Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

kezkez

Hi, I am also travelling to NY over new year. I currently using a Abbey Debit card and have no way of changing it before i go. I am planning on taking about £1500 and was thinking of getting a FairFX card. Is this a good idea?

gooners69_2

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are going to Brugges over New Years Eve. With the Euro rate the worst it has ever been, has anyone got any advice how to maximise my Euros???

Cheers

bwfc0907

Where do you recommend I should convert my 280 Euros (Paper) back to sterling in the UK.

I would prefer the recommendation of a UK high street exchange as I dont have access to anybody currently going abroad.

tavistock56

Hi

I am off for 6 months around the world but because I have only just left Uni, my credit score is low so have been rejected for both credit and debit cards at Abbey and Nationwide respectively.

I am not that fussed about credit card, but I need a way to withdraw money for free at ATMs (and if poss, use at chip and pins but ATMs more important) - anyone got any ideas?

The pre-paid cards are only available in $/Euros and I'm going to SE Asia, Aus, NZ, Fiji etc so am I right in assuming I cant use those there (or if I do, I'd be getting an awful deal?).

Thanks in advance!!

MasterMiser

I have just come back from Austria. On the same day I got a Euro to Sterling rate of 1.0730 with Post Office and 1.1161 with Nationwide. This means that Post Office was 4% worse than Nationwide. Both they that they don't apply a foreign loading but there is evidently something fishy about Post Office.

dbamanc

Hi

I have travelled twice to Spain in the last three months. As usual I looked to get cash from ATMs with a pre-loaded egg credit card (no withdrawal fees, but it does have a 2.75% exchange loading -still better than Bureaux de Change tho'!).

But in some places (Madrid Airport and close to Barcelona station), ALL the ATMs are set up to offer dynamic currency conversion ('pay in UK pounds at a worse rate...'). I don't want this, so I say no.. but then the transaction is refused.

Worse, egg then cancel my card (and won't explain why - 'irregular use' is all their Indian call centre can manage to tell me, even though I have told them I am going abroad). Second time I had a backup card and went to another (non-tourist) part of town - no problem. Also, my wife's Abbey debit card was similarly denied cash for refusing DCC - but was still usable in friendlier ATMS elsewhere. (this seems ot be about location rather than bank - Santander no better or worse than others IMHO).

Anyone else had this sort of problem? Should I just ditch stupid egg? Or Spain?!

eltrot1979

Hi, I'm off to India for a couple of weeks in Feb and was considering getting the Abbey Zero card and loading it up with a positive balance before I go so that I can withdraw cash without paying the crazy interest rates. Does this sound like a good plan, or should I just go for the Nationwide debit card?

Cheers

iwant2asave

Hi,

Is it a good idea to use my flex card to get money from Mombasa airport ATM? Anyone know how i can find out what rate i would get? Would i then be able to get change easily in a shop or something at the airport for using a taxi etc? Thanks

eltrot1979

I presume the rate would be set by VISA, so it shouldn't matter which cash machine you use.

pollypenny

Has anyone had experience of using an HSBC Plus account debit card while abroad?

I know Martin doesn't approve of payable current accounts, but it has given my OH and I worldwide travel insurance at £2 cheaper than we could get elsewhere and a number of other frills. Free cash withdrawals abroad certainly seems worthwhile.