Currency

The euro and the British pound (in Northern Ireland) are the currencies you will be using on your tour. Better rates of exchange are usually available in your destination countries rather than in the United States, although it is worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive. We advise that you take a combination of bank/ATM cards, credit cards and traveler’s checks, which can be exchanged for cash at local banks, as needed. It might also be advantageous to buy traveler’s checks in pounds sterling before you go, which sometimes avoids fees and higher exchange rates. These can be purchased from AAA Travel Agencies and other vendors. We suggest that you inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans, so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges. Please note: With the conversion to the euro, it has been increasingly difficult to exchange traveler’s checks outside of Europe’s major cities—both at banks and shops—and they often attract higher fees.