Changing Money at Airports

Getting foreign currency at from exchange desks at the airport can often be a rip-off in terms of rates and commission. Take enough UK Sterling to get to the city centre.

Changing Currency

I tend to do a lot of flying – and to different countries as well. This often means that I need to get some foreign currency, and I hate doing so before the trip as this means carrying a lot of cash around, and I may completely misjudge how much I need.

Nationwide Building Society Debit Card

The second reason I hate doing it is that most of the time, the commission or poor exchange rate means that I’m losing out. Therefore I have an account with the Nationwide Building Society in the UK. The reason? They offer a debit card that allows me to make withdrawals at ATMs abroad at good rates and with no charges, fees or commission. This usually represents by far the best deal.

No ATM at airport

The problem, of course, comes when I arrive at an airport and it doesn’t have a cash machine/ ATM. It’s all very well getting a good deal on currency exchange, but you need to be able to get at the money.

Uncompetitive practices by currency changers

This is something that makes me angry. A lot of the time, there is only one reason for the lack of ATM: Uncompetitive practices by the currency changers. They want exclusive access to a captive market, and it’s no secret that the biggest rip-offs on rates and commissions are charged at the airport.

The solution

To get round this problem, I’ve developed what I regard to be the most pain-free solution. I’ll take enough UK sterling with me so that I can change just enough money to get from the airport to the city centre. And then, once I’m in the city centre, I’ll use my debit card in the cash machine.