Foreign Money (US in general, Seattle specifically)

[daveon]

In the UK I'd go to my bank or the Post Office and they'd fit me up with the currency of choice.  Where do I get Pesos in Seattle to have with us when we arrive?  We're flying at 6am so I'm assuming that the airport won't have any currency places open, and I'm told that the Mexicans have introduced a visa fee which is to be paid in cash on arrival so I'd feel happier with a small "float" on me.

Any thoughts? 

Comments

[wolfette]

American Express?

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Can't find, at least no so far.

America is "delightfully" insular when it comes to accepting the existence of other forms of payment.

[wolfette]

and no Marks & Spencers either - they give the best rate of exchange for dollars and euros here in the UK

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

Which is part of HSBC, apparently. I went into my local branch of HSBC to buy some Aussie dollars before going to Aussiecon and was told they only stocked Euros and US dollars, but try Marks & Sparks, they're part of HSBC.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

I agree with your complaint about insularity. The US banking system defaults to thinking there is no currency but USD and no country in the world other than the USA. When I bought Yen before Nippon 2007, I ordered it from my bank well in advance and picked it up from a local branch.

If there are ATMs airside at your arrival airport, you can probably withdraw pesos there. Also, have you checked to see if the Mexicans will accept payment in the equivalent US dollars? Canada, which has a similarly sort of departure tax payable in cash only at at least one airport, accepted cash payment in USD as I recall the last time I encountered it.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

According to the phone call one of the party got from the airline it's Pesos or nothing, and I'd rather not get hosed by the rate that the airport think is acceptable in the arrivals hall.

And no, they want Pesos or nothing - although it is looking like this is a tax on Americans and M and I will be exempted because we're not on American passports :)

Anyway, my bank can source Pesos for me but they have to order them in advance.

We're planning on using ATMs in PVR when we're there and Credit Cards - I'm not planning on having a lot of cash for this anyway, but I thought it would be simple to get some Pesos before we fly and it seems the answer is no.

[wolfette]

some years ago I was involved in a UK convention that had a lot of US attendees, most of whom were not regular SF con attendees and most of whom had never been outside of the US before.

One of the women went to her local bank to get UK cash and travellers' cheques (checks) and was told by the bank staff "oh, everyone takes US dollars - they use US dollars in the shops in the UK".

(in the end she went to Thomas Cook in the next town over)

However most of the big stores in Edinburgh have their own Bureau de Change - M&S and Debenhams give better rates of exchange for Euros and US dollars than my own bank.