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Sometimes it's prudent to get cash in a foreign currency in advance of a trip. (You may be travelling to a place where credit/debit cards or traveller's cheques are not widely accepted, or where ATMs are rare. Alternatively, your bank/credit cards may work but the associated exchange rates or fees may be unfavourable.)

Banks and bureaux de change differ widely in their exchange rates and fees, with ones located at airports giving notoriously poor rates. In the UK there is a travel money comparison site, travelmoneymax.com, that automatically searches brick-and-mortar and online banks and bureaux de change and displays their rates and fees in a convenient table. You can then select the one closest to you (or one that delivers by mail) that gives the best overall rate.

Is there a similar comparison website for Germany?

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  • FYI, ATMs are not rare, you will find that around every corner in Germany. I agree that the xchange counters at airports or stations are big rip offs. The best is cash machine withdrawal. You might find lots of exchange offices in the city center or at tourist locations offering good rates. Where exactly are you traveling in Germany? I have traveled to many many places so might throw some advice.
    – pbu
    Jun 18, 2015 at 15:35
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    I am not travelling in Germany. I live in Germany and want to change my money before travelling elsewhere.
    – Psychonaut
    Jun 18, 2015 at 16:11
  • @Psychonaut, this is highly dependent upon what currency you want to purchase. For banks regulated by the Bundesbank you have the official rate at retail banks set, and you have the Reisebank, not such a wide choice. Outside of Germany, yes, there are services like you describe showing the exchange rates for a given currency against the Euro, but these are on a country-by-country basis. You need to specify your target currency; it's not possible for a site to give a list for all banks in all countries against the Euro. That's why you haven't found it. Close voting as 'unclear'
    – Gayot Fow
    Aug 8, 2015 at 18:21
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    @GayotFow: I am not asking for a site which searches all banks in all countries; I am asking for one which searches only banks and bureaux de change in Germany, just like how travelmoneymax.com searches banks and bureaux de change in the UK. And yes, I'm aware that the exchange rate can vary by bank and by foreign currency; this is the raison d'être for travel money comparison sites.
    – Psychonaut
    Aug 9, 2015 at 10:18
  • @Psychonaut, the point being that there isn't a site like that in Germany. They are in destination countries (i.e., non Euro). You found one for purchasing Sterling (in the UK) and there is another comparison site for purchasing CHF (in Switzerland) and another for Baht in Thailand etc etc. There are strategies offered by German banks, like the 'Postbank-Sparcard' which can be useful for purchasing currency via ATM. Please add to your question why you think there would be such a site based in Germany. My close vote still applies, sorry. If you think I'm unfair, please use META, thanks!
    – Gayot Fow
    Aug 9, 2015 at 13:53

1 Answer 1

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When the exchange direction is EUR => non-EUR, there are no consolidated exchange rate sites based in Germany. You have your own bank and the Reisebank to choose from, that's why they invented the Reisebank.

Retail banks in Germany are regulated by the Bundesbank and need to follow their guidelines about what retail exchange rates can be offered in small quantities. The regulatory surface is different in the UK, so the retail end-user sees the types of sites that you want to see in Germany.

If you have a really large quantity of EUR that you want to convert, you can contact a broker who will post your offer to the Interbank Network and connect you with somebody wanting to lift your EUR.

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  • How do dedicated exchange companies like Travelex figure into this, then? Are they just considered "retail banks" and subject to the same Bundesbank regulations?
    – Psychonaut
    Aug 24, 2015 at 14:06
  • Travelex is ultimately regulated by the FCA fca.org.uk with the US regulator acting as primary for the dollar markets
    – Gayot Fow
    Aug 24, 2015 at 14:13
  • So there are indeed more choices than just my own bank and Reisebank?
    – Psychonaut
    Aug 24, 2015 at 17:48
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    @Psychonaut Is there a similar comparison website for Germany? No.
    – Gayot Fow
    Aug 24, 2015 at 18:07

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