How much money needed

[lorisparkle]

We are off to Crete this summer for a week - 2 adults 3children (8, 10, 12) - we are going half board but likely to have a couple of meals out and a day trip or two. So how much money should we take / budget for? This is our first foreign holiday with the kids and have not been to Greece for 15 years so really don’t have a clue!

Many thanks

This is always a hard thing to estimate. How soon are you going? I’d suggest a credit card like Santander Zero or Halifax Clarity, as you can choose the upper limit and if it is stolen or lost it is not linked to your bank account. You can use these back home as well, not just on holiday. Also you can withdraw cash from machines with no fees. You need to get an appointment to sort out these (takes around an hour in branch) and they do a credit check etc. Alternatively you can get debit cards that you load with currency and there are no charges for spending in shops, bars and restaurants, but there is a charge for withdrawing cash, also not linked to your bank account. I will be taking a mixture of credit card, debit card and currency when I go away.

Lots of places take cards in Crete, so you will be able to buy meals out, trips etc with those. Use cash for smaller purchases.

Thanks for the information. I think we will try the cards loaded with currency as they sound like they give the flexibility without the risk. My DH thinks we need loads of money whilst I think we can get away with not spending that much!

I normally budget £100 a day for 2 but it all depends how much you want to spend. Buying drinks at supermarket saves money but trips to water parks can dig into the budget. Car hire is cheap in crete. Tickets for parks are normally cheaper from tour shops in resorts that just turning up and usually include transport. Couldn't comment on food prices haven't been for a while but it is an island so usually more expensive than the main land