Euros at Gatwick?

I'll be flying from the US to The Netherlands, and I have a
long layover at Gatwick. I'd like to be able to buy snacks
while I'm there, but I hate to stock up on GBPs just for
that. I suppose that I could use credit cards, but I feel
silly using a credit card to buy a cup of coffee. I'll have
a good supply of Euros with me -- is there any chance that
the shops at Gatwick will accept them?

"Hank Mishkoff" wrote in message
...
I'll be flying from the US to The Netherlands, and I have a
long layover at Gatwick. I'd like to be able to buy snacks
while I'm there, but I hate to stock up on GBPs just for
that. I suppose that I could use credit cards, but I feel
silly using a credit card to buy a cup of coffee. I'll have

Why on earth! By all means use your card.

"Hank Mishkoff" wrote in message
...
I'll be flying from the US to The Netherlands, and I have a
long layover at Gatwick. I'd like to be able to buy snacks
while I'm there, but I hate to stock up on GBPs just for
that. I suppose that I could use credit cards, but I feel
silly using a credit card to buy a cup of coffee. I'll have
a good supply of Euros with me -- is there any chance that
the shops at Gatwick will accept them?


I guess you havent seen the price of a coffee at Gatwick !

"Hank Mishkoff" wrote in message
...
I'll be flying from the US to The Netherlands, and I have a
long layover at Gatwick. I'd like to be able to buy snacks
while I'm there, but I hate to stock up on GBPs just for
that. I suppose that I could use credit cards, but I feel
silly using a credit card to buy a cup of coffee. I'll have
a good supply of Euros with me -- is there any chance that
the shops at Gatwick will accept them?

Some shops. e.g. WHSmith etc might accept them. However they will give you a
terrible exchange rate, and any change will be in pounds anyway. Use you
credit card, it's no big deal :-)

They will take pretty much anything. Of course the exchange rate will
be exceptionally bad so use your card wherever you can. Or just get 10
pounds from an ATM a couple of cups and a snack will cover that. FFM

Hank Mishkoff wrote:

I'll be flying from the US to The Netherlands, and I have a
long layover at Gatwick. I'd like to be able to buy snacks
while I'm there, but I hate to stock up on GBPs just for
that. I suppose that I could use credit cards, but I feel
silly using a credit card to buy a cup of coffee. I'll have
a good supply of Euros with me -- is there any chance that
the shops at Gatwick will accept them?

Hank Mishkoff wrote:
I'll be flying from the US to The Netherlands, and I have a long layover
at Gatwick. I'd like to be able to buy snacks while I'm there, but I hate
to stock up on GBPs just for that. I suppose that I could use credit
cards, but I feel silly using a credit card to buy a cup of coffee.

Don't worry about feeling silly.

I'll have a good supply of Euros with me -- is there any chance that the
shops at Gatwick will accept them?

Sure, but at a crappy rate.

Sometimes if you go to an exchange place with a pathetically small amount of
money 3 euros or whatever) and claim that's all you have, they'll change it
for you without charging commission. Or at least they've done when it really
was all I had, and they didn't check my pockets.

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

Two peices of cake and two or three coffees - that'l be almost 10
pounds. Food and drink are cheaper in the UK if you take them away
rather that eat them in.

Many places will not accept debit or credit cards for purchases under
5 pounds.

The exchange rates that the high street stores use in the UK are the
exchange rates they receive from their bank at the start of each
trading day.

Regards,
Bart

---
Travel-mania
http://www.travel-mania.net

Low Cost Carrier discussion forums
http://www.travel-mania.net/lccforum



On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 15:45:52 GMT, "Frank F. Matthews"
wrote:

They will take pretty much anything. Of course the exchange rate will
be exceptionally bad so use your card wherever you can. Or just get 10
pounds from an ATM a couple of cups and a snack will cover that. FFM


---
Travel photography is not just about documenting what you see while travelling. Pictures can capture the sense of adventure while in your own city or another country. Visit Travel-mania and share your travel photos at http://www.travel-mania.net/gallery

But we were talking of Gatwick not the high street stores. Gatwick
shops are designed to efficiently remove cash from customers as rapidly
as possible. Well you have to pay for convenience. FFM

Bart wrote:

Two peices of cake and two or three coffees - that'l be almost 10
pounds. Food and drink are cheaper in the UK if you take them away
rather that eat them in.

Many places will not accept debit or credit cards for purchases under
5 pounds.

The exchange rates that the high street stores use in the UK are the
exchange rates they receive from their bank at the start of each
trading day.

Regards,
Bart

---
Travel-mania
http://www.travel-mania.net

Low Cost Carrier discussion forums
http://www.travel-mania.net/lccforum



On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 15:45:52 GMT, "Frank F. Matthews"
wrote:


They will take pretty much anything. Of course the exchange rate will
be exceptionally bad so use your card wherever you can. Or just get 10
pounds from an ATM a couple of cups and a snack will cover that. FFM



---
Travel photography is not just about documenting what you see while travelling. Pictures can capture the sense of adventure while in your own city or another country. Visit Travel-mania and share your travel photos at http://www.travel-mania.net/gallery

Many places will not accept debit or credit cards for purchases under
5 pounds.

In the US, the credit card companies insist that merchants
accept credit cards for *any* purchase, no matter how small.
The merchants don't like that policy (on a really small
purchase, they could actually lose money), and I don't know
if it's actually enforced. From your note I gather that the
policy is not the same outside the US, is that right?

"Bart" wrote in message
...
Two peices of cake and two or three coffees - that'l be almost 10
pounds. Food and drink are cheaper in the UK if you take them away
rather that eat them in.

From the same place? That might have been the case 10 years ago but I don't
know anywhere which uses different takeaway / sit in prices any more.

Many places will not accept debit or credit cards for purchases under
5 pounds.

It's in the their terms that they have to accept credit cards for any
purchases. If they don't they are breaking their terms. However this is
Gatwick airport! If anywhere is going to be used to accepting cards, it's
there.

The exchange rates that the high street stores use in the UK are the
exchange rates they receive from their bank at the start of each
trading day.

Plus a bit extra for their 'administration'.