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PuertoPollensa.com discussion forums
Holiday Shopping Includes useful links to on-line shopping for travel essentials. |
187Likes
07-01-2022, 00:25
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*****
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 412
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Very good question. Hopefully it will keep creeping upwards but don't put your mortgage on it. More importantly who is willing to set foot on Mallorca and spend their euros under the present CV conditions? I'm sure we all (PP lovers) are waiting for the day it feels safe to board a flight out to the Balearics to enjoy the pleasures of PP and it's surroundings, how we miss it! There are those who have defied the odds, testing regimes, etc., etc., possibly many of them being property owners, I can understand their frustrations. Best of wishes to the locals in PP, I hope their businesses can hang on until we can all feel good to go once again.
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07-01-2022, 15:33
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*****
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: South Northants
Posts: 444
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Not many people are waiting? I know it wasn't rammed last summer but many folks went over and for most of us property owners it's complete bonus. The flights are ridiculously cheap so paying £30 for a day 2 test on return is irrelevant. Even popping down to the sea front for a pre dep test at Dr Mallorca wasn't a chore because it was just an excuse to go hang out at Vitho for lunch.
If you took a broader view of the travel market then yes, you'd say hotels are quiet and and all the nightclubs are closed but for us forum oldies who just want to chill out by the pool, sit outside their favourite bar or lie on the beach with a book then the covid is not really a big problem.
I admit there have been frustrations at being bounced onto different flights but nothing that hasn't taken a few minutes to sort out.
Glad to see the exchange rate creeping up as it's almost time to top up the spanish bank account.
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07-01-2022, 16:17
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*****
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Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Surrey
Posts: 713
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Indeed Bobley....I'm getting out there more than ever! The latest strengthening of the pound is mostly based on our management of Omicron and the view that our base rate is likely to increase significantly this year.
Two things that can change and send the pound back down again.
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07-01-2022, 18:58
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*****
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lancaster
Posts: 1,014
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Pescador makes a very good point about property ownership. Having a place in PP (and a car at the airport) makes it really easy for us to flip flights and be totally flexible…….being retired helps too! Booking hotels, villas, car hire, airport transfers etc for a family in a pandemic must be an absolute nightmare. That said, with regard to the virus, I don’t feel we’ve “defied the odds” because on every one of the five occasions we visited last year, the rates in Mallorca were a fraction of those in the U.K., and we were fully vaccinated. Other than June, which was desperately quiet, PP was pretty busy every time we were there, particularly in October. We are very, very fortunate I know. Let’s hope the current Omicron rates, now as high in Mallorca as the U.K. drop in time for everyone to enjoy our favourite destination this year.
Getting back to the point of this thread, I doubt the pound will rise much above 1.20……there’s bound to be bad news….energy bills/petrol costs/inflation/NIC/sleaze, scandal/war etc. Take your pick. Don’t you just love an optimist!
Last edited by Disorderly; 07-01-2022 at 19:03.
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13-03-2022, 14:58
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*****
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 223
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Cash or contactless?
I used my debit card quite a bit when in Marbella in October - i didn't keep a strict eye on exchange rate/s. Has anyone worked out if the rate using contactless is same/better/worse than exchanging cash before travelling? Cheers.
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14-03-2022, 03:28
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*****
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 221
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bootledodger
I used my debit card quite a bit when in Marbella in October - i didn't keep a strict eye on exchange rate/s. Has anyone worked out if the rate using contactless is same/better/worse than exchanging cash before travelling? Cheers.
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That will all vary between what card you are using and/or where you are getting your cash exchanged.
As a guide today:
Revolut (contactless card no transaction fees) €1.192
Barclays Travel Wallet (contactless card no transaction fee) €1.1604
Post Office exhange (cash) €1.1504
Sainsburys exhange (cash) €1.1634 (€1.1657 if using nectar card)
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15-03-2022, 01:10
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*****
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bircho
That will all vary between what card you are using and/or where you are getting your cash exchanged.
As a guide today:
Revolut (contactless card no transaction fees) €1.192
Barclays Travel Wallet (contactless card no transaction fee) €1.1604
Post Office exhange (cash) €1.1504
Sainsburys exhange (cash) €1.1634 (€1.1657 if using nectar card)
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Thanks Bircho - i do recall when looking at a couple of transactions in Marbella that the rate (NatWest debit) looked good - the above suggests it may well be.
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02-04-2022, 00:12
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*****
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Essex
Posts: 195
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So, whilst (the business rate has been) hovering around 1.20 for a good while, it’s now dropped to 1.80ish. Why ? It can’t be just because of the upcoming holiday season, surely ?
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03-04-2022, 09:36
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*****
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland
Posts: 614
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We were out in Costa Del Sol in March this year, and noticed a huge difference between Post Office Rates. As you say Bootledodger, 15.04 cash at the Post Office Counter, but we got 18.9 cash using their online service, only need to change £1000 to get this!!
Ordered at 3.00 p.m. on a Thursday, and it was delivered at 9.00 a.m. next morning (no charge for delivery).
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03-04-2022, 13:11
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*****
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: South Northants
Posts: 444
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My credit card appears to be closely tracking the market rates on XE.com so its showing 1.174 this morning (xe says 1.187) whereas the post office is 1.144 to 1.165 depending on the amount so I'll just carry on tapping away on the credit card for now.
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04-04-2022, 12:06
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*****
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobley
My credit card appears to be closely tracking the market rates on XE.com so its showing 1.174 this morning (xe says 1.187) whereas the post office is 1.144 to 1.165 depending on the amount so I'll just carry on tapping away on the credit card for now.
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Bobley: are you getting a small charge added on each transaction? or is that rate just a straight transaction?
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04-04-2022, 15:22
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*****
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: South Northants
Posts: 444
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No, Its a fee paying card Natwest card and in return it gives me travel insurance, car breakdown insurance, mobile phone insurance, concierge, airport lounge access (lol, me in an airport lounge) and lots of cashback... as well as no transaction fees.
I did spot that it gives a 0.03 better rate than most of the other Natwest cards too.
The straight "Natwest Credit Card" also has no fees and gives the higher exchange rate.
Last edited by bobley; 04-04-2022 at 15:33.
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04-04-2022, 18:54
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*****
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 223
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Cheers Bobley, i've been with NatWest for donkey's and just changed over to Select current so hopefully will get good rate.
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25-04-2022, 21:28
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*****
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 106
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Not totally relevant to this thread but I've got a euro debit card - are there any ATMs in PP or Pollenca which don't charge you a fee to make a withdrawal? There used to be one in the main street just off the sea front, on the right as you head out of town?
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26-04-2022, 09:34
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*****
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 261
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mopezone
Not totally relevant to this thread but I've got a euro debit card - are there any ATMs in PP or Pollenca which don't charge you a fee to make a withdrawal? There used to be one in the main street just off the sea front, on the right as you head out of town?
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Don't know about a Euro debit card but I use my Nationwide debit card and Banca March doesn't charge a fee to use their ATMs whereas other banks do. I also get the market rate at the time if I choose Euro's rather than accepting their Sterling value.
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