tiger1210
TUG Member
Where is the best place to buy foreign currency before you go on your trip, banks?
A banks rate is likely going to be the third best rate that you can find. Best would be using a credit card without foreign transaction fees. Second would be using an ATM in the country you are visiting to withdrawal as cash up to your single transaction limit. Third would be ordering or buying cash at a big bank. The only option to get money at the best rate before travel would be a bank. Having some cash when you land to avoid having to search out an ATM or getting stuck paying the really bad rates at the airport exchange counter. A banks rate may only be about 5-7% worse than the credit card.If you're talking about a major currency, you can usually order it from your bank. They usually offer a terrible rate.
Okay, how exactly did you use OFX Group? I setup an account online, called them up to verify and they indicated that they only do bank to bank transfers. There is no way to purchase physical currency through them. You must have a Mexican bank account?I use atms in the country but if you really need foreign currency I have used OFX Group Ltd out of San Fransciso. You send them your money- they send you the currency you want. You can find them on line.
Me too. Italian Lira, Spanish Pesetas, Czech Coronas, Polish Zloty, Deutsch Marks, Russian Rubles, and a few others that became worthless when all those went to the Euro. I really think they (especially the coins) are simply curios. I suppose that if you had a significant amount in a currently used currency, the mentioned (in another thread) Travelex booth (or online) might give you somewhere around 80%-90% of current value.I have a reverse question... I have a lot of "loose" notes and change (a couple of hundred dollars) of each foreign currency - about 10+ countries where I kept because I was travelling alot on business and it was always useful to have some on hand. I used to be able to turn them in to local foreign exchange shops/stands if I wanted to swap back to local currency but I don't find them here in the US. I want to get rid of them, and hope to get some money back. I won't be going back to most of these countries ever again...Any suggestions?
Thanks. I will check it out...Me too. Italian Lira, Spanish Pesetas, Czech Coronas, Polish Zloty, Deutsch Marks, Russian Rubles, and a few others that became worthless when all those went to the Euro. I really think they (especially the coins) are simply curios. I suppose that if you had a significant amount in a currently used currency, the mentioned (in another thread) Travelex booth (or online) might give you somewhere around 80%-90% of current value.
I have a reverse question... I have a lot of "loose" notes and change (a couple of hundred dollars) of each foreign currency - about 10+ countries where I kept because I was travelling alot on business and it was always useful to have some on hand. I used to be able to turn them in to local foreign exchange shops/stands if I wanted to swap back to local currency but I don't find them here in the US. I want to get rid of them, and hope to get some money back. I won't be going back to most of these countries ever again...Any suggestions?
Thanks. Will they do business with non-customers? We shut down our Wells Fargo accounts due to bad business practices even before the recent scandal came to light.VacationForever:
https://www.foreignexchangeservices.com/FES/rate/rate.html
This will show the currencies that Wells Fargo exchanges. Contact a local branch to ask if they will buy back, and at what rate.