Obtaining advance cash
 

Has anyone used SkyTeller.com? I am <BR>thinking of using this service for advance purchase of Spanish $$. Have used similar service offered by travel agent. Most local banks in this area do not have foreign currency available and I like having some pocket money upon arrival.

Is there any info on this, please.

never heard of it, but I gather you live in a smaller city or you'd have a foreign currency place in town. IN that case, I'd suspect you are probably going through JFK airport or something like that en route, and there will be foreign exchange places in major international airports like that, so you could do that if you have enough time between planes.

<BR>Marion, if you aren't able to get <BR>some currency prior to your trip, <BR>don't worry about it. We never <BR>do, we just change some money at <BR>one of the airport facilities <BR>when we arrive.

Your bank should be able to get most types of forien currency, it may take them a week or 2 but they should be able to do it (few banks actually have the currency but they can order it). For our 2 previous trips (London, Santiago, Spain) I called my bank (one of the large Charlotte, N.C.'s) customer survice # and they took the $ from the specified account and gave me the option of having the $ sent to my hoe or to a local branch (I chose branch). No charge for normal delivery (7 - 10 bus. days) or $5 for next day. The exchange rate wasn't bad for London in late April $1.54 ppound. Hope this helps. <BR> <BR>MJ

Hi Marion, <BR> <BR>did you try a commercial bank? Many savings banks don't sell foreign currency, especially the small local variety. But I thought every town had a couple branches of the big, multinational, commercial banks. <BR> <BR>As far as skyteller, I haven't used it, but I checked their rates for Italian lire and they didn't seem to me to be very good. If I did the math right they are charging some %6 over the Interbank rate.