The single worst place in the UK to buy foreign currency is also the most popular: the bureau de change at the airport. Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester — all of them charge 5-15% above the mid-market exchange rate, on top of the captive-customer premium that comes with selling to people who've already arrived at departures with no time to compare. £500 changed at Heathrow Travelex into euros buys you €519. The same £500 spent on a Chase debit card during your holiday buys you €590 — and the bank gives you 1% cashback on top.
That's a £71 swing on a single £500 transaction. Compounded across multiple trips a year, the right travel-money strategy saves £100-£300 annually for the average UK traveller. The wrong one gradually funds an airport currency-exchange company's profit margins.
How to actually buy travel money
The hierarchy of travel money costs, cheapest to most expensive:
- Wise debit card — mid-market rate, no margin
- Chase debit card — mid-market rate, no fees, plus 1% cashback
- Starling Bank debit card — mid-market rate, no fees
- Online order pre-travel (Eurochange, Travelex Online) — typically 1-2% above mid-market
- Post Office cash — typically 2-4% above mid-market
- High-street bank cash — typically 3-6% above mid-market
- High-street travel money shops — typically 4-8% above mid-market
- Airport bureaux de change — typically 5-15% above mid-market
The gap from #1 to #8 on a £500 transaction is £30-£70. Make this maths a habit and the savings compound.
How much cash you actually need (less than you think)
For most modern travel, you need much less cash than you think. Card acceptance in 2026 is near-universal in:
- Most of Europe (cards work for taxis, trains, metro, restaurants, museums)
- USA and Canada (cards everywhere)
- Australia and New Zealand
- East Asia (Japan now strong on cards; previously cash-led)
Cash is still useful for tips in countries where tipping is normal, markets and street food and small kiosks, some taxi drivers in less-card-acceptance regions, religious sites and donation boxes, and emergency backup if your card has a problem.
For most UK adults: £50-£150 of local currency covers a 7-10 day European holiday. You don't need £400 in cash.
Where to buy cash if you do need it
Online order (cheapest). Eurochange and Travelex Online both offer better rates than airport bureaux. Order ahead, collect at a store or have delivered. Multi-currency available. Order 3-7 days before travel for best rates and delivery.
Post Office (convenient). Post Office travel money offers reasonable rates with the convenience of UK-wide branches. Order online for slightly better rates than walk-in.
Specialist brokers (for larger amounts). For £3,000-plus, specialist currency brokers like TorFX, Currencies Direct, or HiFX offer rates closer to mid-market than retail bureaux. Useful if buying property abroad or making large emigration-related transfers.
To actively avoid: airport bureaux de change (Travelex / Moneycorp / etc. at airports) — the worst rates available to UK consumers. Cards advertised as "travel cards" with annual fees unless you have specific use case. Buying in the destination country at a bureau de change — typically worse than pre-travel.
The maths laid out, on £500 in euros
| Source | Approximate margin | What you'd get |
|---|---|---|
| Wise debit card (used abroad) | 0% | €590 |
| Chase UK debit card | 0% (+1% cashback) | €590 + £5 cashback |
| Eurochange online order | 1-2% | €578-€583 |
| Post Office online | 2-3% | €572-€578 |
| High-street bank | 3-5% | €561-€572 |
| Heathrow bureau de change | 8-12% | €519-€543 |
The £30-£70 difference is real money. Compounded across multiple trips per year, the right travel-money strategy saves £100-£300/year.
How I'd actually pick
For 95% of travel: Chase or Starling debit card for spending. £100 of local cash from Eurochange online before travel for incidental needs.
UK travellers with multi-currency lifestyles: Wise multi-currency account plus Wise debit card.
UK travellers buying property abroad or making large transfers: specialist currency broker (TorFX, Currencies Direct).
What I'd swerve: airport bureaux de change. Almost universally the worst option available to UK consumers, with the captive-audience pricing baked in.
For more on debit cards specifically, see our travel debit cards article.
Affiliate disclosure: Morningfold has affiliate partnerships with Wise, Chase, Eurochange, and several UK currency brokers — see editorial standards.