Question on currency conversion

If exchange rates were predictable we would all be millionaires.

So why is it that psychics always live in the crappiest houses?

But I digress.

Pretty much all customs/immigration all over the world have a problem with anyone carrying over 10,000 of some currency. You don't say how long you'll be traveling, but you allude to carrying literally thousands of dollars on my body when i travel. I think it'd be a bad idea to have more than say, 5000 of some currency.

As for guessing what it's going to be like at some future point, 1000's (try to) make a living on FOREX. Go find one of the trial modules and see just how good your guessing skills are.

You only have to get robbed once, to learn what Naivité means.

atm keep it simple.

As #11 says. Why would anyone travel with thousands of dollars in cash? You say you are going to "the UK and Europe". Never mind the fact that the UK is in Europe. Do you suppose there are no ATMs there? It's not the Amazon jungle.

The difference in exchange rates - which, as has been said, nobody can predict - will total no more than the cost of a few meals. Is that worth getting all worked up over?

The difference won't be enough to worry about. I've lived in Seville for eight years in all. I'm a yank.

I worried aboiut it and constantly checked it for four of those years.

Upshot is, they never differred more than about six dollars apert, in all that time.

Tat is six dollors apart, but that fifty cents +- multiplies as you get closer to a hundred. Still not worth worrying about.

Worry about the pickpockets. Banks give the best rate. Money exchange companies and guys in alleyways a la,"psst hey bud" are the price rasers. The latter will give you newspaper cut to size in the middle of the batch. Then who do you go to for help?

Cops laugh at our naivite after we leave them.

My rick steves money belt saved all three times that I KNOW of. Its given me good service for eight years and is washable.
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"Americans. Noce people and all, but Whew! They're afraid of everything, ut won't listen to the explanation."
-several Europeans

Nice people and all, but lousy spellers.
8<(

In Europe clothes (at least in Spain) Tommy Hilviger drawers are much more expensive that stateside.

Gawkster oversimplification alert; Now one yank George Washington fun ticket eguales eighty centimose en Espania. So you do the math. That extra .20 rises expidentially the more your total.

The conspiracy boys have said for twenty years, "Get your money out of the bank now. The banks are going to have a "bank holiday" when not even atms will work."

Never happened. Now the same panic promotors are saying,"Its still true, but way behind schedule."
Now really! Now I just listen to 'em for laughs.

Stores are going out of business left and right, in Seville. To quickly be replased by Chinese bazarrs. Some next door to each other. Conspiracy bs'ers are saying the Chino are artificially underpricing their goods to wreck western economy.

As we say in AA, "It all works out, if you'll just get outta the way." i.e, Don't sweat the small shit. And its all small shit.

If we alckies don't have a crisis going, we'll dream one up. For that's our old comfort zone.

THE SKY IS FALLING
- C. Little

Also, any speculation on economies and markets is purely that, speculation

I think you've answered your own question with that remark.

Another possible option may be to convert some into cash passports. Many of the banks offer them in various forms. It's a prepaid card and if you want to load up the funds now - you can access them in due course. Like the others though - I cannot be bothered with all the hassles of pre buying, plus you miss out on the interest on your funds held in the bank at the moment.

if its a shoe-string budget then the difference in the exchange rate changing 20% up or down aren't worth worrying about. Instead make sure you have cards that won't charge you a fortune in fees everytime you withdrawal from an overseas ATM.

That said I'd always have some cash with me - for emergencies (when the ATM eats the card, when the power is out and there are no ATMS, when you arrive some somewhere that has no ATM/bank that takes foreign cards) - if it makes you feel better buy those now an hedge your bets.

gawkabout since you admit to being a redneck i won't ask why you post so many times to the same ? do you know you can get it all in the same box?

OP why don't you just carry GOLD with the way it is increasing in value you won't need to carry too much. I am not sure about where you could exchange this for cash.

Get err done