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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

spending money advise please

20 replies

ssd · 11/05/2014 10:42

weve never taken kids on a weeks package before and havent much of a clue how much to take

were going self catering for 7 nights to spain

planning on visiting a couple of waterparks and theme parks and a barcelona day in the city

we dont drink

kids are 2 teenage boys....

what £ roughly would you take?

OP posts:

specialsubject · 11/05/2014 10:59

you don't take pounds and you don't take much in the way of physical money. Thanks to modern technology, your dilemma no longer exists.

You take a float of say E100 and you tell the bank and credit card companies where you are going, then you use ATMs as needed.

remember; if offered the choice of paying in local currency or in sterling 'so you know what you are paying' ALWAYS choose local currency. You'll get ripped off on the exchange rate otherwise as you WON'T know what you are paying!

Original poster

ssd · 11/05/2014 15:23

thanks! any idea how much we'll probably spend?

OP posts:

AgentProvocateur · 11/05/2014 15:36

I'd budget for about £1,500 to cover park entry, travel and eating out with teens. Less if you're going to eat in.

HermioneWeasley · 11/05/2014 15:41

Check out the charges your card issuer puts on for foreign currency transactions

I have a Halifax clarity credit card which doesn't impose charges and has a reasonable exchange rate and it only use it abroad.

BackforGood · 11/05/2014 16:03

Agree that most spending tends to be done on your card so don't need huge amounts of cash - ice-creams, etc.

Depends as well if you are planning to eat out every day or try to cook (lot of the so called self catering don't actually have enough stuff for you to cobble together anything more than a sandwich)

3catsandcounting · 11/05/2014 16:55

We had 11 nights in a villa in Spain last year (2 adults, 2 teens), ate out every other night, didn't scrimp on food shopping, the evenings we ate in the villa, we would just nip out later to a bar for a drink/ice-cream; spent well under £1,000 in all. (didn't go to waterparks but would factor in €120 per visit if you do.)
I usually reckon on €100 a day and it usually works out ok.

3catsandcounting · 11/05/2014 16:57

Can I fit any more 'usuallys' into that last sentence?!

3catsandcounting · 11/05/2014 16:59

Oh, I've just realised its you ssd!! We've spoken before. Did you settle on Barcelona in the end?

SoldeInvierno · 11/05/2014 17:36

4 of us were in Barcelona just recently. 3 adults and one child. Meals out (all vegetarian and without alcohol) came up to 55 Euro each time. If we had been meat eaters, it would have been a bit more. We paid about 15 Euro every time we stopped for coffee, ice cream, etc. So in your case, I would allow at least 150 euro per day, plus entry tickets to theme parks etc. But don't take much cash. You can pay by cc everwhere.

BackforGood · 11/05/2014 17:46

Depends as well if you are a family that has a main course and a drink when you go for a meal, or if you are a family that will have 2 or 3 courses, and maybe 3 or 4 drinks.
Same during the day - we take bottles of water out with us, frozen overnight, and aren't constantly buying drinks during the day, but if you are happy to buy cold drinks throughout the day, then that could double your spending bill over the week.

Original poster

ssd · 11/05/2014 20:37

hi 3cats! yes, were going to somewhere just south of Barcelona so we can have a bit of beach and waterparks and the nou camp...and maybe a bit more of Barcelona if I can get them to leave!!

just realised, I havent got a credit card! where should I get one from, are the all able to be used abroad?

OP posts:

3catsandcounting · 11/05/2014 21:10

Oh, I want to go to Barcelona; maybe next year! You'll have a great time! I don't have a credit card either; I just use my Visa Debit at ATMs, always seems fine.
I second what everyone says above, frozen water, etc. I always take a stash of teabags, a jar of marmite (if you do marmite!), sachets of hot choc (my two love an evening hot choc even in 35 deg of heat!) and don't do what I did last year and stuff a bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup in my hand luggage as I was too tight to leave it in France; it was confiscated at customs, along with another lady's very expensive perfume and someone else's equally expensive face cream. All lined up. On the conveyor belt. Picture it. I was fuming - they didn't seem bothered (that's why I take my own Marmite - bloody expensive stuff aboard, think on...!!!!)

Original poster

ssd · 11/05/2014 21:30

thanks for then tips! maybe Ill just take my visa debit then, will check it out with the bank first, am looking forward to it, just hope it goes well!

OP posts:

frignorant · 11/05/2014 21:35

Get a travel card from Thomas Cook. They issue it straight away and you pre load it with the amount of euros that you need. You use it like a credit card and saves taking any cash. Using your own bankcard may incur charges.

I would guess at taking £1500. You'll soon get through that if you're self catering.

frignorant · 11/05/2014 21:36

I would guess at taking £1500. You'll soon get through that if you're self catering.

Original poster

ssd · 11/05/2014 21:58

thanks will check out the travelcard

OP posts:

Original poster

ssd · 11/05/2014 22:07

actually we fancy the post office credit card, they have no fees on purchases abroad and 3 months interest free, sounds good?

OP posts:

noramum · 11/05/2014 23:07

Do not use a credit card to withdraw money, check with your bank that your debit card is ok. Credit cards will costs lots of money for cash withdrawls.

Travel cards - check what happens with you loose them/they are stolen. I would say, you still need a debit card as a back up. Also, at what exchange rate do you get any remaining balance left back in £.

We always just take our credit and debit card. We take whatever we have in euros as a float but then, we are regularly in Europe for business, so always have between €100-200 at home anyway. Airports normally have cash machines but I had bad experiences of getting 2x €100 notes out, not so great, luckily my hotel changed them for me.

Original poster

ssd · 12/05/2014 08:05

thanks

things I need to check:
what's the best card to use to get free withdrawals from ATMs?
what's the exchange rate if we have anything left on the travelcard when we come home?

maybe we should take a travel card and then use a debit card as a back up to withdraw cash when the travel card is used up?

OP posts:

JonesH · 13/05/2014 16:20

I would just use a debit card to withdraw money if needs be and usually have some cash on me, M&S have done the best rates recently (that i've seen) they may have some good travel cards on offer? Or somewhere like Debenhams?

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