My lovely wife and I will be flying into Heathrow in September (praying for cooler weather and smaller crowds!) - Am I safe in assuming that there are bank ATM machines at the airport? Do train stations have ATM's? If there is any other sage advice re ATMs in the UK, I'd appreciate hearing it!
Thanks all, this is a great forum!
Earl
My tip is to not withdraw much cash!
I withdrew £60 near the beginning of my 3 week trip in May/June, £26 went to another tour member, and most of the test came home. Credit cards were accepted, and usually preferred for even small purchases.
Any ATM is fine when you are talking about a small amount, and I've never seen an airport that didn't have them.
The question is or the issue is --- are there bank owned ATMs at Heathrow? My answer is I don't know but I vaguely remember reading an article that many airports, including Heathrow, were opting for a single, private vendor for all ATMs. The concern was that these private ATMs would set their own currency exchange rates and charge fees for access. Just see what the sign say on the ATMs -- called Cash Points -- England. It will be posted. Train stations have stand alone ATMs but I am not a big fan of use any standalone ATM anywhere since those machine have greater odds of have hidden card readers attached to them. I only use ATMs attached to banks, generally in their lobby or entry way. They are everywhere so it is not difficult to find.
If you only want about a hundred pounds, it won't make more than a couple of dollars difference whether or not the cash point is bank affiliated. However, here is the info from our June trip: the cash points at LHR are not bank-affiliated. At Paddington train station there were several cash points that were bank affiliated. We used cash to pay for cabs but didn't use if for much else.
We took a one pound coin with us and returned with that coin. It was tap and go everywhere including the busses, tubes and trains. Most restaurants included the tip and the ones that didn't we simply added on the credit card.
Yep I realize we can use cards for nearly everything in England. Except for B&B's that require cash. Hence my question.
Are ATM's common in train stations?
Earl
hey hey ecrecelius
this subject is brought up so so much, yes or no is your decision only you can make.
my first trip to Europe, so excited. advised get at airport. never expected the nightmare I encountered. 4 flights from USA landed, 2 ATM’s, one “broken”, other ATM in another terminal, long long line could probably reach end of runway!
now I’ve heard they are money exchange machines with fees. after that disaster, I made a promise to always get 100 to 200 in country currency from my home bank before I go, cost was not that much, got small bills.
best lesson I learned, now it’s off the plane with a BIG smile walking past that line. got “cash” for cab and spending money until couple days when I see an ATM at a bank. I also do have a debit & credit card, notify your bank you are traveling.
we all have our own opinions, not right or wrong like some have discussed here.
good luck, have a fabulous time, so much to see and do, we enjoyed out time there
aloha
Earl returned from 18 days in London on Monday.
NO ONE was accepting cash. Not street food vendors, cabbies, cafes, markets or any vendor at Spitalfields.
I did withdraw a 10£ note at a Lloyd’s bank ATM early in the trip. Still have it.
Take a debit and credit cards. Plastic is the norm these days.
Ok, OP, you need cash for your B and B. We usually rent an apartment or stay at a BnB but have not had to pay with cash in some time even for a security deposit. When we did, the owner of the flat rental told us not to get it at a rail station or airport since we'd be traveling with cash between there and the flat--it wasn't so much about fees but about pickpockets. She gave us the address of the closest ATM to her rental. You might ask the B and B for suggestions.
Here is your answer: the last time I looked for a bank owned ATM at Heathrow, I could not find one. They were all sponsored by an exchange company. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there or that things haven’t changed, it just means that after significant searching I couldn’t find one.
If bank owned is important, I would wait for another location to withdraw cash.
Travelex has the contract for all Heathrow Terminals. Banks have pretty much withdrawn from operating ATMs away from their own branches, although there are some legacy sites, particularly ones with high footfall. Independent ATMs are really the norm.
Unless you are in a small village, all major supermarkets have strings of cash machines, high streets have them, many but certainly not all rail stations - all the big ones do, it won't be hard. More rural areas, a bit tougher.
Is your B&B in Bath or London? If so, no probs waiting until you get there or nearly there.
I am another who has notes in wallet from years ago - I never pay cash for anything.
There was a time in the heatwave when I came out of the supermarket and a charity collector for a hospice was offering name brand ice creams (Magnums for those in the know) for a one Pound donation in the charity tin. Ooops - no change. Stayed hot - no ice cream....
Nigel, you'll never forget not being able to get that Magnum. They each cost more than $1 here. Such a deal--especially if it were the double chocolate. . .
