General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips

General Holiday Enquiries? Got General Hints & Tips? Post Them Here.
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Dont buy your euros from thomas cook instore, as I was to find out, on 3 rd July

Went to buy £500 of Euros and got back €510, I was shocked, had to ask the girl at what exchange rate are they applying

The exchange rate instore was £1 = €1.02, I asked for a refund of my £500, as I believed the exchange rate as adverstised on there web site was €1.08 at the time, and the post office were give an exchange rate of €1.07

Even worse at liverpool airport, after security travelex, there euro rate of exchange was €1.002 plus £3.50 commision charge for amounts under £500
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Changed up £500 and got €555 the other day, quite a good deal. I'm a happy bunny. Exchange rate has been a bit crazy lately though!! :que

CourtneeLouise xx
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we changed ours yesterday at the money shop, the rate around town was 1.115 so because of the privilege card we got 1.118, not much more i know but every cent counts
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I noticed saturday that Superdrug in Cardiff were giving 1.10 , i dont know if all stores have travel money exchange or if its just the larger stores
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Superdrug Store in Cardiff were offering 1.10 exchange rate saturday , not sure if all superdrug stores have travel money exchange or if its only the larger ones

whoops sorry for posting twice .............thought first post was taking a long time to show so refreshed page and done it again
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A week to go till my holiday and I'm looking day by day to get £500 worth of euros. Over the last week the rate has been getting better and better for the pound. Also early Monday shows that it's creeping up again so I'll check about 4pm today and if it's better than yesterday I'll wait yet another day!
I think Tuesday will see about 1.12.

I'll get the rest of my money out of the Atms whilst away!
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with reference to Joe's post about Thomas Cook, I think all the big names have different online rates to what they use in the shops so TC aren't alone there. But TC also have big signs up in store advertising a shop rate so that would be that you'd think. Oh no, look at the small print at the bottom - it's not for cash, it's for topping up one of their Mastercard cashcards.
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Re: Thomas Cook....order on line and collect in store the same day and you will get the higher rate.

Todays rate...1.00GBP=1.1140EUR
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The fact that TC instore were offfering a rate of 1.02 for euros is appalling, when down the road the post office is offering 1.07 at the time, and 1.08 for amounts over £500

They lost my trade on that day, and I went to ICE, and got 1.0891
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hi all.....Ive always used the thomascook reserve and collect....commision free....and no need to use a card...and easy to track the going rate on....and soon as you see the rate you want....click and thats what you get....phone shop and arrange to collect....has worked a treat for me in the past...and usually the best rate unless you are prepared to pay with card (pay charges)and have delivered (if firm goes belly up like crown currency did you risk loosing all your cash)....and as cazB says 1.114 today

The tourist rate according to BBC text is the same and they get them from travelex.

Im hoping it keeps creeping up...and nab a deal 1.20....if it keeps creeping might be in with a chance by time I go....will be keeping careful watch incase it starts slipping the wrong way....tweetie
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Decided to get ours now - slowly dropping again :cry

Checked Thomas Cook online, post office were showing higher rate.

Rang up my local TC through which we book our holiday and they matched PO rate for collection!!

So I would ring up a store before ordering via TC online, as they offer better rates on phone than online!!

Happy hunting!
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Well TC gave me the better rate yesterday , heard that the post office was better but not this time
TC got my custom
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hi all....rate dropped because of the bail outs ...but we arent contributing this time....but there are undercurrents soon to come to the surface....and rates will rise again...so Im hanging out till just before I go now....was going to buy at 1.114 but missed the boat as youngest hadnt counted up his slummy bottles....we have a huge old whisky bottle we all throw our small change in....we keep it going till its full...then the youngest gets it as spends...and he has his own one he throws his change in.... was hanging on to see how much I needed get for him on top of mine...so will blame him....tweetie
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Got mine on Friday and only got 1.105... but was the best I could find in town :)
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whats the best rate around at the moment, i heard it could be on the up soon.
regards tracey
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as of 9am..... and not a complete list - just the ones I know are market leading + high street as comparison

for foreign notes
Post office 1.1132
Thomas cook 1.1120
M&S 1.1021
Thomson 1.0960

for prepaid cards
Travelex globe 1.1298 Gets mastercard rate (1.14527 less 1.4% fee on usage so real rate is 1.1298) *rate is variable as card is loaded in £
Fairfx 1.1225 €1.50 per ATM use
Caxtonfx 1.1180 No fee for ATM use
Thomascook passport 1.1120 €2 per ATM use

mastercard rate 1.145827 Halifax clarity & santander zero get this rate with 0% currency loading. *rate is variable as spending is converted as it happens
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hi tracey ....been watching and studying whats been going on....I missed it a while back at 1.114 as lad was dithering about counting his savings bottle....been watching it since.....have just bought mine from thomascook online.....rates just changed and is once again 1.114.....good thing about thomascook is you can order online ...get the online rate....then pay in cash on collection commission free.....

so no losing out due to credit card charges or paying them the extra because youve used one to pay

....you might get a better online rate in theory....but by the time you deduct your credit cards charges for buying cash and the bit of intrest you will pay untill you pay back your credit card and what the currency seller charges you for using a credit card to pay.....you land up getting a lower rate in practice

There is a possibility that the rates could get a little better....but its just as likely they could drop again...it will depend on what happens when the new figures are released today for GB...if the news is good and if the rates rise it will not be by enough to make that much difference....if the news isnt good then the pound will be under selling pressure...and the rates could drop

So I decided to get mine today.....the link for thomascook is below if you need it ....and the second one gives you loads of info and upto the minute rates for the GBP to euro...can get all the other currencies too.....tweetie

http://www.thomascookmoney.com/

http://www.currencynews.co.uk/rates-today/pound-to-euro_gbpeur
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Got mine in a little booze shop in Pernera, Cyprus at 1.115 ;)

CourtneeLouisex
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TWEETIE PIE wrote:
good thing about thomascook is you can order online ...get the online rate....then pay in cash on collection commission free.....

so no losing out due to credit card charges or paying them the extra because youve used one to pay


If you have the Thomascook credit card you can purchase with no fee and it's treated as a card purchase not a cash advance.
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