Exchanging Money In Moscow

[KGSodie 0]

On my last trip, I took a few hundred dollars and exchanged them for rubles at the bank, for a small fee. Several bills were rejected. I also used my ATM/debit card to withdraw small sums, again at a bank, no more than $300 at a time. On this trip, I'll likely need about $3000 an I don't want to carry the cash with me. Searching VJ, the general consensus seems to be to just use an ATM card and ATMs to get local currency, but I'm worried about the amount that I need. My bank has a daily ATM limit, coincidentally enough exactly $3000, but ATMs here limit individual transactions to usually just $300 or so.

So I'm looking for advice. Do ATMs in Moscow also limit the withdrawal amount? Am I better to just go to the bank and use my ATM/debit card there?

Thanks in advance, all.

[mox 298]

On my last trip, I took a few hundred dollars and exchanged them for rubles at the bank, for a small fee. Several bills were rejected. I also used my ATM/debit card to withdraw small sums, again at a bank, no more than $300 at a time. On this trip, I'll likely need about $3000 an I don't want to carry the cash with me. Searching VJ, the general consensus seems to be to just use an ATM card and ATMs to get local currency, but I'm worried about the amount that I need. My bank has a daily ATM limit, coincidentally enough exactly $3000, but ATMs here limit individual transactions to usually just $300 or so.

So I'm looking for advice. Do ATMs in Moscow also limit the withdrawal amount? Am I better to just go to the bank and use my ATM/debit card there?

Thanks in advance, all.

The autobanks I used had a limit of 5,000p per transaction, but they didn't stop me from just re-inserting my card and doing it again. Not sure how many times it'll let you do that though, I think I only ever did it twice.

Not sure how the rates are at the money exchange kiosks in airports, but if you're connecting through Heathrow I know they do rubles there. I exchanged a couple hundred dollars just so I wouldn't land in Moscow without any pocket cash. Didn't do me much good actually, the cab driver gave me a cheaper rate if I paid him in dollars.

[KGSodie 0]

I'm flying Omaha->Atlanta->JFK->Moscow. I've heard that you get hosed on the exchange rate at the airport. One thought is to western union the money to myself or Natasha, for pickup in Moscow. Another suggestion I got was to open an account at a bank in Moscow remotely and wire the money that way.

I'm still researching.

[Satellite 1]

Whenever I went for my three month excursions I took about $4,000 cash and had no problems. ATM also has another small draw back, your bank might take some kind of conversion fee which calculated gets you a worse exchange rate. Likewise most bank charge some kind of per transaction fee for not using their ATM machines. But those are small costs if you are scared of getting robbed.

[mox 298]

I'm flying Omaha->Atlanta->JFK->Moscow. I've heard that you get hosed on the exchange rate at the airport. One thought is to western union the money to myself or Natasha, for pickup in Moscow. Another suggestion I got was to open an account at a bank in Moscow remotely and wire the money that way.

I'm still researching.

Western Union might be your best option, but fees and exchange rate combined might ding you. On the other hand it's a pretty secure and reliable way to make sure the money will be there for you.

Opening a bank account in Moscow might be risky. You might get there only to find out they have a hold for withdrawals on new accounts that you weren't made aware of, or some other arcane reason.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I'm a cash guy over there, avoiding avtomats. I carry only fresh crisp currency in, exchange it as needed, and leave for home when it's all gone! I did keep a card for some purchases (our weekly major grocery shopping) that accepted MC/Visa, but never used it in a machine. I can say, the denser the tourist population, in the area, the higher the exchange rate. Alla & I always went directly to a locally owned bank, off the beaten track, to get the best rate.

[Satellite 1]

One thought is to western union the money to myself or Natasha, for pickup in Moscow. Another suggestion I got was to open an account at a bank in Moscow remotely and wire the money that way.

Western Union will charge 10% which is huge in comparison to ATM charges and wiring money can be as high as $50 and you need a bank account in Russia. If you wire to your fiancée you need to trust her she won't dump you and take the money.

[KGSodie 0]

I hear ya, Kazan. Because I HAD to get money while in Moscow, we went to an exchange bank (read: Natasha took me by the hand and led me there) and they were rude and unsympathetic. You know, typical customer service there! I exchanged $900, and the rejected 4 of the bills (all new $100). In Volgodonsk, they only rejected one. The exchange rate was always pretty good (in the 26-1 or 27-1 range, last February/March) and the fee seemed pretty low (2% as I recall).

