Hi there
I'm heading off on the Nile and Sinai trip on 25th Feb, followed by the Siwa trip, then over to Morocco. Looking forward to it all!
Is there ATM access in places such as CAiro, Casablanca and MArrakech? Or can I get cash advanves at the bank? Or is it best to take travellers cheques?
Ta
Jenny
ATM's
Re: ATM's
Hello JennyA,
I would suggest you take Travellers Cheques. These are easy to cash & fairly easy to keep trck of. ATM's are very unreliable in Egypt, I don't know about cash advances. There are money exchanges available in most parts of Egypt & so I found it very easy with TC's.
Hope this helps. Have a great trip!
Re: ATM's
Hi JennyA,
There are ATM machines in Morocco that accept visa, mastercard, cirrus and maestro. But you should not rely on these as the only source of money - the computer links can go down!
You should also carry a mixture of travellers cheques and cash which you can exchange at Banks, Bureaux de Change and some larger hotels. US$, Pounds Sterling (but not Irish or Scottish) or French Francs are good currencies to carry here for ease of exchange.
There is normlly a Bureau de Change at the airport in Casablana where you can change money on arrival but they often only accept cash (not travellers cheques). There's also an ATM machine there.
Cheers,
Jane Folliott
Destination Manager, Morocco
The Imaginative Traveller
Re: ATM's
Hi JennyA,
Just to reiterate what Jane has already said; we recommend that you carry the bigger part of your funds (approx. 70%) as travellers cheques for security reasons. If possible a small amount of local currency already in your wallet (or purse!) before you arrive will be very useful for any immediate transactions you might have to make. It is usual for banking services to be available to you in the Arrivals Hall of the airport though occasionally they won't be open 24hrs.
Again as Jane stated, cash and travellers cheques should be of a major denomination: US Dollars, Sterling, German Marks and French Francs are all good bets. Australian Dollars are becoming easier to change though you may find Irish pounds and Canadian/NZ Dollars difficult to exchange. Although plastic is a good back up and very convenient it should not be relied upon as your main source of funds. It is possible to get a cash advance on your credit card in most major cities but often only at a selected bank or branch. You should contact your credit card company for info on which local banks will offer this service.
Enjoy the tour and keep in touch.
[b][email]chris@imtrav.co.uk[/email][/b]