currency exchange

[rm]

I don't know that any of you will have opinions on this -- but where is your preferred place to do currency exchange in NYC before a trip.

I don't want to just order everything i need from Amex online, because they charge too many fees. Iw ill probably have to go into an Amex office to get some travellers checks in $A, but I also want to have some actual $A on me for when I get off the plane (which can obviously be done at Amex or a different currency exchange place) -- offices with the least drama, waiting and fees are what I'm trying to figure out.

Also, travellers insurance recs? Just so like the hospital will treat me if a critter gets me in Oz. Yes, I've been reading the dangerous animal warnings again. Also, on the set last week, everyone was all, "dude, a shark just ate a model!", which might just be a stock response to "I'm going to Australia."

Comments

[kalyx.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this will be helpful for trips to Oz, but when I went to my bank to get some currency before heading off to Nova Scotia for 10 days, they told me not to bother, just to find an ATM with a certain designation (which sounded much harder than it turned out to be, almost every ATM I encountered worked) and there was only a small service fee ($1-2 canadian) to get Canadian funds once there. They said I would save money and save myself a lot of hassle trying to get non-US currency.

Might be worth a trip to your bank to find out what they suggest for traveling down under as like you, I was about to purchase traveler's checks and pay a fee to get some currency, that it turned out I didn't need. I just went to an ATM at the airport after arriving to get enough cash for a shuttle and food.