Impact of present US$ v's EUR rate on visitors to US

Wompa1

I think it's going to weaken. They announced that the estimates on new jobs for the last month was incorrect by 69k people, how that happens, I have no idea. Job growth was also down again this past month. It looks like US growth is slowing down.

I may need to buy euros for my trip home soon!

Rackstar

No US holiday for me this year.

iusedtoknow

MarkY91 wrote: »

It certainly isn't making or breaking my holiday but I doubt any normal person could just say "sure its just €400. No bother" I'll just take the rate as it is then. Thanks

sorry, didn't mean to come across as snarky.

So I was in Switzerland for work in January, and my wife came over to join me for a few days before we went down to Spain to see inlaws, as she had never been to Switzerland. We were paying for everything after my work time had finished.
I never change cash before, just always use my card/atm as needed.

It was that time when the swiss central bank did their magic and stopped propping up the Euro and suddenly the USD lost 20% value against the swiss franc. Everything in an already expensive country suddenly became 20% more expensive for us. A coffee suddenly was $10, our hotel suddenly was $450 instead of $350. Fortunately, we still maintain euro bank accounts, so we hightailed it to the eurozone as fast as we could.

All I'm saying is - currency is at the whims of market forces and nothing else. You gamble and that is it.

iusedtoknow

Wompa1 wrote: »

I think it's going to weaken. They announced that the estimates on new jobs for the last month was incorrect by 69k people, how that happens, I have no idea. Job growth was also down again this past month. It looks like US growth is slowing down.

I may need to buy euros for my trip home soon!

it is strange, however I think they include numbers of people actively looking for work (which don't count into unemployment figures).

doesn't make much sense - but does anything in this country

MarkY91

iusedtoknow wrote: »

sorry, didn't mean to come across as snarky.

So I was in Switzerland for work in January, and my wife came over to join me for a few days before we went down to Spain to see inlaws, as she had never been to Switzerland. We were paying for everything after my work time had finished.
I never change cash before, just always use my card/atm as needed.

It was that time when the swiss central bank did their magic and stopped propping up the Euro and suddenly the USD lost 20% value against the swiss franc. Everything in an already expensive country suddenly became 20% more expensive for us. A coffee suddenly was $10, our hotel suddenly was $450 instead of $350. Fortunately, we still maintain euro bank accounts, so we hightailed it to the eurozone as fast as we could.

All I'm saying is - currency is at the whims of market forces and nothing else. You gamble and that is it.

That's alright. Just I'm trying to regain any kind of positives in regard to currency exchange.. I booked my holiday when the euro was at 1.30ish so it really is a dampener on things but in still going to have the time of my life

Rashers72

A friend told me about Switzerland at Feb mid term, v's Euro. He said it was crazy expensive, and he is from there.
On another note, I agree about crystal ball stuff with FX rates.

MarkY91

Thanks.. I'll just have to cash in now. Sorry for the stupid questions. I hadn't had a clue about exchange rates until recently. I'm certainly more aware now.

iusedtoknow

Rashers72 wrote: »

A friend told me about Switzerland at Feb mid term, v's Euro. He said it was crazy expensive, and he is from there.
On another note, I agree about crystal ball stuff with FX rates.

Oh it hurt. We were in Zurich so at least it was easy enough to get eurozone. I usually travel there for work so rarely spend any of my own money. I think it's affected their tourist industry (not that they need it..). We weren't the only ones on Zurich -> Rome bound train cutting our holiday in Switzerland short. It was actually cheaper for us to take the train, book a hotel on short notice and have 3 days in Rome AND get the ferry from Rome to Barcelona...than it would have been for 3 nights accommodation alone in Zurich.

Rashers72

Rate at 10 week high, going to 1.1345. Crystal ball time!
http://www.fxcentre.com/news.asp?3268277

JONJO THE MISER

Hope it climbs further, need as much as i can get for my trip.

castlebarian

Bought some dollars at 1.043 in credit union about 3 weeks ago held out for the rest to see how it played out credit union now selling at 1.098 . Here is hoping it gets stronger again

grimm2005

I'm heading over next month myself, thinking of changing over now. Where would be the best place to exchange? Post office, bank, elsewhere? Probably going to change about a grand worth of €

jaymcg91

grimm2005 wrote: »

I'm heading over next month myself, thinking of changing over now. Where would be the best place to exchange? Post office, bank, elsewhere? Probably going to change about a grand worth of €

Check out No1currency.ie, their rate seems to be really competitive. If you order online to collect in store they waive the commission.

I'm looking to buy USD and CAD and I'm going to do it from there I think. Post office isn't that competitive, they say it's commission free but I find they counteract that with a ****ty rate.

JONJO THE MISER

Euro has gone up $3 dollars to the euro this week, now at 1.1450, think it will rally more next week.

Rashers72

Tomorrow will be interesting to see how the markets react. We should have a better idea by end of week around the rates for next few months..... I wonder have the markets already assumed Greek exit, into present FX rates?

jaymcg91

Rashers72 wrote: »

Tomorrow will be interesting to see how the markets react. We should have a better idea by end of week around the rates for next few months..... I wonder have the markets already assumed Greek exit, into present FX rates?

Nope, markets have stayed relatively stable because on the whole it's been assumed that Greece will "eventually" be solved without an exit.

Lord knows what will happen if they do go! A swift decline in the value of the € I think, at least in the short term.

Savman

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Euro has gone up $3 dollars to the euro this week

Come again???

slave1

We're here at the minute and the rate is brutal compared to the last few years, at least the stuff being bought is better value so some solace, eg some Hollister hoodies last week for $14