You will probably be the first to think of currency exchange offices. You are in tourist destinations at every step. But you should avoid those at airports and train stations .

They often have higher odds because they expect you to exchange money at the last minute. If you have time, walk through a few streets and compare prices at the exchange offices.

Sale or purchase?

Sale or purchase?

A large currency exchange board with many numbers confuses most people. They are not sure which data to look at. Imagine that you are in that Italy and you need euros. Find the box with Czech crowns and look in the Purchase field. The exchange office will buy crowns from you.

If your holiday is over and you want to exchange foreign banknotes back to the crown, you will be interested in the number in the box Sales. The exchange office sells you a foreign currency for it.

Also, remember that in many currency exchange offices you cannot buy for Czech crowns. Therefore, especially when traveling outside Europe, it is important to have a cash advance in some international currency such as the dollar or the euro. This is then easily exchanged for local money.

Beware of bank charges


Street exchange offices seem dangerous to some people . They don’t want to count money anywhere on the street. If you are one of them, you can go to the exchange office in one of the banks. But be sure to pay a fee. On the contrary, street exchange is usually free.

Another easy way to obtain foreign currency in cash is to withdraw from an ATM. But find out in advance how much your bank charges for this transaction.

Paying with a card is cheaper abroad

Paying with a card is cheaper abroad

The easiest way is to pay by card. It’s safe, fast and cheap. Banks usually do not charge fees for card payments abroad .

Paying with a card is even more advantageous than paying with cash. The exchange rate of cash is higher (the so-called foreign exchange rate ). Physical money must be deposited somewhere and the exchange office must sell it to you. These are all costs that are reflected in the course.

Conversely, the so-called foreign exchange is a non-cash foreign currency. It works by depositing Czech crowns into your account at home, using a card abroad and drawing euro. The bank will automatically convert currencies. And because it has very low costs, the exchange rate is also more advantageous.

Erika is 35 years old. “I always paid cash abroad because I didn’t know that card payments were free. I tried it in Budapest last year. After returning, I looked at the statement of account and was pleasantly surprised at how little I spent in crowns. The course was really better, ” describes Erika

Do you prefer to pay abroad in cash or do you use a card?