where to buy dollars
 

I am travelling to NZ where is the best place to buy dollars in uk or nz

An airport ATM on arrival in NZ - just check with your bank to make sure there'll be no problems with your debit card. Or the airport bureau de change. If you want to stock up before departure from the UK (no need, though) you could change money at a bank or American Express office, but the fees and/or exchange rate may not be as good.

Plenty of ATMs in NZ. Just ask your bank if your ATM card will work there. ((R))

thanks for your help

could the reply of changing money at the airport atm really be the best bet?

I don't recall getting the best rate at any airport ever. ...even if I am only using the atm. Is it different in NZ.

Have friend leaving on Sunday. Just a kid. I would like to tell him where to get the best rate in Auckland. He will land with some money but living there for 3 months. Any ideas?

Sarah, bank ATM networks run off a central mainframe, and it never occurred to me that they'd be running discriminatory exchange rates on an ATM-by-ATM basis. Technically no doubt it could be done, but it just seems too clever by half. If I'm being naive I hope someone will correct me.

Second thought: is it in fact the foreign (in this case NZ) bank that determines the exchange rate you're charged, or your own bank back home?

It doesn't matter if you use an airport ATM or one in the city. The exchange is not done there. It is done by my bank.

Why you need to do that ,just when you arrvie to NZ use ATM machines at airport or whereever.
i often do that when travel abroad

Before you leave home, check with your bank to see if they are affliated with another bank in New Zealand. If so, you should be able to use their ATMs with no charge.

Use the ATM at the airport to get enough to get you started.

Just been to NZ and that is what we did with a minimum of fuss and charges.

I don't know where the best place to exchange; however, I will share this...because I just went through this today.

We decided to exchange some US$ for NZ$ here in the states before we left. I called a dozen banks here in Chicago. Several did not have NZ$. Of those that did, the exchange rate varied from $0.82 to $0.89. We obviously picked the best rate. Don't think I would get to research this to the same degreee once there (I wouldn't want to!).

Having said that, we only exchanged about 75% of what we expect to spend while there, so we undoubtably need to use the ATM.

The disadvantage I see with the ATM is that there is likely a service fee and since you are typically limited in the amount of withdrawels, we we would need to pay this several times. Not a big deal, but could add up. No additional fee for exchanging at the bank we used today.

Just my two cents.

Marg has given the best answer here, ask if your bank is affiliated with one here, for example one of mine is affiliated with BNP Paribas, and I don't get charged the high fees if I use their ATM machine when in France etc. I usually exchange some foreign currency at one of the small foreign exchange shops downtown, their rates are always good and they don't charge a commission. If you are flying into Auckland there's an ATM as you turn sharp left coming out of the customs area into the main hall.