If you’re heading off on holiday, you'll want to get the best possible exchange rate on the money you change up.
Getting your holiday money from your bank is almost always a bad idea, as the exchange rates are terrible. And you should definitely not leave it until the last minute to change your cash in the airport, as the rates there are even worse!
So where should you buy your holiday money? We’ve crunched the numbers from a range of leading foreign exchange firms to find where you can get the best deals on a range of the most popular currencies right now.
All of the examples here work on conversions of £500 into the currency in question. We've left out any firms that limit the areas they will deliver the currency to.
US dollars
|
Exchange bureau |
Total amount (US dollars) |
Notes |
|
BestForeignExchange.com |
$766 |
Can pick up from branches in central London, or have the money posted. £4.90 charge for postal deliveries. |
|
Ace-FX.com |
$765 |
Free delivery on orders over £1,000, £5 charge for smaller orders |
|
TravelFX.co.uk |
$760 |
Free delivery on orders of £700 and above, otherwise £5 handling fee. |
|
ICE FX |
$760 |
Handling fee of £4.75 applies for orders under £700 |
|
The Currency Club |
$758 |
Free next day delivery |
|
HSBC |
$756 |
£3.95 delivery charge for orders under £250. Can collect in branch. |
|
$755 |
Free next day home delivery if you order £500 or more, otherwise fee of up to £3.95 depending on order size. |
Rates quoted 12th May 2015
Euros
|
Exchange bureau |
Total amount (Euros) |
Notes |
|
Ace-FX.com |
€686.14 |
Free delivery on orders over £1,000, £5 charge for smaller orders |
|
BestForeignExchange.com |
€686.05 |
Can pick up from branches in central London, or have the money posted. £4.90 charge for postal deliveries. |
|
ICE FX |
€685 |
Handling fee of £4.75 applies for orders under £700 |
|
TravelFX.co.uk |
€680 |
Free delivery on orders of £700 and above, otherwise £5 handling fee. |
|
HSBC |
€680 |
£3.95 delivery charge for orders under £250. Can collect in branch. |
|
The Currency Club |
€676.90 |
Free next day delivery |
|
€674.20 |
£4.99 charge for orders under £500. |
Rates quoted 12th May 2015
Australian dollars
|
Exchange bureau |
Total amount (Australian dollars) |
Notes |
|
BestForeignExchange.com |
$963 |
Can pick up from branches in central London, or have the money posted. £4.90 charge for postal deliveries. |
|
$960 |
Free next day delivery on orders over £500, otherwise charges start at £5. |
|
|
ICE FX |
$960 |
Handling fee of £4.75 applies for orders under £700 |
|
HSBC |
$960 |
£3.95 delivery charge for orders under £250. Can collect in branch. |
|
The Currency Club |
$957.70 |
Free next day delivery |
|
Ace-FX.com |
$956.20 |
Free delivery on orders over £1,000, £5 charge for smaller orders |
|
American Express |
$952.65 |
Free home delivery if you order £500 or more, £5 charge for smaller orders |
Rates quoted 12th May 2015
Turkish lira
|
Exchange bureau |
Total amount (Turkish lira) |
Notes |
|
HSBC |
L2,020 |
£3.95 delivery charge for orders under £250. Can collect in branch. |
|
Changegroup |
L2,016.25 |
Free home delivery between five and seven working days |
|
TravelFX.co.uk |
L2,010 |
Free delivery on orders of £700 and above, otherwise £5 handling fee. |
|
Moneycorp |
L2,000 |
Free next day delivery on orders over £500, otherwise charges start at £5. |
|
Ace-FX.com |
L1,998.35 |
Free delivery on orders over £1,000, £5 charge for smaller orders |
|
Marks & Spencer |
L1,994.50 |
Online and telephone orders for M&S credit cardholders only. Also get a better rate. Delivery costs £5 for orders under £500 |
|
The Currency Club |
L1,988 |
Free next day delivery |
Rates quoted 12th May 2015
Japanese Yen
|
Exchange bureau |
Total amount (Japanese Yen) |
Notes |
|
Moneycorp |
¥92,000 |
Free next day delivery on orders over £500, otherwise charges start at £5. |
|
ICE FX |
¥92,000 |
Handling fee of £4.75 applies for orders under £700 |
|
Ace-FX.com |
¥91,859.10 |
Free delivery on orders over £1,000, £5 charge for smaller orders |
|
BestForeignExchange.com |
¥91,700 |
Can pick up from branches in central London, or have the money posted. £4.90 charge for postal deliveries. |
|
The Currency Club |
¥91,644.50 |
Free next day delivery |
|
Changegroup |
¥91,635 |
Free home delivery, between five and seven working days |
|
TravelFX.co.uk |
¥91,000 |
Free delivery on orders of £700 and above, otherwise £5 handling fee. |
Rates quoted 12th May 2015
What about a buy back rate?
Some foreign currency exchange firms offer a ‘buy back rate’. This is where they guarantee what rate they will pay you for any leftover currency at the end of your holiday.
This guarantee will cost you though, so you’ll need to do your sums to work out if it’s worth it.
For more, read Foreign currency ‘buy back rates’.
Don't forget credit and debit cards
Some credit and debit cards are designed for travellers to use when overseas, so don't hit you with all sorts of charges when you pay for something with them on your holidays.
Check out The best credit cards to use on your travels and The best debit cards to use on your travels for more.