Hi got 1.227 at marks and spencer yesterday and if you get over £500 you get a £10 voucher to use if you spend over £20 instore.

Rate yesterday in Albufeira €1.205

They seem to be fluctuating so much at the moment. Yesterday Marks and Spencer was 1.227 and today they are down to 1.213. I am looking to get them Saturday so hopefully it will be up again by then! I dont suppose there is anyway you can forecast it!

Exchange rates at Manchester Airport last week 1.18 rip off

Yesterday in Albufeira 1.203; cash machines giving 1.24 it seems - minus of course any bank charges!

Airport exchange rates are always a couple of points below the 'normal' rate and I do not understand why anyone would change money at an airport anyway.

Anyone using a Nationwide debit card will not be charged and the exchange rate is the VISA rate http://corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_services/consumer_ex_results.jsp?from=GBP&to=EUR&rate=0.0

It was 1.26 today

cubsur wrote:

Yesterday in Albufeira 1.203; cash machines giving 1.24 it seems - minus of course any bank charges!

Airport exchange rates are always a couple of points below the 'normal' rate and I do not understand why anyone would change money at an airport anyway.

just wondering if anyone knows the exchange rate in Albufeira for today

Sorry haven't been into town today (yet) but I noticed earlier this week that it was still 1.203 in the change shops.

thanks cubsur,thats good enough

'twas a smidge lower today at 1.20 exactly.

For anyone yet to travel, yesterday In Co-op travel they were offering 1.24 euros to the £ if you bought more than £400 worth.

A friend has just informed me that Tesco were offering the same rate but you could just buy however much you wanted.

Rate was 1.20 on Albufeira strip yesterday.

Still 1.20 as of 16th September.

Hi all, it's been a very long time since i've been on here, used to use the Benidorm forum a lot, and i remember all the old mods, Dave, Glynis etc. Been popping in the odd time but not posting unfortunately through work. Now i need a little help if you all would be so kind.
I have friends who are going to Albufeira for the first time and are wondering whether they will be best to take a bank card with them to withdraw cash and a few hundred euros for the first few days , or a travellers cheques and euro cash combo.

Is the rate better than the rate at the post office/tesco, at home than at the cash machines over there considering any charges?. What are the best cash machines to use in Albufeira, and where are they located?.
Thanks for any advice, Tom.

There are cash machines all over the place in and around Albufeira. Look for MULTIBANCO signs. They can be found outside almost all banks, in shopping centres and even strange little places nowhere near a bank. Best to check out two or three near where you are staying, visiting etc as they sometimes run out of cash at weekends.

You can only draw a maximum 200 Euros in one go by the way, although the system will allow you to make two such transactions in one day.

The exchange rate here for cash is rotten - it was 1.20 the other day and many people can get a net 1.24 in the UK. However for safety and security I always advise against carrying large wads of cash or keeping it in hotel rooms, just waiting to be stolen or lost.

Depending on what the UK bank charges for foreign cash withdrawals, you should still get a reasonable rate from Multibanco.

I don't know anyone who uses traveller's cheques. I wouldn''t even know where to cash one. Perhaps someone can enlighten us?

Travellers cheques can be changed at the bureau's on the Strip, by the crossroads at Linekers Bar,
or on the corner opposite Liberto's.

The bureau's in the Old Town will also change travellers cheques.

But I agree with Cubsur.

I would recommend your friends take take a bank card and use the cash machines.
But remember, the maximum one is allowed to withdraw from any machine in one day is €200.

If they haven't got one and they have time, I would recommend they open a Nationwide Flex account and take
that card.

I returned from Albufeira two weeks ago and used my NW Flex card the whole time.

The rate went down to 1.16 at one time in Albufeira, people were getting 1.20 max here, and the lowest rate
I got in the whole two weeks from Nationwide was 1.23 AND they don't charge you for using the facility -
no charges whatsoever.

But remember, the maximum one is allowed to withdraw from any machine in one day is €200.

.... Not so :the maximium amount per transaction is €200; you can, however, make two such transactions per day.

Milly is the nationwide flexi account a current account or a savings account? can you let me know. I think I may go and open one.

jayjan, the Nationwide FlexAccount is a Current Account.

Using our card last week the rate was 1.268