To expect my DS to carry a travel card

[Sally150]

Ds 18 is going abroad for the first time with his mates and I'm really concerned about him carrying his money.
He refuses to let me load his money onto a travel card but wishes to carry it and put it in a safe at the hotel and carry as he needs it but we are both in conflict over this and he way too stubborn to listen when I say it's much safer. Am I been too interfering.

Yes of course you are being too interfering. He's 18, time to cut the strings and let him do things his way. If there's a problem he will learn won't he which is better than just doing what mummy tells him to.

Yes I understand Betty but I'm terrified of him losing his money.

Just let him deal with his own money advise him but what else can you do, you are arguing about it so he thinks you are talking rubbish so just leave it and hopefully some of it will sink in.

Btw I understand how frustrated you are 18 year olds are a pain in the arse!

If you’re giving him the money it can be in whatever format you want. If he’s earned it himself it can be in whatever format he wants.
You’ve given him the advice, back off but definitely don’t bail him out if he ends up penniless!

That's true frowning his dad has provided the bulk of the money

He is a nightmare in everything Jay.

Is he travelling or just staying in one hotel? If the latter, it will be fine in the hotel safe.

Realistically he's going to carry cash anyway - if you force it onto a travel card, he'll just withdraw it when he gets there. I have friends who take all their money as cash every time they go away, it's a personal preference. As long as he's cautious and looks after it, he'll be fine. It might help him to budget better if he knows exactly what he's got left!

I don’t see that a travel card is any safer if he plans to only carry portions of his cash each day, in fact it could be more of a hassle if he loses the card. If you’re worried about muggings/pickpockets it’s not like they’ll just take cash and pass on the card, and if the card is almost all his money that would be a real pain.

So long as the hotel/s aren’t some notoriously dodgy dumps his money will be fine in the safe. If he wants to be extra safe he could keep a bit of money or a travel card in a body wallet, so then he has something extra if he loses his regular wallet and has some issue getting to the hotel.

Really though, if he’s going with friends he’ll be fine even if something happens. If he has any lessons to learn you want it to be when he’s when travelling with a group of friends, and not later when he branches out to travelling solo.

Is he aware that the hotel is likely to charge him to use a safe - they are usually in rooms and you have to pay to get the code. That alone would put me off.

Has he changed his money yet? If not, he's likely to get a better rate if he loads his money onto a Starling card (it only takes a few days to open an account and there's no credit check if he doesn't ask for an overdraft) and then he can put his cash in that account at the post office and then just spend or withdraw cash abroad when he needs it. I really dont' know why anyone would do it any other way.

Is he aware that the hotel is likely to charge him to use a safe - they are usually in rooms and you have to pay to get the code. That alone would put me off.

Is this a widespread thing ("likely")? I've never seen a hotel charge for a safe, and I always use them for passports etc.

Is this a widespread thing

Yes, it’s pretty common. In my experience lower end hotels / apartments will change you a daily rate to use a safe. More expensive hotels are less likely to charge.

Thanks for all the advice

I haven't paid for a safe since the early 90s!

He will be fine carrying a day's worth on him. Whether you are unreasonable to worry depends on the location. If it's Morocco, fair enough, if it's Majorca he will be fine.

Well we usually stay in apartments, and there is usually a charge, which we never pay, but we don't keep loads of money around and just kind of hope no-one is going to break in and steal the passports, thankfully they never have.

But as I doubt the OPs DS is going to be staying in an expensive hotel on his lads holiday, I'd assume that there will be a charge to use the hotel safe, but it's a bonus if they don't, but I still think taking all his money in cash is unwise. Get the right card, and a second card as a back up, much safer and likely to be cheaper on the exchange rate too.

Yes, it’s pretty common

So far no charge for all the hotels I have booked personally, or for work. The minute they do, I am complaining and/or requesting work stop using that hotel!

What a bloody brass neck, not like it costs them anything for a guest to use a safe or not!

Suggest he uses a money belt for getting all the cash to and from the hotels, and then leave him to it

So far no charge for all the hotels I have booked personally, or for work.

As I mentioned in my post, it’s pretty common in budget hotels and apartments. I guess that’s not the kind of accommodation you’re using.