Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

TakeThis

wrington wrote: »

Please help!

My daughter is going to Europe in January for at least three months to learn to teach skiing.

We need a way of her having access to a card - debit or credit? to:
a) make purchases
b) withdraw cash from ATMs.
She currently banks with Santander (previously Alliance & Leicester)

We will be able to transfer funds from her UK current a/c to top this "card" up, so there should be no need for her to need an overdraft facility. Main advantages we are looking for are an ability to use internet banking to ensure all costs are paid off, no / limited charges for cash withdrawals and an ability to pay for goods whilst in Europe whilst not incurring fees (whether cash advancement or any other).

We don't feel a credit card is needed (although the PO Credit Card looks good it is unclear whether it can be used to get cash?).

We're new to this so any advice will be greatly appreciated.

If she lives near London, then Metro Bank is the way. Otherwise Travelex Cash Passport Globe as above or Kalixa offer the best value.

Aaron

wrington wrote: »

We will be able to transfer funds from her UK current a/c to top this "card" up, so there should be no need for her to need an overdraft facility. Main advantages we are looking for are an ability to use internet banking to ensure all costs are paid off, no / limited charges for cash withdrawals and an ability to pay for goods whilst in Europe whilst not incurring fees (whether cash advancement or any other).

We don't feel a credit card is needed (although the PO Credit Card looks good it is unclear whether it can be used to get cash?).

The options mentioned by the previous poster are all good, but opening an Credit Agricole britline.com may be another option. I suspect which is best depends how the transfer charges stack up: check the Santander account details?

One other thing: if she'll be there months without going home, have a backup card in case the main one is lost!

Jed_Exodus

Hi all,

Would like to get some opinions on the options I have for our two weeks in Florida next Easter. Firstly let me say we are not regular travellers, my wife and I have both been abroad twice, to Majorca on an all inclusive holiday and to Disneyland Paris for 3 nights. In both those cases we took a few hundred Euros cash and nothing else.

Obviously 16 nights in Florida is quite different, we intend to have a minimum of £2000 spends, I would like to change that into a pile of $$$ cash but this obviously isn't that safe. I've read through some pages of this thread and am still unsure as which way to go.

At the moment I have a Santander Zero credit card, and I can also upgrade to a Santander Zero bank account too as I have a mortgage with them, both of these are shown in the article as good to use abroad.

What I'm thinking is whether to not use these and instead use a pre-paid card (Fair FX or Caxton). My thinking being that I can watch the exchange rates and load onto the card when they are high, or do I use the Santander Zero cards available to me and risk the exchange rate being low when I go?

I do prefer to use cash when on holiday as I find it easier to budget and just have fun, you know how much you have because it's there in your pocket. With that in mind I am leaning towards the Zero Account as cash withdrawals are free, but I can't get away from the risk of the pound going below $1.50 as it did recently, leaving us with less to spend.

Sorry for the long winded post, but this has been playing on my mind. any opinions would be highly appreciated.

TakeThis

Jed_Exodus wrote: »

Hi all,

Would like to get some opinions on the options I have for our two weeks in Florida next Easter. Firstly let me say we are not regular travellers, my wife and I have both been abroad twice, to Majorca on an all inclusive holiday and to Disneyland Paris for 3 nights. In both those cases we took a few hundred Euros cash and nothing else.

Obviously 16 nights in Florida is quite different, we intend to have a minimum of £2000 spends, I would like to change that into a pile of $$$ cash but this obviously isn't that safe. I've read through some pages of this thread and am still unsure as which way to go.

At the moment I have a Santander Zero credit card, and I can also upgrade to a Santander Zero bank account too as I have a mortgage with them, both of these are shown in the article as good to use abroad.

What I'm thinking is whether to not use these and instead use a pre-paid card (Fair FX or Caxton). My thinking being that I can watch the exchange rates and load onto the card when they are high, or do I use the Santander Zero cards available to me and risk the exchange rate being low when I go?

I do prefer to use cash when on holiday as I find it easier to budget and just have fun, you know how much you have because it's there in your pocket. With that in mind I am leaning towards the Zero Account as cash withdrawals are free, but I can't get away from the risk of the pound going below $1.50 as it did recently, leaving us with less to spend.

Sorry for the long winded post, but this has been playing on my mind. any opinions would be highly appreciated.

Use the Zero account and save yourself a headache.

KTF

TakeThis wrote: »

Use the Zero account and save yourself a headache.

Agreed. This is your best option.

ericonabike

+1 - there are better things to do on holiday than worry about exchamge rates! The Zero card does away with transaction charges, which are my real bugbear - I view exchange rates as an 'Act of God'...

dzug1

Jed_Exodus wrote: »

Hi all,

Would like to get some opinions on the options I have for our two weeks in Florida next Easter. Firstly let me say we are not regular travellers, my wife and I have both been abroad twice, to Majorca on an all inclusive holiday and to Disneyland Paris for 3 nights. In both those cases we took a few hundred Euros cash and nothing else.

Obviously 16 nights in Florida is quite different, we intend to have a minimum of £2000 spends, I would like to change that into a pile of $$$ cash but this obviously isn't that safe. I've read through some pages of this thread and am still unsure as which way to go.

At the moment I have a Santander Zero credit card, and I can also upgrade to a Santander Zero bank account too as I have a mortgage with them, both of these are shown in the article as good to use abroad.

What I'm thinking is whether to not use these and instead use a pre-paid card (Fair FX or Caxton). My thinking being that I can watch the exchange rates and load onto the card when they are high, or do I use the Santander Zero cards available to me and risk the exchange rate being low when I go?

I do prefer to use cash when on holiday as I find it easier to budget and just have fun, you know how much you have because it's there in your pocket. With that in mind I am leaning towards the Zero Account as cash withdrawals are free, but I can't get away from the risk of the pound going below $1.50 as it did recently, leaving us with less to spend.

Sorry for the long winded post, but this has been playing on my mind. any opinions would be highly appreciated.

You've summed up the options very nicely and seem to understand them. It's up to you what to make of them. If you are evenly balanced then it really doesn't matter a hoot either way.

huw01

Reassuring to read from this that the N and P Debit Card seems to be working in far flung places

http://www.expatmoneychannel.com/content/overseas-atm-use-rise

chocaholicmanc

I'm off to NZ in Jan and I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to take my currency. A few of the pre-paid cards which are recommended (such as FairFX) don't come in NZD and all the current plastic I hold are in the 'evil - avoid!' category.

I was trying to get a Travelex National theatre card as it offered the best exchange rate but whenever I try to buy online it won't go through and I've not managed to find out why.

Any suggestions? I will be taking some hard currency but want to take £1000+ which I don't fancy taking as cash for obvious reasons!

Thanks

heloid

I just got a Metro Bank credit card before I go home to NZ.
No ATM fee
No foreign transaction fee
No exchange rate loading (Mastercard rate)
0% interest on everything (including cash withdrawals) until September 2012. I just need to make minimum payments and I can essentially use it as a debit card with an overdraft

Probably a better deal than Halifax Clarity right now if you're able to get to London.