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If that has to make my trip amazing I will just stay home .
With my leftover money I always buy some chocolates or small souvenirs in the airport. My joy is to buy whatever I can still buy with the little I have left and the cashier or Unicef gets the last coins.
For my transport from the airport I prearrange and pay afterwards, or I pay the taxi in US$, or I get money from the ATM in the airport. OK, this is a bit more expensive, because ATMās in airports tend to give a smaller amount but after 20 hours of traveling I really donāt see myself passing customs and looking for some tourist that wants to change some money.
I am actually wondering if you have really ever traveled yourself?
I really donāt think thereās enough market in the touristās leftover coins. I donāt see anyone spending $US 1000,00 on a trip and then fussing over $US 15,00 at maximum. Inconvenience and mistrust are two huge mountains you would have to overcome. I donāt see it happening, certainly because of the limited reward. Not even taking into account the fee you will have to charge to keep things running.
In airports it will also only work with countries that have several connections a day. Because if there is only one flight a day, letās say Brussels - Ouagadogou, when I have passed customs the tourists traveling the other way will already be boarding.
I am no expert whatsoever, so I might very well be talking BS, but there might be a serious market for you in other places: Currency flows between two countries with a very weak currency, where there is a bigger spread between the exchange rate for buying and selling currency, and where people have to first change to dolar and then change these dolars to the currency they need.
For anyone exchanging from/to ā¬ or $ I donāt think it will work.
You will also find a market in āblack marketā countries, but in those cases the question will be how long your service will remain legal.
I see what you mean and itās especially because i was stuck in some Colombian cities without ATM where i was obliged to change on a black market at a really bad rate, waiting 2h in Havana to change my $ at an official casa de cambio or in argentina on the blue market at a really good rate but without a way to get rid of my equivalent $100 leftover currency that i thought about all the possible useful way.
Anyway, we all have our own habits, preferences, experiences and i really thank you for your time and point of view.
Thanks a lot.
I donāt know anything about it and frankly would not want the responsibility of giving advice on something like this. I would tell them to Google it.
On the transatlantic carriers I have used, there is always a charity envelope into which passengers can unload their leftover currency to benefit good causes. For many people in the world travelling abroad - even if itās a backpacks-and-hostels trip - is way beyond their means and would seem like an indulgent and luxury experience.
For those of us who have that luxury, the least we can do is to donate our leftover currency to help worthwhile causes.
I have a box with all my leftover currency. Last year, my mother was headed to the UK and we were able to pass on enough pounds to get her to our cousinās house. In fact, I never land without the appropriate currency in my pocket.
It doesnāt happen very often, but I do sometimes accept a credit card (which they will be charged in the guestās home currency, of course) and give travellers local currency (ā¬ in my case) in cash, in return. I am āabusingā my iZettle for this, which I generally have for guests who want to pay for anything while staying with me (tourist tax, local public transport ticket) by credit card.
I get off the plane walk up the the closest ATM and get local currency. I am careful to use it up as I get ready to leave the country. The remaining bits get dropped in the airport charity receptacles. Convenience and safety, not exchange rate and fees are more important to me.
That said, if you are able to make the UBER or Taskrabbit of currency exchange a successful business, good for you.