Moving to the UK and opening a bank account

So I am just about to move to London on a BUNAC visa and will be opening a new bank account with Nat-West, for whom BUNAC has a arrangement with, and am trying to find a way to bring over a modest amount of capital to start the account, but yet can not find any where in the states that will sell me chasheres checks or travlers checks in other currencies.  I can get cashed exchanged over here but I would like to have about £500 worth, so that I have that as liquid capital to pay for first months rent and deposit, but I would rather not be traveling with that much currency on me.  Are there any other ways I can open account?  Can I use a credit card to open an account, or do those new travelers check cards work with a bank account?  Or can I get travelers checks in dollars and then easily exchange them into sterling upon my arrival?  Or can the bank do it?  Thank you much.


-SirSparky

You can easily exchange traveller's checks...but there is usually a cost for doing so (more than exchanging actual money).  I tended to just use my bank card over here for a while until my account opened up and then had my bank in the states transfer a sum to my new account in the UK.

this thread is a bit old but my info may be useful for others...

American Express will issue foreign currency cheques... you can locate them by finding an AMEX Travel Office. These are slightly different than traveller's cheques in that they are made out to a person instead of blank... but also endorsed back to you  (or I suppose could even be made out to you)

You do have to pay a fee on it according to the amount you buy, then the exchange rate of course (buying/selling rate) but at least you will have £s which is easier/cheaper to sell back in the UK.

If you have a personal bank that issues no fee traveller's cheques you need to weigh that with how much the exchange rate will be if you exchange it at some random bureau or through a UK bank.

I've travelled three continents and AMEX has given decent exchange rates and I believe does not charge a fee for cashing their cheques. They are in most large cities around the world.