Cheap Travel Money Discussion Area

dzug1

lmsk1977 wrote: »

Hi
Am not sure I am doing this right but not used a forum before so apologies lol

I have been looking for the best pre pay card to take to france and need one i can get quickly due to time constraints and want to be able to reload via internet banking while away...I have seen this Escape one that appears to be better than the ones recommended on here in the travel money guide... Says no charge to load and no charge for atm withdrawals which all the others have. You have to pay 9.99 but this is refunded onto your card once you have loaded £100... just wondered if anyone had any experience of them or any advice? They are part of the same company as phones4u so i assume pretty reliable?? Any info greatly appreciated

The snag is in the exchange rates they use - whilst reasonable they are certainly not the best available.

kaltrina

Hello,

I am planning to go interrailling across Budapest, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece.

The currencies range from Euro's and national.

1) I have 2 weeks before I set off, would travelex be my best bet?
2) What is the best currency to transfer it into? Euro's or sterling?
3) Is it wise to put a large lump sum into one of these accounts, or will you be more likely to lose out?
4) Lastly, what would be the best solution overall?

Toe-Jam

kaltrina wrote: »

Hello,

I am planning to go interrailling across Budapest, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece.

The currencies range from Euro's and national.

1) I have 2 weeks before I set off, would travelex be my best bet?
2) What is the best currency to transfer it into? Euro's or sterling?
3) Is it wise to put a large lump sum into one of these accounts, or will you be more likely to lose out?
4) Lastly, what would be the best solution overall?

A FairFX Anywhere card is your best bet. The charge in 1.5% on usage and you can top it up for free via online with your debit card for free.

You'll get the wholesale bank exchange rate at the time of usage and then 1.5% will be added on.

https://www.fairfx.com

zaffi

Hi guys,

it's still a ways away but i'm getting married in the states and will be over there for ~4 weeks. What should my payment method of choice be?

i've got a nationwide flexaccount so that was always the plan, but we could have up to £10000 (between us) on it and if we spent that, that's £100 load

was looking at the citibank dollar account, but don't know too much about it. it's got no load, but i think the exchange rate may not be as good. maybe the only plus to this would be knowing exactly how much in dollars we have before travelling.

was thinking the santander zero as a back up cc, wouldn't be withdrawing cash on that though.

Any advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated.
zaf.

John_Pierpoint

kaltrina wrote: »

Hello,

I am planning to go interrailling across Budapest, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece.

The currencies range from Euro's and national.

1) I have 2 weeks before I set off, would travelex be my best bet?
2) What is the best currency to transfer it into? Euro's or sterling?
3) Is it wise to put a large lump sum into one of these accounts, or will you be more likely to lose out?
4) Lastly, what would be the best solution overall?

If you are using plastic take more than one brand.
Try to tell them where and when you are going; but some cards assume holiday makers go to a fixed destination and lie on the beach; so you may need to phone to unlock your card - find out if there is a free fraud number.

The Euro is the most likely to be acceptable everywhere if you want to take folding money.

(I have fond memories of the big indoor market in Budapest and haggling at the honey counter as I wanted to get rid of all the local shrapnel before catching the plane back here.)

kento_2

Citibank

Anyone with a Citibank sterling Account beware that Citibank have now introduced a 2% loading for using the citibank debit card. So yet another cheap source of foreign currency closes down.

Gillybee

This is my first posting. I hope someone can help me out. I am going on a cruise next month round the med, and you use your credit card to pay for all extras etc, and get the bill at the end. They offer their own rates for the credit card use, but I am not sure if they are better or not? Is this a good idea? I have a Capital One card, but also have a Post Office card, which I used only once before, on a holdiay three years ago. Not even sure if it is still valid now. Can anyone advise me please?

John_Pierpoint

I think what you are saying is that you will have a plastic identity card on the ship. This makes sure everyone is back on board at ports and no illegals have sneaked up the gang plank. It is also used for paying for such things as bar drinks, and perhaps in the concession shops.

There is also the issue of what you want to do in the ports (go on the expensive coach trips organised by the cruise line or do you own thing as a visiting tourist). Where do you get your local currency. Obviously if you are on a coach trip you are likely to have to get it from the ship at the ship's exchange rates unless you bring local currency with you (Euro's are a sensible currency to bring from UK of y0u are visiting ports in Euro land.) If you are doing your own thing - then you may be able to get to a local hole in the wall machine (ATM) and get better rates. Tourist trap destinations, as visited by coach companies, will be happy to take your usual plastic cards.

At the end of the cruise there will be two issues.
1. Checking you account and paying for it with your UK credit card. There is a danger that if the cruise line is not British you might find you are buying is sterling and paying with UK plastic BUT the the cruise company's bankers are foreign and thus you money goes from sterling to foreign and back to sterling. If in doubt ask the company and check on the web for other travellers advice. If you settle in Sterling at the end of the cruise (folding money or traveller's cheques) then you know where you stand. Taking low commission plastic with you is always good advice and plastic is a much more flexible and generally cheaper than taking currency.
2. Tipping the staff. [Always a nightmare as international custom's vary - I remember seeing a documentary about "Carnival" - branded as Cunard, P&O etc. over here - I discovered that each deck's head Hispanic chambermaid PAID Carnival for her job and then sub contracted it to the workers. They were living on the tips] - You may need appropriate folding money here again ask.

Finally any community, even a floating village of a few thousand souls, just like the services, will have its own little customs and dodges, so it pays to talk to those with experience.
For example if you are cruising from the UK you may well dock at Gibraltar. That port is "British" and it is a tax haven - some passengers, especially those with families, will stock up on UK type products at a considerable discount to the on board prices (However Duty Frees - booze and Fags might be even cheaper in the Eastern Med. (Turkey) if you are cruising there.

Have fun.

John.

cowbagger

Fairly basic question here - I must be missing something - hopefully you can help me?
I need some euros. This website tells me if I pre-order with say Travelex i get a better deal than just buying at the airport. But when I go to the website to pre-order, I have to pay with a debit/credit card (which will cost me as I'm with Lloyds)

I was hoping to pay with cash to avoid the load on my Lloyds account so how can I pre-order then pay with cash please? Or, if someone can do the maths (?) Am I better off just buying at the airport with cash (ie worse exchange rate) or pre-ordering and paying with debit card o internet (ie better rate but current account charges from Lloyds) I'm talking around £500.

Many thanks for any advice (perhaps it doesnt matter for this small amount?)

Sloganjerry

Noone seems to have mentioned this and it may just be my bad luck but I applied for a PO credit card recently after realising it would be a good one for me to take on my USA hols. Went through application and it said couldn't give me a decision but would need more info?!:question:

Then I received a letter asking me to send all sorts of forms of ID and confirmation of my wages:mad:........ What a lot of bother!!!! Even then it said I wasn't accepted until they'd checked all this out.

Needless to say I put the letter to one side. Then I saw the new Halifax Clarity CC which looks much better deal. I've applied online and been accepted straightaway with a credit limmit of £3500. They are sending out forms for signature and hopefully I'm sorted!:T

I certainly won't be bothering with PO now. Might just be my bad luck with PO but I thought I should warn peops as if I'd known all the hassle PO wanted me to go through I wouldn't have bothered applying and saved myself having another search on my credit record. Halifax has thumbs up from me!:beer: