traveller's cheques - which and where to get them?

foreignobserver · 16-04-2008 02:48PM #1

Going abroad and need to buy traveller's cheques (not to travel with pockets full of notes, the country does not have good ATM network)

Which travel cheques to get and where to get them, in Dublin?
Anyone with experience on this that could help on this?

ArmaniJeanss · 16-04-2008 03:22PM

You'll have a better chance of getting informative/experienced replies or alternative ideas if you name the country.

shrapnel222 · 16-04-2008 03:29PM

the best ones are american express in dollars- noone will ever refuse them. naming the country will help as alot of countries might not take euro travellers cheques even though from an fx point of view it makes sense to buy those- but as i said, most countries prefer dollars.

foreignobserver · 17-04-2008 01:53PM

well this is for Syria and Liban

but if we are at that would you recommend the same chequies for Libya, Chad, Cameroon and Gabon?

newmills · 21-04-2008 01:13PM

Be careful with american express and the comment that everyone takes them. I was in uruguay a few years back and could not get them changed anywhere - banks included!! Luckily my partner had some visa travellers cheques and they were accepted. A good mix of cash and 2 types of cheques and a credit card and you should be ok.

shrapnel222 · 22-04-2008 12:26PM

foreignobserver wrote: »

well this is for Syria and Liban

but if we are at that would you recommend the same chequies for Libya, Chad, Cameroon and Gabon?

with syria and lebanon, i don't think you would have a problem with euros or dollars. not sure about the others though. In any event you're better off taking euro cheques, to avoid double exchange rates

foreignobserver · 27-06-2008 05:32PM

back from my trip.

Just in case you ever take similar route - don't take traveller's cheques with you. You won't be able to cash them in Syria - I mean there is not a single bank or a person in Syria that would take traveller's cheques not even at half price.

Contrary to what most travel sites and guide books say - ATMs work in Syria but you need a proper Visa card. Syrian ATMs accept debit cards at random and e.g. AIB debit cards do not work there.

Anyway: travellers cheques are dead for me, honestly: too so much hassle - I had to go to Jordan to cash them.

15-07-2008 09:32PM

Hey i'm off to Crete on thursday and need some help, was under the impression my pass card would work over there only to be told yesterday it has to have a special strip on it, BOI don't give these standard and earliest i could have got it was Thursday but i'll be gone by then, was thinking travel cheques as i don't fancy having €600-€700 lying around the hotel, only a poxy 2 star too so more chance getting robbed(right?)

Where can you get these?, can you get them straight away?, would i have any problem cashing them over there?, if cash had to be brought would there be (safe) safes over there??

Carawaystick · 15-07-2008 10:24PM

I brought AmEx travelers cheques to Peru, got stug for 12.5% commission, when I could have used the atm on the outside of the bank just off the dusty unpaved street. had an AIB plus symbol on the atm
this was at 3500m in Huaraz, definitely not on the beaten track.

I presume Visa would have worked too, I just bring the two seperately now. i case one gets lost.

BuffyBot · 15-07-2008 11:49PM

The Plus symbol doesn't belong to AIB, but to Visa - it's a sign that the card will work on any ATM connected the Visa ATM network

gilberto - a special strip? Sounds like nonsense. What it does need is a Cirrus or Maestro logo on it, or at least that functionality enabled. Check again

what2do · 16-07-2008 12:57PM

I've had this issue - I just had a BOI passcard that had no maestro, cirrus or anything... have you a credit card as they work?

16-07-2008 05:19PM

BuffyBot wrote: »

The Plus symbol doesn't belong to AIB, but to Visa - it's a sign that the card will work on any ATM connected the Visa ATM network

gilberto - a special strip? Sounds like nonsense. What it does need is a Cirrus or Maestro logo on it, or at least that functionality enabled. Check again

cirrus-maestro-strip.... all the same to me since i don't know what it looks like, but first heard it refered to as a ''strip on the back'', at any rate it does'nt have it i was in the bank and they said it would take a few days, would'nt get it on time.

No credit card..... looks like i'm going cash, never got a chance to get the bank today and we leave at 9am, bank in the airport will be closed.... hopefully have no bad story about cash to report back!!

robinph · 16-07-2008 05:40PM

If your card has this symbol on then your pretty much sorted for using it everywhere on the planet:
Visa Logo

If you have one of these they you'll probably be able to find an ATM somewhere in most places:
Cirrus Logo
Maestro Logo
Visa Plus Logo

If it only has one of these logos on then it's basically just a waste of plastic as it's of no use for anything outside of Ireland:
Laser Logo

traveller's cheques - which and where to get them?

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