Kirk: I'm almost convinced to just use western union. They only send in dollars, so I'll get the bank exchange rate when I pick it up (I think - I'll have to check with Natasha). I'll pay a fee, but it'll be known and up front, and past experience tells me the more I send, the 'less' this fee is (the rate goes down).

Satellite: Cash always worked for me, too, but I had such horrible luck with rejected bills in Moscow. Come to think of it, the problem was only with $100. The $20s they all took. But I'd hate to bring $3000 in $20s!

[KGSodie 0]

One thought is to western union the money to myself or Natasha, for pickup in Moscow. Another suggestion I got was to open an account at a bank in Moscow remotely and wire the money that way.

Western Union will charge 10% which is huge in comparison to ATM charges and wiring money can be as high as $50 and you need a bank account in Russia. If you wire to your fiancée you need to trust her she won't dump you and take the money.

Trusting my fiancee isn't an issue, at all. Call me gullible, if you like. I know her very well. I'll have to check my past transfers with Western Union, but Natasha has never needed a bank account - just a passport. I'm also pretty sure the fee was less than 10% - again, as long as the amount is over a threshold (just checked my last transaction online - $600 cost $50 to send). So western union has it's advantages, and it's costs, as does just about anything else. Cash is the best option - provided they take all my bills.

[mox 298]

Yeah I think once you've proposed, all trust issues are either resolved or should have been resolved. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I'd have no guarantees that she wouldn't greet me at the airport with a suspiciously new pair of boots or a new purse.

[KGSodie 0]

Not my Natasha. She makes the frugality of 'Scrooge' seem like downright spend·thriftery (I love making up new words!). We're still looking for an apartment - she simply refuses to accept that an apartment that will meet our needs should cost more than 2600 rubles per day. I say hey, 3000 rubles isn't so bad, and she quickly begins to instruct the math teacher on the calculations: "But Kevin - 400 rubles x 14 days = 5600 rubles!"

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

If anyone still has trust issues, I think it's getting a little far from the launch now! I would not have ever proposed if I had even a shred of doubt.

I've been scolding Alla a bit lately, she has bought a few items of clothing more than she should. I've said, sweetie, you know you will have to either leave them there of find more room in those suitcases! Just wait to get here. I'll get you some new clothes! "Jeffery, I not want to walk on street in rags even for one day!"

Yeah I think once you've proposed, all trust issues are either resolved or should have been resolved. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I'd have no guarantees that she wouldn't greet me at the airport with a suspiciously new pair of boots or a new purse.

Alla? Alla, is that you? Kevin, that sounds just like my girl. Keeps an instant calculator / dollar for ruble exchange center in her head. Never off by a kopek!

Not my Natasha. She makes the frugality of 'Scrooge' seem like downright spend·thriftery (I love making up new words!). We're still looking for an apartment - she simply refuses to accept that an apartment that will meet our needs should cost more than 2600 rubles per day. I say hey, 3000 rubles isn't so bad, and she quickly begins to instruct the math teacher on the calculations: "But Kevin - 400 rubles x 14 days = 5600 rubles!"

[mox 298]

I've been scolding Alla a bit lately, she has bought a few items of clothing more than she should. I've said, sweetie, you know you will have to either leave them there of find more room in those suitcases! Just wait to get here. I'll get you some new clothes! "Jeffery, I not want to walk on street in rags even for one day!"

Well just to drag yet another thread off-topic, what plans does she have to get what doesn't fit in her suitcase here? Seems like the posta would be prohibitively expensive, but I can't really think of a cheaper way.

[KGSodie 0]

Natasha still weighs her suitcases with each repacking. She knows how many suitcases she has, and what they are allowed to weight, and I'm sure this means some things will have to be left behind. No shoes though, I doubt.....

LOL Jeffery, your comments made my day!

[slim 1,523]

It must be nice to be having these kind of problems.....

The kinds with commas in them, that is.

All mine are only two or three digit money problems. "OK, so if I spend $5 for lunch and there's a $53 balance in the account, will I have enough to pay the cell phone bill?"

Ah, the good ol' days of exchanging thousands and thousands at a time......