Hello everyone,
Does anyone know whether I can get Bulgarian Lev from the post office?
I have just ordered some online to picik up on tuesday and it allowed me to do so but when I looked under what currency the post office recommended for Bulgaria it said under the heading restrictions 'prohibited'. Does this mean that when I go to collect my currency in branch on tuesdsay they will say that they cant do it?
Just wondering if anyone had any experience on this?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou,
Ruby x
We got leva at the post office last year no problem ,as we only take so much till we get there .As you get a better rate over there .So it should be alright June
Once upon a time it was a prohibited currency, I'm afraid many places are still giving lots of duff advice about Bulgaria and not only in relation to cash. The worst offenders are Travel agents.
You can take leva but most of the regulars here take clean unmarked notes and a cash card preferably Nationwide Flex.
Patka
You can take leva but most of the regulars here take clean unmarked notes and a cash card preferably Nationwide Flex.
Patka
Hi Ruby,
As has been said, you can acquire Leva almost anywhere, unfortunately you've chosen the Post Office, which offers a pretty poor exchange rate of only 2.632 today.
Marks & Spencer's rate today is better, at 2.742, but today's rates from Bulgarian high street banks are better than either:
Unicredit Bulbank - 2.812
Postbank - 2.8576
Raiffeisen Bank - 2.860
At least one hotel is reported as giving a rate of 2.78 in Sunny Beach last week.
Baldur
As has been said, you can acquire Leva almost anywhere, unfortunately you've chosen the Post Office, which offers a pretty poor exchange rate of only 2.632 today.
Marks & Spencer's rate today is better, at 2.742, but today's rates from Bulgarian high street banks are better than either:
Unicredit Bulbank - 2.812
Postbank - 2.8576
Raiffeisen Bank - 2.860
At least one hotel is reported as giving a rate of 2.78 in Sunny Beach last week.
Baldur
Thanks everyone, this is my first trip to Sunny Beach so im a little bit clueless as well as excited!
Do Marks and Spencers have it available or would they have to order it in for me?
Im staying at the Majestic Hotel, will they be able to change it for me when we arrive?
Thanks again for your help,
Ruby x
Do Marks and Spencers have it available or would they have to order it in for me?
Im staying at the Majestic Hotel, will they be able to change it for me when we arrive?
Thanks again for your help,
Ruby x
Hi Ruby,
Click the blue M&S link in my above post for details.
Hotels will certainly have currency exchange facilities but usually at a lower rate than Bulgarian banks - DO NOT use street 'money changers' or streetside 'exchange bureaux' or you WILL be cheated.
The rate changes daily.
Suggest that you read our long thread on money matters HERE.
Baldur
Click the blue M&S link in my above post for details.
Hotels will certainly have currency exchange facilities but usually at a lower rate than Bulgarian banks - DO NOT use street 'money changers' or streetside 'exchange bureaux' or you WILL be cheated.
The rate changes daily.
Suggest that you read our long thread on money matters HERE.
Baldur
Thanks Baldur, your advice is very much appreciated. I'll read that thread and do a little bit of investigating before I commit to the post office order. Afterall its all part of the fun of the build up to actually going isnt it! lol
Thanks again,
Ruby x
Thanks again,
Ruby x
Hi
Marks & Spencers have the lev available, i changed a small amount there to tied us over when we went a couple of weeks ago.
Suzie
Marks & Spencers have the lev available, i changed a small amount there to tied us over when we went a couple of weeks ago.
Suzie
Hi Ruby,
To give you more food for thought re: the Post Office rate (using the rates that I quoted above):
£100 exchanged at the Post Office would get you 263.20 Leva
£100 exchanged at Raiffeisen Bank would get you 286 Leva
That's a difference of 22.80 Leva, or £7.97 for each £100 - you would therefore be paying the Post Office 7.97% for their allegedly 'commission free' travel money!
Baldur
To give you more food for thought re: the Post Office rate (using the rates that I quoted above):
£100 exchanged at the Post Office would get you 263.20 Leva
£100 exchanged at Raiffeisen Bank would get you 286 Leva
That's a difference of 22.80 Leva, or £7.97 for each £100 - you would therefore be paying the Post Office 7.97% for their allegedly 'commission free' travel money!
