Just landed - wondering what gives the better rate in Tuvalu: ATM withdrawal or airport exchange counter?
From my trip, the National Bank of Tuvalu ATM in Funafuti gave me a decent rate, though I had to wait in line because there aren’t many machines. The airport exchange was easy but not significantly better or worse. Pro tip: bring some AUD with you and use both options - whichever has the shorter line or whatever you need most!
Honestly, Tuvalu is so small there’s not much difference in rates between the single ATM and the airport currency counter. I brought some Australian dollars (AUD), which both ATM and counter took just fine. The ATM fee was about $5 AUD for my Visa card, whereas the airport counter gave a clean rate but didn’t allow big exchanges.
Not many choices in Tuvalu. The ATM at National Bank of Tuvalu in Funafuti is reliable, but fees can add up, especially with foreign cards. I found the rate at the airport exchange similar to what the ATM offered. For a hassle-free experience, just use the airport desk for a small amount to get started, then use the ATM for bigger withdrawals if you need more cash later.
Tuvalu’s pretty old-school - there’s basically one bank in Funafuti (National Bank of Tuvalu) with one or two ATMs in the whole country. When I landed, I checked both the ATM and the airport exchange, and honestly the rate was almost the same. The real difference is the airport counter is max convenient and rarely charges a separate fee, but it does depend a bit on their cash on hand that day.