currency
 

I have rail pass and hotels locked in. With the recent news about the EU, My question is : Should I buy Pound sterling now, here in the U.S.(only 100/200...(pocket money) or wait till I see an A T M in Holyhead, that's where the ferry lands ,from Dublin ? I'll be in Edinburgh for 3days, then Glasgow for another 3 days and like to carry a little cash.
I'm a big fan of Hop on Hop Off buses....I'm a senior and don't walk as well as I did a year ago With in mind, what to see and do in EDI and GLA that doesn't involve climbing too many hills or steps ?

Thank you for your help,

♪Michael G.♪

i'd wait for the atm, but it depends on your bank, some in the us are not yet set up for international travel yet,

EDI without steps? You do know the city is built into a steep hill?

just a point, you don't want to be trying to change scottish notes back to $ after your trip as they are a little different to that normally seen in exchange places. So when you spend try and keep the UK currency back and spend the scottish (you'll see what I mean when you get here, or search on line)

Its hard to avoid walking in Edinburgh, especially at the Castle. Glasgow is a bit easier.

Unless you want to be a currency speculator, wait till you are there unless you need a lump sum upon arrival for a VRBO type rental. At current exchange rates, I wouldn't blame anyone taking out a few thousand dollars in currency for a known expense.

tip- pay your last night(s) hotel with remaining cash and use your credit card for costs above what currency you have

EDI is next to impossible w/o walking. But if you plan right (and it does take planning) you can make most of your walks down hill. You could ride the H-o-H-o bus up as far as Castle Hill, visit the castle (Inside the castle involves a LOT of fairly steep up hill). then head down the Royal Mile to the bottom -- a long way but entirely down hill and fairly easy). After Holyrood Palace you can catch the H-o-H-o from a nearby stop and continue the tour into the New Town. Everything between the Forth and Princes Street is also up hill so so you could walk north but to get back you would need to catch the H-o-H-o, a city bus, or a taxi.

Glasgow also has some hills but NOTHING like Edinburgh.

The currency markets are pretty volatile right now but predictions are that the £ remain low against the $ -- so I wouldn't pre-purchase any Sterling. Just use ATMs and as bilboburgler suggests, spend any and all Scottish notes (except maybe one or two as a souvenir) before you leave Scotland.

While I routinely use ATMs, for such a small amount I'd probably get it before I left home, one less thing on arrival. While Travelex isn't known for favorable rates at foreign ATMs or for exchanging cash at destinations, I did recently find that for cash in advance of travel they were less expensive than my bank. Bought online with a credit card, the cash was delivered to my home, quick & easy.

https://www.travelex.com/

I like to have a little local currency in my pocket when arriving in a foreign country, and in most cases it's just what I have left over from my last trip. If it's not too much trouble, I would buy maybe £100 before the start of the trip. It's true that it will be cheaper to wait and use an ATM when arriving in the UK, but for such a small amount you are talking about only a few dollars.

Thank you all for the info. Hill and stairs will be dealt with. Can't wait to board the Ho Ho. I feel more confident now.

Thank you all,
Michael G.

I'd do both. I like to have cash before I go on the trip, so I get some from my home bank. Then have an ATM card and USD on me as back up to that.