Best exchange rates..in Poland or before you go?

Guys, am off to Poland shortly, had read on board somewhere you get a better rate form using ordinary ATMs - was this using your credit card or do they take our UK based Switch cards?...in effect debit your UK bank account directly?...and also that the rate was better!?

Thanks, Frank

I generally change my money up before I go and use M&S, there rates are better than the banks...etc...If you use switch you get charged, if you have a nationwide building society account you wont get charged...

they take switch cards at the ATM's - the rate you get is the rate you get with your bank at the time, so you dont know what you've paid until you get your statement....plus the charges on top!

Suggest you change up before you go or change at a bank whilst youre over there

plenty of banks on the main square in Krakow

Cheers for that Shelley...so do you know do you get charged the usual bank exchange charge per transaction ie £3?...or are their charges scaled differently?

Im with NatWest and they charge per transaction when I draw money out, I think its about 5 or 10 pounds....So I tend to change all my money up before I go and take my card for emergencies - i.e. buying lots of vodka to bring home...Im not sure but I dont think that there is a charge for using the switch facility when Im buying things, just drawing money out..

hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........will quiz my local branch too...thanks!

go on line for your bank and find out that way...they should have a list of charges..

Change your money in Poland. There's no question you'll get a better rate than in ANY bank abroad. Certainly 10% better, in many cases 30% better.

Euro are best, with UK pounds a close second alongside USD. If you're coming from the UK there's no profit in changing to Euro first.

One of Poland's best deals are the 'kantory' = money-changers. There are dozens in every town. They give very good rates and you don't pay a penny in commission.

Only one proviso. Don't change in Warsaw or Krakow central train station or at the Airport or at your hotel - the rates are shit. (Just change enough for your first half day).
Sorry, 2 provisos, avoid kantors in tourist-trap areas; they also give crap rates. You will get 5 to 20% better rates at the kantors that locals use. Just walk around in any busy shopping centre and you'll quickly find them.

You don't need to talk to the kantor staff, and give away that you are a stupid gullible foreigner; just hand them the money... and they'll change it for you.

Topic attached on merging:
Polish exchange offices and their rates

I just wanted to ask, if there are various commission rates in Poland in different exchange offices while exchanging money, or the exchange rate is more or less the same in every exchange office?

They can differ 1-2%, of course there are places where they can "rob" you even more.
Just check the National Bank of Poland (NBP - Narodowy Bank Polski) site at:
http://www.nbp.pl/Kursy/KursyC.html
- for the most popular currencies before buying/selling.

today's average rates:
currency buys at sells at
1 USD 2,7057 2,7603
1 EUR 3,7356 3,8110

and today's average prices form 817 excange offices all over Poland
currency buys at sells at
1 USD 2.7332 2.8100
1 EUR 3.7290 3.8081


for countries like Serbia it's different
http://www.nbp.pl/Kursy/KursyB.html
Serbia dinar 1 RSD 0,0470 - there you can find only average rate, so no idea at what prices they buy, probably not buying at all.

Topic attached on merging:
Exchange offices and their rates

I need an information about exchange offices in Poland - do they have more or less the same exchange rate and commision, or are there any differences among them? Because I know that in some countries there are different commision rates, depending on the exchange office you come across to.

Topic attached on merging:
Polish exchange offices and their rates

Just wanted to ask if there are different commission and exchange rates among the different chains of exchange offices in Poland, or the rates are more or less the same? I ask this because I know that in some countries commission rates can vary from 0% to 10%. So that I know if I should seek the best possible rating office, or just use the first one available.

pretty much same thing. a few weeks ago in Prague ( i know, it's not really Poland) the best exchange rate I got when withdrawing local currency from an ATM instead of using those exchange offices