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Practical notes on exchange rates, card fees and converting money abroad.
How to convert currency offline on iPhone
Set up these four things before you leave and your currency conversions keep working in aeroplane mode.
Pay in local currency or your own? What to choose on a card machine abroad
Card machines and ATMs abroad offer to charge you in your home currency. The sums show why local is usually cheaper.
What is the mid-market rate, and why doesn't your bank give it to you?
The rate you see in a search result is rarely one you can buy at. How to work out what a bank or exchange desk really charges.
How to convert prices in your head while travelling
Simple shortcuts for estimating foreign prices without a phone, and when to stop estimating and get the exact figure.
Why the yen has no decimals and the Kuwaiti dinar has three
Currencies use anywhere from zero to four decimal places. What that means for prices, receipts and the 1.000 that isn't a thousand.