CAdreaming

Hello y’all.

I feel like a right tourist trying to plan for my first trip back to Blighty in 3 years. Why can’t i remember how things work !!!!

Thought you lovely peeps would help a gal out.

Where to get som £s? Do i just go into a bank in UK and get money using my US debit card? honestly i can’t remember !

MtbbikeVanlife

Last few times that's just what I've done... used US (Bank of America) debit card in a UK (Spain/Italy/France) ATM and got cash out.

Going over later this week to watch my daughter run in the London Marathon - hopefully this still works !

CAdreaming

thank you and safe travels

kimilseung

Can't you buy the UK with a ten dollar note, these days, with the current exchange rate?

CAdreaming

😆

Pulaski

You'd never get it back through US customs!

penguinsix

Unless you are looking at a major transaction (i.e. > £1000) I'd just say the best way is to get some from an ATM when you arrive. The difference in a "good rate" and a "bad rate" when exchanging a few hundred pounds is probably only a couple USD. You may need to give your bank a heads up that you'll be travelling.

destone

Look into Wise, they offer a debit card.

tdrinker

Many places won't accept cash, so you'll need to pay by card. Make sure your bank knows you're travelling so your card works. Investigate whether are are better cards available; travelling from the UK, not all cards are the same, some add a (say) 3% transaction fee, some don't.

CAdreaming

thank you all

CAdreaming

thank you all

Lion in Winter

Bear in mind though that lately when you use the Wise card in the UK, although it works it also requires an actual signature on paper. Which makes people look at you as though you are from 100 years ago and in some cases is impossible, such as on the buses.

zzrmark

I took a wad of dollars with me when we visited the UK back in the summer. Changed them at Post Office branches as and when I thought I could do with having a few quid in my pocket. I ended up bringing most of the dollars back to the US with me though, I couldn't believe just how widespread the tap option and other electronic forms of payment have become the norm in the UK since my last trip (not sure when that was but it was pre-covid). I'm sure Wells Fargo raped me on charges but it seemed a small price to pay for convenience, especially as paper money in cities was often not welcomed.
My biggest bugbear was my mobile service, or rather lack of it - T-mobile assured me in the US that I could get as much 3G as I wanted on my standard plan, which was about as useful as taking a handful of Betamax videos would have been.
Luckily my daughter had a spare mobile wifi gizmo that she used to use before getting 'proper' wifi at home, which we were able to use for most of the trip, fantastic gadget especially when we were out in the sticks.
Biggest wow - London Transport has introduced tap at the turnstiles, you can still mess around with Oyster cards if you wish but who on earth?....