I wholeheartedly agree. I've travelled a lot and even after the bank fees here in the States, I've often found I've done better exchanging currency at my local bank (it takes a few days - so don't wait until the last minute). The few times I could have done better in the foreign country, the difference was minimal. PLUS it's great to walk off a plane with local currency in your pocket and not have to stand in line to exchange money - possibly in view of a scam artist of some sort or another!