Getting British pounds in the US
 

I'm blown away and really confused with the new Fodor's format (needless to say, I've been away for quite a while). So after searching a bit, I thought I'd throw my question out:

I need British pounds because we're landing from a cruise in Dover and immediately taking a taxi (reserved) to Ashford for the Eurostar. The taxi wants money on the spot; they've offered some kind of transfer bank-to-bank ahead of time, but I don't understand that. I thought I could get pounds in Gibralter, only to discover that Gibralter pounds aren't good in England.

So where should I get pounds ahead of time? Help! (I love this forum so much and it has been so helpful over the years, I told my SIL that this is where I would start!) (And why is everything centered—I find that quite disconcerting?)

To decentre, try hitting the function key F5 - worked for me.

Wouldn't you be able to get GBP on the ship?

What are the ports of call on your cruise?

to actually answer your question

here in San Franciscan for ex I can buy foreign currency at

at least two of the big banks (Wells Fargo and B of A)
American Express travel offices
GFS/Forex Foreign Currency

I'd start with your bank.

I'm no expert, but I'd be shocked if there's no ATM at the cruise port in Dover.

And any ship landing in Dover surely offers pounds on board -- I doubt at a rate any worse than you'll get at your bank in the states.

Your ship will have £ and there are ATMs in the port. But if that makes you nervous/crazy -- just get a few £ at your departure airport. Every international departure lounge has a bureau de Change. Take $100 cash your stateside airport and buy a few £

Don't mess about w/ ordering them from your bank, etc.

Thanks, Ron! I'm so glad I asked about decentering! It was like reading poetry or something.

Everyone's advice was great, but I think Janisj solved my problem: yes, it might drive me crazy, so changing $$ at the departure airport might be the best choice for me, especially knowing that there's still the ship and Dover ATMs. I just don't know if there'll be an ATM between the ship and the taxi!

Once again, Fodor's to the rescue!

"they've offered some kind of transfer bank-to-bank ahead of time, but I don't understand that"

What on earth is there not to understand?

You ask your bank to pay Joe's Taxis £100. It does it. If that's too difficult for you how do you pay your electricity bills?

By all means go running round Dover. But they've offered you an infinitely easier solution. Why complicate things?

My local bank will get foreign money for me if I order a few days ahead of time. But, as suggested you can exchange money at your departure airport.

Just do the bank transfer....then you're all set...

No... take the cash from your bank at home or where ever.

I'd never pay Joe's taxi up front.
If Joe doesn't show you're out 100 pounds and good luck getting it back!

Putting your hands on some British currency before you leave is not difficult.

flanner, in the US an international bank transfer costs something like $35 in fees, much too costly for a relatively small expense. We pay our bills with paper checks or the online equivalent.

ATM's are the ONLY way to go and they are everywhere!

I owuld guess that 99% of the people in the US have never done a bank wire transfer - I don;t even have a clue what it is.

You pay your bills onlne - or by paper check if you have some weird merchant who isn;t set up for online payments. (Many of ours are set up for automatic withdrawal - ConEd, cable TV, phone/nternet, co-op maintenance, car insurance etc - for credit cards we check the statement before paying.)

never mind, nytraveler -- sometimes people in other countries think the way they or their banks do things is the way US banks and people operate. Some of them probably wouldn't even understand that US banks usually have hefty charges for doing a wire transfer --especially when it involves a foreign currency -- like as much as $25 per foreign transaction. Yes, surprise to some apparently -- pounds are "foreign currency" in the US. So while they may say things like "what on earth is there not to understand?" we should refrain from asking them the same thing.

Have a look at the Dover Cruise terminals information

http://www.doverport.co.uk/_assets/c...iseguide08.pdf

They seem to have cash machines and currency exchange desks.
It would be very strange if such an important port didn't.
Joe can wait for you while you nip in and get your cash.

I actually find it very annoying that US banks charge so much for wire transfers. Small B&B type places outside the US frequently ask for wire transfer for their deposits. I've wound up using Western Union on occasion, but they aren't exactly cheap either. I hear there's a way to do it with xe.com, but I haven't yet used it myself.