Foreign Exchange – Getting The Best Deal Every Time

Is there a right and a wrong way to exchange your sterling for euros when heading to the Alps? The simple answer is yes, but sadly the exact method differs from person to person and resort to resort.

As such, it’s a good idea to weigh up each and every option available to you and see which of the bunch works out best…a little forethought and you can’t go far wrong!

Cash Machines

It’s a given that there will (probably) be cash machines scattered all over the resort you’re heading to, meaning a ready supply of cash and the security of not having to carry it around with you in great volumes. However, whether or not this is a good idea depends on your bank and the cash machine you use.

For example, some banks will not charge you a penny for taking out cash abroad, some will charge a flat fee and others a commission on how much you take out. Some will charge you both! And then on the other end, some cash machines will charge you for using them, while others will be free. So it’s a pretty complex balancing act, but one that’s easy to get to grips with. Check the details with your bank, find a cash machine that doesn’t charge you and after taking out a small sum of cash, check your account online to see exactly what kind of value for money you got.

It’s a bit of a process, but it could save you a fortune and make your trip so easy.

Exchanges At Home

One of the most popular methods of getting hold of cash prior to a holiday is to take cash along to an exchange office before setting off. Now, more often than not this means you won’t get quite as good a rate as you would on the other end of the flight and you’ll also pay some sort of commission – it’s how they stay in business! However, you can still get a decent deal by all means and in most instances this means hitting up a bank or a Post Office, rather than a standalone change office.

Exchanges Abroad

A quick tip – don’t be tempted to change all your cash in the airport while waiting for your airport ski transfer to depart. While you probably won’t get ripped-off in the strictest sense, you’re almost guaranteed to get one of the poorest deals possible in the airport. You might also find that the closer you get to the centre of your final resort, the lower the exchange rate becomes. The best advice is to head away from the main tourist drags and insist on a full conversion before shoving your cash through the window.

Credit Cards

If you have a travel credit card, you might enjoy things like free cash withdrawals, no charges on purchases and loads of other goodies like free insurance. If you own a bog-standard credit card, you might get nothing but a huge fee slapped onto every single thing you use it for along the way. As such, you need to check with your service provider before making your decision.



Article written by Ski Transfer Finder, a simple and quick tool to get you quotes for airport transfers to ski resorts, directly from local transportation providers.

Suburban RetroBike Investigation - Ten Woods, Two Commons And A Slow Puncture

Introduction

Today was an excuse for a proper bit of "Old Skool" exploration, just as it was done back in the day, without any fancy GPS smart phone wizardry. Taking a rough idea for a circular off road route around the Southern limits of the London boroughs of Bromley and Croydon, checking with the map as we went. Alasdair was my riding companion, it started as a suggestion of his and two is definitely company for this type of ride. He must be at least 10 years younger and considerably fitter than me, so there wasn't going to be too much slacking today.

Alasdair - 10 years younger and considerably fitter

Stud Farms, Parks and Woods

The starting point was Bromley South railway station, quiet on a Sunday but still very much a metropolitan area. Yet after less than a mile of suburban semi detached houses on the road you are already on Bromley Common. Skirting around the grounds of Bromley FC you are soon in an area that I remember used to be allotments, but which have now become stud farms, not the sort of thing you expect to find minutes from a suburban town centre. Just the other side of Norman Park, at the end of Rookery Lane and overlooked by Bromley College the woodlands begin.
By this point you already feel that you are miles from anywhere, with plentiful single track paths and the occasional bridleway snaking their way through Mazzards Wood, Barnet Wood, Colyers Wood and Padmall Wood, but hardly a soul in sight. We were roughly following the course of the River Ravensbourne as it slowly ascends from Bromley Common onto Hayes Common towards its source at picturesque Keston Ponds.
At Keston Common we briefly joined the Westerham Road, if you followed the road a little further you would be at the historic war time airfield at Biggin Hill, but we were soon heading back into the woodland before then.

Furze Bottom Downhill

By Keston Court Farm we joined the excellent fast bridleway descent down to Furze Bottom. For me this was the highlight of the day, it is straight and open in places, firm and with great visibility ahead, my first chance of the day to be a Gonzo and get up some speed, my eyes were watering by the bottom. Payback came with a slow slog up Higham's Hill, rewarded with a brief rest at the top to admire the open view South towards Chelsham.
A brief sprint through Jewels Wood put us on a section of the National Cycle Network Route 21 for the short ride to The White Bear pub at Fickleshole and a chance to grab a drink and consult the map for the next leg.

The White Bear pub at Fickleshole

Ging gang goolie goolie goolie goolie watcha

Suitably refreshed it was time for a nippy descent down Featherbed Lane to The Bungalow for a ride through Fryland's Wood Scout Camp and on to Crab Wood above it. Some of the trails were reminiscent of Swinley Forest that we had both ridden a few weeks earlier, but with no other traffic. This lead us onto Chelsham Common and thanks to a couple of wrong turns to the big Sainsbury store at the edge of Warlingham.
Realising our mistake, we turned around and headed back into Great Park Wood towards Farleigh. Farleigh appears to be quite a horsey area, there are plenty of bridleways, but some were quite churned up. With the dry weather they were just very bumpy, but I imagine in Autumn they could well become a bit of a quagmire. It also seemed that some of the paths had branches and logs deliberately laid across them, could there be a bit of a horse vs bike conflict going on at the moment?

Nature Reserve

We were now on the home leg heading North towards Selsdon. There was a very rapid and slippery chalk descent through Frith Wood onto the edge of Addington Golf course. I enjoyed this so much that I missed a turning and we had to back track uphill. The correct turning took us through Bears Wood and onto Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve. You would never guess how close you are to a town here, it is so peaceful and quiet, the trails are wide and undulating with a firm base. Alasdair particularly liked the riding and we put in few laps trying all the different combinations of routes.
I was feeling quite tired after the exertion and mooted that it was time for a bun at Forestdale before the ascent of Gravel Hill.

Outstanding Vista

Climbing up Gravel Hill, with a busy road nearby and cris-crossing the tram tracks you feel very much back in an urban environment. But once at the top there is some good, but ultra slippery riding in the Shirley Hills. Gravel Hill is aptly named, the stones are so small that it is like riding on ball bearings, braking is a challenge and climbing impossible, even on foot it took careful effort. A short flight of steps took us to the unexpected pleasure of the stupendous vista from The Lookout. Local landmarks such as Crystal Palace FC were easily visible, along with buildings in the City, such as The Shard, buildings around Canary Wharf and even as far as Wembley Stadium with The Chilterns as a back drop.

Windy Miller

Our final descent of the day was down Shirley Hills Road to Postmill Close, to visit Shirley Windmill, one of London's last surviving windmills. We finished with a gentle ride through the suburban streets of West Wickham back to our starting point at Bromley.
With the excitement over, I noticed my front tyre was looking about as deflated as I now felt, just making it back to Bromley South before I was on the rims. I bade farewell to Alasdair, popped on a spare tube and took a leisurely ride back home.

Shirley Windmill - one of London's last remaining

Conclusion

To keep future rides along this route snappy, we might miss a few of the more tortuous off road sections and use a bit more road to link it all together. Likewise some of the potentially boggier sections might have to be bypassed in Winter. But this is a great circular route, with so much isolated woodland, all within easy distance of major transport hubs it is holds great potential for future rides.
Almost the entire route can be found on Transport for London Cycling Guide 13, if you want to receive a free copy please look here.