Baldur
hi ruby,
I exchanged my currency in First Choice travel agents. I got the Marks & Spencer rate and asked them to match this and they did no problem. At the time the M&S rate was 2.752
Hope this helps
I exchanged my currency in First Choice travel agents. I got the Marks & Spencer rate and asked them to match this and they did no problem. At the time the M&S rate was 2.752
Hope this helps
Hello again everyone,
Thanks so much for all the information, you've been so helpful. I have decided to follow your advice. I changed £30 into lev this morning at Marks and Spencers just in case we need a little bit when we get there and plan to change the rest up in a bank in Bulgaria on our first day.
Thanks again,
Ruby x
Thanks so much for all the information, you've been so helpful. I have decided to follow your advice. I changed £30 into lev this morning at Marks and Spencers just in case we need a little bit when we get there and plan to change the rest up in a bank in Bulgaria on our first day.
Thanks again,
Ruby x
Hi Ruby,
You'll be pleased to hear that there has been a slight increase in the Bulgarian banks' exchange rate today:
Unicredit Bulbank - £1 = 2.849 лв
Postbank - £1 = 2.8659 лв
Raiffeisen Bank - £1 = 2.867 лв
Baldur
You'll be pleased to hear that there has been a slight increase in the Bulgarian banks' exchange rate today:
Unicredit Bulbank - £1 = 2.849 лв
Postbank - £1 = 2.8659 лв
Raiffeisen Bank - £1 = 2.867 лв
Baldur
Thanks Baldur, thats a few more ice lollies.....lol
x
x
have I read somewhere not to change any money at the crown as they are fakes?
@Suemackey
I wrote in another thread:
Warning
I've copied this from Baldur:
##The number one 'don't' must be:
DO NOT change money with any street 'money changers' or in any streetside 'exchange bureaux' - the only reportedly safe streetside change offices are those operated by 'Crown Currency Exchange' in Sunny Beach.##
This is true, Baldur. And now my warning:
There are "Crown-Fakes" in Sunny Beach, so I read in another forum. They have only a crown-symbol without the word "Crown" in this symbol. These 'exchange bureaux' are not the real 'Crown Currency Exchange-bureaux'!!! Look out!
Manfred
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=54070&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120
I wrote in another thread:
Warning
I've copied this from Baldur:
##The number one 'don't' must be:
DO NOT change money with any street 'money changers' or in any streetside 'exchange bureaux' - the only reportedly safe streetside change offices are those operated by 'Crown Currency Exchange' in Sunny Beach.##
This is true, Baldur. And now my warning:
There are "Crown-Fakes" in Sunny Beach, so I read in another forum. They have only a crown-symbol without the word "Crown" in this symbol. These 'exchange bureaux' are not the real 'Crown Currency Exchange-bureaux'!!! Look out!
Manfred
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=54070&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120
I think I know the ones you mean the real ones are the ones with the blue crowns
Thanks for that warning Manfred. The advice now is change only at proper Banks and hotel receptions. I wouldn't risk trying to ID genuine Crown Exchanges, better not to touch any of them.
Don't know why people accept the low exchange rate in the UK to take some leva with them.
Just go to any bar, tell them you've just arrived and say "Can I pay in pounds and get leva change?"
It's worked like magic since 1989!
Peter
Don't know why people accept the low exchange rate in the UK to take some leva with them.
Just go to any bar, tell them you've just arrived and say "Can I pay in pounds and get leva change?"
It's worked like magic since 1989!
Peter
Even the 'real' Crown Exchanges give lower rates (by around 5 or 6 Stotinki per £1) than the banks, Peter.
Will we get by with euros on arrival? Like paying for the airport transfer and the apartment? Since you are all saying the exchange rates are better there, we might as well wait and exchange to levas at local banks.
Another question also- where do we find Bulgarian banks in Sunny Beach?
Another question also- where do we find Bulgarian banks in Sunny Beach?
There are a few banks in the central area, near the Kuban Hotel (tallest in Sunny Beach - or at least it was when I was last there). including branches of Bulbank (Булбанк) & Central Cooperative Bank (Централна Кооперативна Банка).
Euros will probably be accepted for transfer/apartment but not for general use. The rate for the Euro in most Bulgarian banks is around €1 = 1.95 Leva.
Baldur
Euros will probably be accepted for transfer/apartment but not for general use. The rate for the Euro in most Bulgarian banks is around €1 = 1.95 Leva.
Baldur
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