I live in the FT Laud/Miami Area and my bank is a credit union that does not convert money. How does one get pounds without exchanging in the airport where the rate is very high. <BR>

Type in ATM in the search block and ou will get lots of good info. We are going to England next month and plan to use ATM and credit cards based on everything I have read so far. Plan to take some travelers checks just in case.

There are ATM's right at Heathrow and you can get the cash you need at the good bank rates. Don't get any pounds here - the cost is prohibitive! As recommended in previous postings on this site, use credit cards wherever possible, then ATM's for any cash needed. ATM's are available everywhere. You'll need a 4 digit pin code.

Steve: Have you called your credit union and inquired as to whether you can use your ATM card in the UK? We are also going to the UK and France in Sept. and I called my bank to find out if they are on the link that lets you withdraw from foreign banks. I also asked them if I could withdraw from my checking and my savings accts. I think its better to be safe and ask before you just assume you will be able to. <BR>

Dear Steve <BR> <BR> You can purchase pound sterling travelers cheques at AAA. You can exchange these cheques for pounds sterling cash at any american express, or Lloyds bank or Bank of Scotland at no cost. This helps in case they are stolen you can get them replaced. These are all over England. You can also exchange american express travelers cheques in american denominations for pound sterling at any bank. They will charge you the exchange rate on the day the currency is purchased plus a small fee. The banks in Great Britain will charge you alot more if you try to use american dollars to purchase their pounds because of the handling of the currency. You might want to consider using a credit card from your bank thats attached to your savings or checking account. They will charge you about one to two dollars for using another banks ATM for cash , but they will not charge you interest daily on the amount you get out of the ATM's like Visa or mastercard do or other cards. When you use the ATM's in England that particular bank will also charge you a small fee for using their ATM. When you use your credit card to make purchases you will be charged the exchange rate for that day and as long as you pay your bill off when received you will not have to pay interest on that. Please make sure to keep your receipts and VAT vouchers from the stores and fill out the needed paper work before leaving England. <BR> <BR> Hope this Helps <BR> <BR> Robbie <BR>

Follow the advice above on credit cards and ATMs (but check on ATM charges). If you're like me, you can't stand not having some local cash in your pocket. Look for a Thomas Cook office in Miami. This British company is all over the US now and sells pound traveler's checks and exchanges currency. They did not charge a fee for traveler's checks but there is a (fairly small) hidden charge in the exchange rate. Thomas Cook traveler's checks worked very well for me throughout the UK. They can be exchanged for cash at certain banks in most towns for no charge. They were also widely accepted at retail establishments, but don't expect to use them or credit cards at most B&Bs. Have fun and don't fret, I never found a British establishment that couldn't figure out how to charge me! <BR>