Exchanging Dollars for GB Pounds

Neither. You should use an ATM. Find out what fees your bank will charge - you may want to open a Credit Union or Capital One account for travel if the fees are high. Notify your bank and credit card company (check their fees too) of the dates you'll be traveling.

Kathy has it right! General rule of thumb: Use credit cards for major purchases and get cash from ATMs for everything else. For detailed information, read this helpful article by Rick Steves.

If I had to do it, I would go to a bank. Have no idea how much I would save, but feels better to me than a money changer, and definitely a better rate than a storekeeper is going to give you

@Brian: 1. You shouldn't be doing it at all
2. The exchange counters in the airports should be fine

Like others have mentioned, ATMs are the best option. However, I want to actually answer your question on exchanging money: I, personally, like arriving with some local currency on me. Last year I arrived in Rome with 100 euro and was glad because I was able to catch a taxi right away, without having to exchange money at the airport. In this case, I would suggest visiting a bank at home and exchanging money through them. Commerce, for example, will do it for free if you are a member (or if you come with a member to do it). Airport exchange counters are usually going to be much more expensive than a bank would be. The exchange rate is not in your favor. Even if a bank charges a fee of $5 or such, it is usually better than using an airport service. If you are unable for some reason to use your debit card at an ATM to withdraw pounds, then I would visit a bank.

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