Currancy Exchange

We are travelling to Oz very shortly. We are seeking advice on the best way
to take the cash there. We have debit cards, credit cards and money in the
savings. Do we get travellers cheques? or take our cards??????

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

You can get Atms at banks and hotels and some service stations that takes
most cards and credit cards are taken every where in shops so thats the
way to go

"artwahh" wrote in
:

We are travelling to Oz very shortly. We are seeking advice on the
best way to take the cash there. We have debit cards, credit cards
and money in the savings. Do we get travellers cheques? or take our
cards??????

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks



We spent several months in Australia earlier this year, and didn't take
much cash, just used our credit card against our Canadian account.

Make sure your credit card is registered at your bank so you can withdraw
from abroad. Then just used it as a withdrawal card. Sometimes the credit
card *won't* work at all banks in Australia. Just talk to your bank and see
what they advise.

We found this the easiest way to manage our money, we didn't have to worry
about travellers cheques or anything else. The charges were $2.50 for each
withdrawal, so we would take $200-300 each time. Plus the bank may charge
for the money conversion. Again, best thing, talk to your bank.

Alan

artwahh wrote:
We are travelling to Oz very shortly. We are seeking advice on the best way
to take the cash there. We have debit cards, credit cards and money in the
savings. Do we get travellers cheques? or take our cards??????

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

A credit card and a spare one (in case anything happens to the first
one) and some cash (drawn from an ATM upon arrival) to get you through
the next few days (in case there is no ATM, it is
closed/broken/empty/limited/etc.).

I simply used my regular canadian bank card. Worked well in Australia
all over. Just check with your bank cirrus as well of other names on
back. I never needed to take more than $100 in local currency on
landing since BANK ATMs everywhere.


--
george
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george wrote:

I simply used my regular canadian bank card. Worked well in Australia
all over. Just check with your bank cirrus as well of other names on
back. I never needed to take more than $100 in local currency on
landing since BANK ATMs everywhere.

"everywhere" where *you* went! Don't assume that ATMs are "everywhere"
in Oz, because they aren't, especially not in rural areas, the outback,
etc. Hence my elaborate comments and my comments on *not* being able to
get money from EFTPOS establishments.

Depends upon your interpretation of the word "outback", but anywhere an
Australian would call "rural" would have an ATM and most larger outback
towns too. Do not be put off by Frank's generalisation.

--
The Commissioner

www.the-commissioner.com
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message
...
george wrote:

I simply used my regular canadian bank card. Worked well in Australia
all over. Just check with your bank cirrus as well of other names on
back. I never needed to take more than $100 in local currency on
landing since BANK ATMs everywhere.

"everywhere" where *you* went! Don't assume that ATMs are "everywhere"
in Oz, because they aren't, especially not in rural areas, the outback,
etc. Hence my elaborate comments and my comments on *not* being able to
get money from EFTPOS establishments.

In article , Geoff Lillico says...
Depends upon your interpretation of the word "outback", but anywhere an
Australian would call "rural" would have an ATM and most larger outback
towns too. Do not be put off by Frank's generalisation.

Even if there isn't an ATM as such, the local service station,
supermarket, pub (sometimes they are all three in one building) will
have EFTPOS and will generally allow you to take cash out with a
purchase. Minimum amounts apply - you'd probably have to buy $10 or $20
worth of goods to use EFTPOS.

Geoff Lillico wrote:
Depends upon your interpretation of the word "outback", but anywhere an
Australian would call "rural" would have an ATM and most larger outback
towns too. Do not be put off by Frank's generalisation.

I was not generalizing, I was *countering* a generalization that ATMs
are "everywhere". And, obviously, I was not talking about "larger
outback towns" (whatever "larger" may mean, see below). I said
"outback". I don't know what you mean by that term, but for me that
means (very) small 'towns', if any.

But let's be specific: How do you qualify (in SA): Leigh Creek and
Hawker? They are even on a sealed road. Sorry, but no ATMs there (in end
2002). Maybe there is one in Marree (30K sealed + 70K unsealed), but we
just *came* from there. [1]

I don't understand why my sensible recommendations to be *prepared*
(i.e. have two cards and some cash) are 'greeted' with such unfounded
"don't worry" responses. Also we never had any problems until we *had*.
It was our *third* trip and after about some *25,000* K (total). I.e.
even after all this 'experience' we were still 'unprepared' for this
event. I just want to (try to) prevent that others encounter these
problems. What's wrong with that?

[1] Yes there is one in Copley (where we stayed), but that one was
closed, because it is in a bar which was closed until much later in the
day.

--
The Commissioner

www.the-commissioner.com
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message
...
george wrote:

I simply used my regular canadian bank card. Worked well in Australia
all over. Just check with your bank cirrus as well of other names on
back. I never needed to take more than $100 in local currency on
landing since BANK ATMs everywhere.

"everywhere" where *you* went! Don't assume that ATMs are "everywhere"
in Oz, because they aren't, especially not in rural areas, the outback,
etc. Hence my elaborate comments and my comments on *not* being able to
get money from EFTPOS establishments.

In article , Geoff Lillico says...
Depends upon your interpretation of the word "outback", but anywhere an
Australian would call "rural" would have an ATM and most larger outback
towns too. Do not be put off by Frank's generalisation.

Even if there isn't an ATM as such, the local service station,
supermarket, pub (sometimes they are all three in one building) will
have EFTPOS and will generally allow you to take cash out with a
purchase. Minimum amounts apply - you'd probably have to buy $10 or $20
worth of goods to use EFTPOS.