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Escape the cold this winter and head to Europe

With the Northern Hemisphere summer approaching, you may be planning a trip to the UK and Europe. We generally recommend you take some local cash for arrival at your destination overseas (as well as a credit, debit or travel money card). This will give you peace of mind when you arrive at your destination – you don’t have to immediately try to find an ATM, you have some local cash to pay for taxis, public transport and tips, and you won’t have to use your cards when you have concerns about card skimming or fraud.

The currency for most of mainland Europe is the Euro, although there are a few exceptions (including Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Scandinavian countries). The Republic of Ireland also uses the Euro. Be aware that high-value Euro notes (€200 and €500) can sometimes be difficult to use due to concerns about forgeries.

The UK, on the other hand, still uses the Pound Sterling. Confusingly, Scottish and Northern Irish banks produce their own design of banknote - the value is the same as Bank of England notes.

In partnership with Travelex, Sydney Mutual Bank offers you an extensive range of foreign cash in more than 50 currencies (including Euros, British Pounds and all the major European currencies), and for added convenience a choice of denominations is normally available. Orders will usually be delivered to your local SCU branch within 48-72 hours (subject to location). Keep in mind also that if you have any unused foreign banknotes when you come back from your trip, we can convert them back into Australian Dollars for you (subject to acceptability).