My bank's card here in the Virgin Islands doesn't work in the UK.

I find it a pain in the neck to charge tiny amounts on a CC when it's quicker to lay out the cash.

The worst problem with exchanging money is that you have to carry larger quantities of your own money than I care to when traveling.

So Marks and Spencer charges maybe 3% minimum to get pounds with US dollars? That's a $15 charge on 500 dollars worth. Many here scream about a bank charging $5 on an ATM withdrawal.

And if there is anybody who has a US bank that charges 3% plus a fee for withdrawing funds at a foreign ATM, that person should quickly change banks. That's just plain absurd. That's what you might expect to pay however if you withdrew funds from an ATM with a CREDIT card, not an ATM card withdrawing money from your own bank account.

I meant my bank's ATM card. I'd never use a CC for a cash withdrawal unless there was some emergency.