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Holidays

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Flip

Original poster

How to take holiday money.

16 replies

MyLlamasGoneBananas · 05/08/2016 08:14

Apart from a trip abroad 2 tears ago I've not been abroad for donkeys years. I'm off again in 3 weeks.

When I used to go in the old days I'd take x cash and x in sterling travellers cheques. I never really had a problem with this.

2 years ago I was laughed out of the travel agents when I tried to get travellers cheques and talked into getting a money card. Thus seemed a good idea except on practice not many shops would accept it and it didn't work in the cash machine. I ended up using my UK bank account card that cost me a fair bit on every withdrawal.

This has massively put me off using a money card again and my cash card. I'm seriously considering going back to travellers cheques which I've established the Post Office still do.

I'm just wondering what everyone else does for money abroad these days and if anyone still uses travellers cheques.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 05/08/2016 08:21

We just took all the holiday money with us in cash and then had credit card/debit card as backup. We haven't used travellers cheques for years so you might find it hard to change them in your resort. Our nationwide debit cards don't charge a fee for withdrawals and our nationwide credit card doesn't charge a fee for purchases so we have the best of both worlds

FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 05/08/2016 08:24

We're taking £500 cash converted divided between DH and myself. Then we will use 0% interest credit cards for restaurants, trips etc. These I will pay off when they appear on my online bank statement (thank god for online banking). If we need more cash we'll find an ATM but hopefully not.

gingercat02 · 05/08/2016 08:27

Our Santander credit card doesn't charge for transactions abroad so we use that for big stuff and take an Asda currency card for cash. It's worked in loads of different cash machines never had any problems. We also go AI so don't need money day to day.

Creampastry · 05/08/2016 08:30

Use a Caxton card - they work everywhere.

Laststop · 05/08/2016 08:30

I went to Paris and used a revolt card and cash , u transfer money for your bank account and you exchange to Euros , and use the same as a MasterCard and you have a app to do the transfer ect you can even use in the uk

Laststop · 05/08/2016 08:30

And can use in a cash point

Toffeelatteplease · 05/08/2016 08:55

Halifax Clarity Credit card.

No charge for withdrawing cash and pay it off in full when I get back so no interest. If card is cloned etc not my problem as not my money that has gone missing.

I take a post office prepaid credit card as back up just in case but compared to the Halifax credit card it's a pain

Original poster

MyLlamasGoneBananas · 05/08/2016 10:24

If I travelled abroad more often it may be worth changing our bank account.

OP posts:

Spottytop1 · 05/08/2016 10:27

Cash with back up credit card.

ShotsFired · 05/08/2016 10:34

No charge for withdrawing cash and pay it off in full when I get back so no interest

Not strictly true I believe?
Cash withdrawals are free, but they DO attract interest from the date you withdraw the money, albeit at a fairly low rate.
Purchases are interest free though.

(I got round the interest on ATM cash by simply checking on the app how much had come out in £ every few days, and sending a faster payment from my normal bank to cover it)

BarbaraofSeville · 05/08/2016 10:52

There is a bit of interest on the Halifax Clarity Card, but if you pay it off quickly it's not worth worrying about and the card is still streets ahead of most others, although there are some other options that are nearly as good - I believe cash withdrawals are free (best interest rate and no fees/charges if you use a Santander card and Santander machine in Spain for example, but you'd have to have a convenient machine and the right card for this to be of benefit).

If I have wifi, I'll pay it off while I'm on hols otherwise, I'll do it when I'm at home. My problem with Halifax is that because it's the only account I have with them, and I only really use it for overseas, they have cut my limit to £500, which runs out quickly if I pay for the hotel, spending money and gin and fags at the airport on the way back so I need to keep an eye on the balance and pay it off as I go along if I can.

OP, on your other thread, I've posted a link to the Moneysaving expert advice on this topic - runs through all the options and costs etc.

Original poster

MyLlamasGoneBananas · 05/08/2016 11:26

Sorry about the 2 threads not sure how that happened.
Thanks for all your replies. Lots to consider and off to read MSE.

OP posts:

ShotsFired · 05/08/2016 14:10

My problem with Halifax is that because it's the only account I have with them, and I only really use it for overseas, they have cut my limit to £500,

Good tip/reminder Barbara. I have started to use my Clarity card for random shopping here in the UK now, so hopefully I'll avoid any cuts to my limit, as it would be equally inconvenient as it is for you.

Kirriemuir · 05/08/2016 21:43

We use Caxton currency cards.

lovelybangers · 09/08/2016 10:15

I usually take a load of cash -plus credit and debit cards.

Credit to pay for shop purchases and debit towithdraw from ATM

In previous years I had a Travelex pre paid currency card- that worked well too.

specialsubject · 10/08/2016 11:34

Flossie and Sweetums in the travel agent need to stop sniggering at travellers cheques. They are the 'everything stolen' backup and need no internet access to encash.

if it is Europe and a week or two, and you have more than one source of funds (different bank cards with different banks, credit cards - and have told the banks you are going) then I wouldn't bother. But if it is further or longer, then travellers cheques with a separate note of the numbers are a good backup. They don't expire so keep them for next time.

Flip