Buying dollars by post

I would have thought you could have just taken the money out at the airport, or at your destination? I tend to just use cash machines abroad if I want to take money out. I can't understand why your card wouldn't work with other banks. Perhaps you should do something about that.

I don't like to fully rely on cards. I don't think it's wise in the economic climate and things don't tend to work as smoothly in Latin America as in Norway!

Dollars in cash are still the most useful thing to have abroad away from Europe.

Airports always give a very bad rate. Some of the places I'm going through in South America have currency restrictions so I'd prefer just to have a bit of cash before I get there.

When I say my card doesn't work, what I mean is that in order to draw out dollars from the DNB cash machine you need a Norwegian bank account which I don't have.

The rates at DNB aren't as bad as I first thought though actually - much the same as forex.no. I think I'd just messed up my calculations. Still, always interested in alternatives.

If you have a VISA card it should work at pretty much any ATM here in Norway. Ordering dollars will always be more expensive or worse rates then paying direct with a card or withdrawing cash.

I agree with dmcart13. I would wait until you arrive at the airport of your destination and then take out dollars there (preferably at an ATM). That is what I do each time I travel in Europe.