GBP is low aswell i got 1.18 yesterday.0.27
less than last year.Make the most of my trip
this year .Will be priced out next year might
aswell book nice hotel here in London.Then book
Escort for the night no travel exspense.

Will look into other places to visit next year.

They're going to bring in a new currency in North America called the Amero. Part of the reason the fed is purposefully devaluing the dollar is because the US is in a lot of trouble with debt and they're trying to pay some of it off with other currencies they have in reserve so they get a favourable rate.

The main reason is that they will claim that the Amero is the answer to the current problems within the economy, of course it won't be - because as long as we have a banking system that operates using FIAT currency, the eventuality will always an insurmountable debt that keeps growing with us working to pay it off.

I know it's worse for you Americans, but the Brits are starting to feel the pinch now. the Euro is very strong. I was in Amsterdam yesterday and got 1.19 euro to the GB pound in the UK before travelling. It's not so long ago when I was getting around 1.5

the american dollar and great gas prices have all but killed our plans for next april. and we read a report yesterday that hotel prices are on the rise in a'dam.

we're now looking to Jamacia for our trip next April. It's not worth loosing so much on the conversion for us. It totally sucks, beucase we had a group of 15 that were joining us. Now there are none. :o(

I've been staying at the Krasnapolsky Apartments for the last few years. The rate for this year has gone up 25% over last, and last year was up 47% from the year before. Looks like I'll be staying elsewhere the next time I holiday in Amsterdam. With the official exchange rate at $1.59 to the Euro today, and the independant exhange places charging at least another 7% more, it makes the dollar look more like the Peso by comparison.

A friend of mine runs the foreign currency hedging op for a fortune 50 corp. His primary objective is stability so if he knows they'll buy $2m in aluminum sulfate in the EU over the next 12 months he'll begin buying euro's to cover it. Faster if he thinks it'll be getting stronger, slower if weakening. We do the same with our personal funds. For the past couple of years we've been each buying euro's to cover our personal expenses while in Europe. He told me that euro's would be beating other investments. He now believes that euro's will be falling against the dollar so it's best to keep yourself in dollars (invested appropriately - such as a brothel in Australia) and only get euro's on a just in time basis.

He thinks the dollar/pound will remain about the same for the foreseeable future.

BTW, he deals in enough cash that he invests his cash position overnight at the end of each day. On average he earns over $35k - in ONE NIGHT.

Does he give lessons? I have some cash to lend overnight.
I hope he is right concerning the euro/dollar exchange. I think I did far worse with the euro this trip than the sterling. As long as I stayed out of the tourist traps in London, which I did for the most part, I did alright. It is hard to stay out of the tourist traps in Amsterdam. The whole place is a consumer's orgy. No complaints though!

Sex Drugs and Rock n Roll and they ask you to come back again!!!!

Dear All,

I was in Germany last week just as the GBP hit a 7 year low against the EUR of 1.25€ to the 1GBP on Thursday, 10 April 2008.

I duly drew my EUR from my bank account and spent them on goods and services provided by Germans trying not to think of the worthlessness of my premium pounds sterling. When I got back to London this week and checked my bank statement I found on the Friday, 11 April my rate was 1.2445 but by Saturday and Sunday for the weekend I was getting 1.2505.

I was burnt last time I took cash GBP to exchange for EUR when the wholesale rate was 1.27 meaning that I was shafted when I was given only 1.13 at the Western Union foreign exchnage bureau in the Frankfurt Hbf.

I now rely on my debit cash cards as giving me the best deal as my bank does not charge bank fees or foreign exchange fees and therefore I receive wholesale rates and not retail rates. The only downside is that my daily limit is only GBP£300 giving me between 370€-380€ to withdraw per day when my last bank account allowed GBP£500 cash withdrawals.

I found my credit card gave me wholesale exchange rates as well but then there is a hefty 3% service charge plus daily interest from the date of withdrawal. Still if you pay off the credit card quickly after the trip the 3% cost is still a lot better than the shoody rates that Bureau de Changes give as based on 1.25€ FX rate to the GBP less 3% you still receive 1.2125 which is a lot higher than the UK High street rates of 1.18 to 1.19 from the likes of American Express or the UK Post Office I have been seeing in the UK. A lot better than the rip off 1.13 I got in Frankfurt.

Kind regards

Londonbasketcase

One positive piece of fallout from the weak dollar is that I was informed by my bank that the foreign transaction fee was reduced from 3% to 2%. Hey, it's something.

Coming over from the states next week. $2700 gets me 1700.00 Euro..ouch!!! This will be my last trip until things get better.I hate George Bush!!!!!!!!!

"I hate G. Bush"


The line forms to the left ;-)

SVU18,

"Coming over from the states next week. $2700 gets me 1700.00 Euro..ouch!!! This will be my last trip until things get better.I hate George Bush!!!!!!!!!"

If you are getting USD$1.58 to the 1€ then that is a wholesale FX rate. Well done for procuring that through your bank. I take it there are no commission or service charges?

I am kind of fortunate in the same sense to have picked a UK retail bank that gives wholesale FX rates for cash withdrawals from overseas on debit cards. No commission or service charges. Most other banking product providers charge like 1.5% to 3% commission on FX.

Kind regards

Londonbasketcase

Hello
I just returned from Amsterdam after it converted to Euros. I felt almost humiliated to see the decline of the US dollar against the Euro. I wonder if those who live in the city have felt the impact of the Euros compared to the golden days of the Dutch Guilders. The good thing was that everything I paid for in AMS was of such good quality that I was very pleased, after all. From food to eternity, AMS kicks so hard that it is unlikely there is any place like it on this planet. You get what you pay for in AMS. One exception is the notable "Cab Scam". I got charged 84 Euros by a cab that took me to Golden Tulip Amsterdam from the airport. He had turned the meter off. On my return, I paid 37 Euros which was arranged by the good hotel.