Post office says people waste £28m buying euros at the airport
08.07.10
Holidaymakers are wasting £28m a year by leaving it to the last minute to buy their euros, the Post Office claims. Its survey of exchange rates at five UK airports found that families were losing out by an average of £16.60 each – the equivalent of 4 drinks and 8 ice creams in Portugal or 15 cups of coffee in Spain.
[You can buy your currency online via a number of foreign exchange companies. Each time we check rates, including commission and delivery charges, we find that Onlinefx, Travelex and the Post Office are the most competitive.]
Poor exchange rates at airport bureau de change were exposed by the Post Office after a recent surge in sterling against the euro. Last month, when the exchange rate reached €1.19 to the pound, Birmingham Airport offered €1.02 and Liverpool Airport €1.06. Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: ‘Typically you would expect a 7 to 8 percent difference in the rate offered at airports (compared to the best deal online).'
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