Travel Money - Get the Best Deal in London and when you Travel

Take some cash with you when you travel abroad for places that don’t accept plastic like small shops, taxi’s etc. Cash machines do not give you the best rate for changing money, you will get a better rate if you exchange cash at a foreign exchange.

To change money there are a variety of options. I find that Marks & Spencer’s, Travelex and the Post Office are all a rip off. The worst foreign currency exchanges are the ones in the airport which have huge ‘margins’ (the difference between what they buy a currency from you and what they sell it to you). 

Never pay commission, but just because they are advertising 0% commission doesn’t make their rate any good. Check online, I check Yahoo Finance. Then you want to get the closest rate to this that you can. 

If you live in London, Edgeware Road has a good selection and rates. The best place I have found is Thomas Global exchange which has 4 branches in london.

In general go to the little hole in the wall places with one guy cooped up in his little glass prison cell and he will have better rates than the high street banks, stores and even the chain currency places. Competition is good!

Better yet, exchange money directly with your friends. Just look online and get the rate at that time for the currency you have from Yahoo Finance and calculate it.

Advanced Guide to Flying Ryanair

If you have never flown Ryanair, then this isn’t for you yet, you need to read this first.

How soon do you have to get to the airport before your Ryanair flight departs?

Most airlines close the check-in desks 30 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart, and this is sometimes done automatically by the computer system, so even if your friend works at the check-in, they couldn’t get you on the flight.

As you have already printed your boarding pass you just need to get to the departure gate between 30 minutes and 10 minutes before the flight is scheduled to leave. If you have flown this route before and regularly get the last flight you will know these are the ones that tend to be delayed if any flights that day are. The first flight of the day is normally on time and as the day goes on the chances of delay increase in my experience. 

It depends on your risk appetite whether you get to the gate 30 minutes or 10 minutes before your scheduled flight departure. You don't get a medal for this and if you get it wrong, you miss your flight, although it does add an extra excitement factor to flying. 

I would hope you know how long it takes to get to the gate from security otherwise you are out of your league right now even contemplating this. Maybe someone can make an application for how long it takes to walk from passing security to arrive at the gate for some airports if you are a regular traveller? 

Who Not Where

If there is one thing I have learned from travelling it is the following: What matters is not where you go, but who you are with that makes an enjoyable experience.

I have been in New York City on my own and felt miserable, yet I have been in Habrough, England (The village I grew up in with a population of 650) and had some of the best times of my life with my friends and family there.

Habrough - Photo: Matty Cruddas

Habrough has a shop, a train station, a pub and two hotels – not a lot happening. People look out the window when they hear a car drive past!

Oh and the silence at night is absolute. It is very weird going back after living in London and New York with that constant background noise you get in big cities! People are what make life fun :)

Kyashii - Great Sushi in Covent Garden, London

Kyashii is a an ultra stylish new restaurant, sushi bar and champagne lounge,  that is officially launching on 18th October in the heart of Covent Garden, London. 

I had the privilege of eating here the first week that they opened in August when the price was 50% off. 

Idiot’s Guide to Flying Ryanair in 10 Steps

Most people have heard of Ryanair, some for good reasons, others for bad. Having flown with them over 40 times and more than 20 in the last six months alone, I am an avid fan and can attribute much of my travels to the low prices of flights on Ryanair.

How can Ryanair run a profitable airline if they charge 1p a flight?  

I used to get asked questions like this. Ryanair has to pass the same safety standards that all the other European airlines have to pass, so they don’t save money by skimping on safety.

1. First of all Ryanair's target market is not your grandma who doesn’t have a computer or internet. You have to buy your ticket online and then do the online check in and print your boarding pass to avoid extra fees, so you at least need a grandchild who can do this for you.

Ryanair Charity Calendar April - Nicola

2. The Ryanair website is easy enough to use for someone who knows their way around the internet enough to find my blog. The difference is when you go to buy a flight you need to be aware of what options are pre-selected for you and actually read what you are agreeing to.

3. Ryanair charges for paying with anything other than a Prepaid Mastercard. So if you are thinking of flying with Ryanair a few times it is worth getting a Prepaid Mastercard, or like I did, finding a friend who has one and asking if you can borrow it :) The charge is £5 pounds per person each leg of your journey so for a return flight that is £10 extra.

I flew to Venice from London for £8.02. A penny each way for the flight and £8 for the credit card charge a couple of years ago. This was back when I was still an amateur traveller, I don’t pay the extra credit card charges anymore.