When traveling in the UK (from the US) do I need traveler's checks?

Question

Should I use traveler's checks or just convert American cash to Brtitsh pounds there?

Answer 1

I just got back from the UK and agree with the points made ... don't bother with traveller's cheques. If you are anxious about carrying lots of cash or losing a credit card, consider prepaid cash cards from Visa or Amex. http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_travel_money.html?it=c|/personal/cards/prepaid/index.html|Visa%20TravelMoney or http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,22395,00.asp. They offer the protection of traveller's checks with the convenience of a credit card, without the extra fees each tme you use them. You can also reload them if needed. Get used to pretending the prices are in US$ and not pounds ... otherwise paying 10 for an all day tube pass or $40 for lunch for two will really bother you. Consider looking (and booking) here http://www.toptable.co.uk/ for discounts at restaurants. You'll have restrictions on time you go, etc. but it can be worth it for a 50% discount.

Answer 2

I traveled to the UK last year, and I noticed some places, especially smaller merchants, did not like travellers’ checks. I personally think they are more of a hassle, but if it would make you feel better, then you could get some so that you don’t have only cash. Make sure to keep your tracking information in a different place than your checks, so that if the did get stolen, you would still have record of them. I personally am more of a cash/credit card traveller. I would suggest you exchange a little money before you go, but not a whole lot, just enough to get you by until you can get over there and find a place with a good exchange rate. Remember, the pound is worth almost twice as much as the dollar, so you’ll want to get the best rate that you can. And try to find the places that have no commission on their exchanges. They do exist, but you will have to get out of the airports and touristy areas to find them. And the exchange rates will vary dramatically, so you may have to look at a few places to get the best deal. And of course, don’t keep all your money in one place. As far as your credit/debit card goes, I always bring my credit card, but I would check with your card issuing bank to find out if they have any foreign exchange fees, or if there are any types of charges for using your card over there. Also, be sure to let them know ahead of time that you are travelling to the UK so they don’t think the charges are fraud when they start coming thru. Sometimes you can get a good exchange rate if you use your debit card to withdraw money instead of exchanging cash for cash, but if you are using a debit card, check on the foreign ATM fees to make sure they are not really high. Hope you have a great trip.

Answer 3

I use ATMs when I go there for convenience and a better exchange rate. If you choose to use ATMs make sure you have a 4-digit password as recommended above, and call the bank to make sure you have a high withdrawal limit. UK will eat you alive for cash, because it's expensive (esp London) and the exchange rate is $2=1pound right now. So, if your limit is $200 per day, you can withdraw only 100pounds, which is good for about a day.
If you prefer to use traveller's checks, buy American Express and change them for cash pounds in the UK.

Answer 4

Traveler's Cheques are not as recognised in the UK as they are in the USA. You might find that if you did bing them, you would have to go into a bank to cash them. The easiest way is to use cash machines (ATM) at banks to withdraw cash from your bank account. Make sure your bank knows you are traveling and that you have a 4 digit pin number.

Answer 5

I used my creit card as much as possible, but also I used pounds.

Get ready to pay a LOT for everything! The conversion rate is terrible so everything is really expensive for us. Good for their economy though!