to the last minute to buy holiday money. Unfortunately, most get stung by the high exchange rate markups added by airport bureaus, often over 10% of the value of your transaction. Remember, 0% commission isn’t a good deal if the markups are horrendous. The good news is that there are a number of travel money suppliers that will let you buy your foreign currency at the last minute at preferential exchange rates.
Find Suppliers Who Offer Travel Money With Airport Or Store Collection
Most travel money companies who offer a collection service will let you pick up your currency 4 hours after placing your order. The rates booked online for collection will often be different (preferential) compared to the exchange rates offered in-store.
Secret tip: If you really leave currency exchange to the last minute & find yourself in the taxi on the way to the airport, don’t panic. Our research team have found that by calling the airport bureau desks, you can request a price match of the online rates. This method is not advised, and requires a fair degree of ‘chutspah’, but its worked most times we’ve tried it.
Golden Tips When Buying Currency At The Last Minute
Compare travel money rates – it pays to shop around, even when buying currency at the last minute. Use our travel money comparison tool to dynamically compare the best value deals on the market.
Buy online for airport collection – Depending on how late you leave it, you may need to go for a provider who offers airport or train station collection. If you do want to buy foreign currency for home delivery, read carefully the T + C’s of the provider to ensure you have enough time for the money to arrive at your front door.
Try to avoid expensive ATM’s abroad – For your next trip, consider taking a prepaid currency card. These work exactly like your debit card back home, without the expensive ATM & point of sale fees. If you don’t have money on the card, you can’t spend. So these cards become great for budgeting. If you are going to Europe, consider a specialist euro currency card.
Beware of dynamic currency conversion – Always opt to pay in the local currency when buying at a foreign ATM or restaurant. To pay in your home currency is a huge hidden fee catastrophe, as you are effectively asking the foreign bank or provider to apply their determined exchange rate markup
