buying euro's

[gundogman01]

I am off to spain in sept. Should I buy euros now or wait until last minute or take cash and change it there

[R1Geezer]

in my experience you do better just drawing it out of a cash machine when there. Even with charges the exchange rate was better.

[Buenchico]

People go to university for 4 years to get a Mater's degree in Economics. They then join banks and train for a few more years so that they can try to predict how rates of exchange will vary in the future. Yet all of the research shows that their predictions usually carry more no more weight than pure guesswork! So, if the 'experts' can't tell you which way exchange rates will go, it's unlikely that anyone here can!

However, the pound/euro rate has stayed fairly stable for the past few months and (for what little it's worth) I doubt that there will be any significant changes before September.

To get the best rates, change a small amount of cash (at Marks and Spencer or the Post Office) before travelling, so that you'll have some 'ready cash' when you first arrive. Then use your debit card in Spanish ATMs from there on. The charges you'll face for doing so will almost certainly cost you less than the commission which you'd pay at any exchange facility, either in the UK or in Spain.

Chris

[Buenchico]

'Mater's?
'Master's'!!!

[jno]

it's stable...ish; it's varied from 1.10 to 1.15 since the start of June. But as Chris says, nobody knows.

[boxtops]

I wouldn't buy them in advance if I were you - we just get money out of the ATM at the airport, we never travel with more cash than we need for the first taxi to the resort. With ATMs so handy in most places, you just draw on the money as you need it.