Holidaymakers warned to plan ahead when buying foreign currency

Holidaymakers travelling outside the eurozone might struggle to find a bureau de change with enough currency for their chosen destination, according to research by Post Office Travel Money.

Although the Post Office claims its branches carry supplies of the 20 most popular currencies, it says other bureau de change focus mainly on exchanging euros and dollars and often have inadequate supplies of other currencies.

In a survey of 12 best-selling currencies, it found the majority were not readily available in banks and bureau de change, though Post Office Travel Money did not specify which outlets it had tried.

Holidaymakers visiting non-euro countries such as Turkey and Egypt, both of which will be very popular destinations this summer, might need to order their currency in advance. The same goes for holidaymakers visiting Croatia and popular Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria.

Holidaymakers are also advised to shop around for the best exchange rate and reminded to factor in commission charges before deciding where to buy currency. A word of warning here, outlets that advertise commission-free currency sometimes offer a poor rate of exchange so don't always give the best value for money.

Leaving buying your holiday money until the last minute is always expensive as airports generally give the worst rate of exchange. According to the Post Office Travel Money survey, holidaymakers buying currency at a UK airport will pay up to seven times more than buying from one of its branches.

This means that £200 spent at the Post Office would give holidaymakers 121.30 extra Croatian kuna ? equivalent to £15.96, 54.20 more EC dollars (£14.97) and 32.21 more Turkish lira (£14.64).

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