Traveling from SFO to LHR. WHat is the best way to change money in London? Airport? Travelex?
City? Post office?

 

Cash machine (ATM) on arrival at SFO

 

OP is travelling FROM SFO.

The answer is to get GBP from an ATM when you arrive in the UK and get your EUR from an ATM when you arrive in your Eurozone country. The account you withdraw cash from must be a Check account not a saving account

Find out what YOUR bank charges for foreign withdrawals, find out if they have any agreements with other banks to reduce or eliminate the charges, have your withdrawal limit upped if needed, tell your bank that you are going abroad, have the overseas contact number for when they forget & block your card and finally have some other means of getting cash of all else fails (stuff a large denomination USD TC down your socks.

Oh and remember your PIN as a NUMBER as non-US ATMS don't have letters on them.

All of the above also applies to credit cards

 

If you bank with HSBC and withdraw money in HSBC locations in the UK, which should be pretty simple, they charge less fees (in fact, I don't think they charge any, but I might be wrong). At least that was the case when I traveled with my friend to the UK, Australia and Canada and he didn't get hit by the charges.

 

Use almost any debit car when you arrive in a ATM machine. I have never been charged a fee anywhere but there will usually be a 1.0% currancy conversion fee based on the current interbank rate (almost always the best rate available).

MisterNice

 

This depends VERY much on the bank in question. Chase charges 3% plus $3 per transaction.

 

The best deal is gonna be at an ATM. Some American banks charge less than others for the actual withdrawl, but, as far as I know, you are always gonna pay some kind of fee for the conversion. That will vary from day to day.

Grab a hundred or so GPB at the airport before you fly out. That will cover you for getting away from the airport and started on the next day. Then, you can use an ATM at your leisure.

BTW, make sure your PIN is 4 digits, all-numeric, and does not start with a zero. UK and European ATMs expect that.

 

Really unnecessary and a waste of at least 5% and more like 10% in most cases. There are plenty of ATMs as you come out into the arrivals hall in just about every international airport I've ever arrived in.