Which bank account

lee_h_s

I'm going travelling in August for up to a year. Obviously I'll need access to a bank account and was wondering which current account would be best.

I'm currently with First Direct. I've made some enquiries and whilst I'll be able to use my debit/credit card whilst abroad, I'll get charged for the privilege. I can upgrade to what they class as a premium account but this incurs a monthly charge of £12.00. However, is does come with additional benefits such as travel insurance and mobile phone insurance which depending on how comprehensive the cover is may be useful.

My question is is there an account on offer which does not charge for making cash withdrawals abroad. If not which of the so called 'premium' accounts which are subject to a monthly fee would be best?

Thank you in advance,

Lee

gt94sss2

lee_h_s wrote: »

My question is is there an account on offer which does not charge for making cash withdrawals abroad.

You will want a Nationwide Flexaccount

They have commission free withdrawals via their debit card within Europe (and some other countries) and a fee of 1.00% for any non-sterling transactions made outside of the Visa Europe region.

You can check if individual countries are charged here on the A-Z list

Regards
Sunil

lee_h_s

I should have stated that I'm not travelling within Europe but South America, Australasia and Asia.

Olipro

lee_h_s wrote: »

I should have stated that I'm not travelling within Europe but South America, Australasia and Asia.

even so, a Flexaccount is the best deal unless you're eligible for the Santander Zero account (which means you need a mortgage or investment product with them)

BigAndy_79

Can you not just apply for that Zero card if you have little or nothing with them, no ? Didn't realise there were conditions with applying for it..

Olipro

I'm talking about the Santander Zero Current account, not the Credit Card... however, the Credit card is a viable option.

I'm interested to know if it's possible to transfer money to the card so that it has an excess balance and then withdraw cash at an ATM without worrying about it costing.

apt

You can apply for the Zero credit card without any other ties, but the Zero current account requires a Santander mortgage or investment. onwide flexaccount is the best option unless you live in the Cumberland BS local area.