Exchanging Foreign Currencey at End of Trip

Save it for the next trip. You will have an worse converting back in the US. Go on Craiglist, ebay, or local travel agent and let them know you have some currency available. If you exchange at the current rate it is a good deal for both parties.

This is how a lot of people handle it at the airport duty free shops:

Seriously, the best strategy is to try and plan it out as best as you can, so you won't have a lot of cash left over. Otherwise, you can just save any leftover money for a future trip.

You could easily have just used all your remaining currency to pay for a portion of last night's hotel bill. They gladly accept cash and some hotels even offer discounts for paying in cash.

Frank, well put. Airport currency exchanges have terrible rates, but banks don't have much better rates for changing it back. And then, if, in a couple of years you go back, you'll have to take another hit buying back what you sold. If you think you will ever go back, keep it.

That's one advantage of taking a laptop. I have an expense form on Excel. When I go over, I have reservations, so I know what accommodations will cost, and I have train schedules, so I know what I will spend on transportation. I also know, from experience, that I will spend €20, aver, for lunch, dinner, drinks, and tips, so I have a dummy expense report filled in. As I pay for things, I delete them from the report, so at any time I know pretty close what it will take to complete the trip. When I hit the ATM for the last time, I know how much I need.

US banks such as Bank of America will give you a better rate than those airport exchange bureaus -- which are an absolute ripoff -- but it's still not very good.

On my last trip, I paid part of my hotel bill with cash Euros that I had left over, and put the rest on a credit card. Hotels don't care, and it's true, some may even give you a discount if you pay all cash.

Telling Wait what he should have done doesn't solve his problem since he is home with a handful of Euro and francs. I had the same problem when I misjudged some expenses can home with about 300+ Euro. I try to keep about 100 to 150 for the next trip and actually sold half to another person on this site. Worked real easy.

I never exchange left-over currency, I always keep it for the next trip.

Left over money? I'd like to have that problem.

Give me your address, I can make you a Turkish millionaire;)

I keep mine for the next trip, or sell it to someone who is going. Frank here in Colorado even sold me some of his leftover Euro (THANKS FRANK!)

Honestly, it's great to keep some Euro around.

Best idea is to watch what you withdraw from the ATM when you are getting close to the end of your journey. I like to have a few Euro in my pocket for the airport, to buy some candy to bring home that you can't find here, or for a snack while waiting for the plane.

I usually come home with no more than about 20 Euro. It's kept in my passport organizer for the next trip.

Same here - I usually try to have about 20 euro at all times, so when I arrive in europe I can get a coffee or snack without hunting down an ATM (especially useful if you connect through an airport like Frankfurt or Amsterdam to a smaller place).

When I came back from England a couple years ago I changed my bills (they won't change coins) at JFK in New York City. It wasn't the greatest thing ever, but I got a better rate than if I'd tried to change them in the UK before leaving since people often change money before they leave on the plane, so they "want" foreign currency. If you try to change it while still in Europe you are taking their supply of US dollars (canadian, whatever) which isn't as easy to replenish since it's not printed in Europe.

Another thing you can do is ask a couple of local banks what their exchange policy is before you leave, you may be able to find a bank where you live that will give you a fair deal.

We always have some Euro's left over to use for the next trip. However, after the last trip we gave it to our nephew for his wedding gift as they were going to Italy on their honeymoon. It wasn't on their gift register but sure appreciated it.

I keep my euros for the next trip. If I was in a country with a currency I would probably not use again, I would just have to go shopping there before leaving!

Keep 'em for the next trip! That does two things for you -- 1) Solves the dilema of how to get some euros to take over with you until you find an ATM on your next trip, and 2) Gives you an excuse to go back (we HAVE to go back to Europe, I've got 50 euros!)

I usually keep some as souvenirs and gifts but also try to plan so I don't have a lot left over. Banks will convert the big bills (there's a minimum denomination but I don't know what it is off hand) but not the coins.

Walt - gifts. That's what works for me. I try to plan strategically to not have too much left at the end of trip (pay cash for everything near end if I can).

If not, and I have some left, I spend it on duty free chocolates, or I keep the currency itself as gifts. My non-traveling relatives, and all the kids really enjoy getting a few Euro coins along with some Kronar or Francs.