I've been told paying with a credit card is the best option abroad

sallyali

Hello;


I've cancelled my travel plans now twice, as I don't know what to do regarding my travel money. Please!! I would appreciate some good advice or I'll never get this sorted.My bank theire help has been zero!

I even opened a flexi account with Nationwide as I get free EU multi travel insurance but they charge you an excess fee of £50 for every policy claim and their debit card now in cures usage fees in the EU.
The current state of the euro is unstable so I'm wary of exchanging even £150 for euros. I'm travelling alone so I don't want to take a lot of cash!
Friends have told me to just use a credit card but I have zero credit as I have never owned a credit card (I don't know how to start getting a good credit record )

I was going to get a pre paid travel card but I don't know which one, would be the most cost effective and I have looked through the options o nthe moneysaving site.
I'm travelling to EU,Iceland, Thailand than USA 2 months.
If the euros exchange rate is plumitting should I get a prepaid card in Euros and than another one in $ ? What will I do in Iceland and Thailand?
Which card would be the most cost effective please?
I thought of getting a Travelex Globe passport or Fairfx or Caxton Multi Sterling card but I don't understand their full usage fees. Travelex charge you a flat 1.49% + £1 for ATM usage but will I also get charged by the owners of the ATM on top of this. At the end it seems it would end up costing me the same rates as my Natwest debit card?
How do I qualifiy for a credit card if I have zero credit and never had one? Capitol one charge a fortune on interest etc

I've used travelers checks and some places flatly refused to take them. Please what do I do? I have nobody else to ask and I'm traveling on a tight budget so I can't jsut throw out money on all of these extra fees. Some advice would be greatly appreciated as I'm never going to get on that plane at this rate!!
Every online review seems to recomend a card based on the sponsorship or link they have with the company not as much as to whether its cost effective it seems.
People know in this site about this area, so I would appreciate a card recomendation please.

thank you for your time and help


alexa mills

atlantis187

See if u can get the halifax clarity card

moonrakerz

Whatever you do - ONLY use your debit card in ATMs !

Use a credit card to purchase things, any fraud 'aint your problem - fraud on you debit card is VERY much your problem.

zagfles

The Nationwide charge is only 2% (plus £1 for ATM withdrawals I think), which isn't bad, far from the best but not worth too much stress over. Much better than changing notes at the Post Office or M&S. Apparently the Travelex Globe pre-paid card is better value, but not much.

stilltheone

zagfles wrote: »

The Nationwide charge is only 2% (plus £1 for ATM withdrawals I think), which isn't bad, far from the best but not worth too much stress over. Much better than changing notes at the Post Office or M&S. Apparently the Travelex Globe pre-paid card is better value, but not much.

Come on....it's a lot better. Especially if order via TopCashBack.

Not sure why you didn't correct the Newbie's mistake suggesting that the Globe has a withdrawal charge(it doesn't).


Newbie, if you are near or in London, scrap everything and get yourself an account with Metro Bank.

Perhaps if you deposit all your travel money with them they might allow you their credit card. Their credit card is just as good and sometimes better than the Halifax Clarity.

The only caveat is that you will need to keep on top of your cc spending, as they don't allow Direct Debit payments to the credit card.
So you will need to pay the bills online.


These are the best possible combination for travel.

claire16c

I have a debit card with Barclays and they are linked to other banks around the world so you can take out money with those banks without those atms charging you a fee, for example in the US its bank of america. I used that to get cash out abroad, and then used my credit card to pay for pretty much everything else. Dont know if Nationwide does this?

I have one with sainsburys to get nectar points and another with an airline to get airmiles. You could get a cashback one instead.

anyway the other posters have some good suggestions. But I wouldnt worry too much about exchange rates in terms of the euro, unless youre buying a yacht or something

stilltheone

claire16c wrote: »

I have a debit card with Barclays and they are linked to other banks around the world so you can take out money with those banks without those atms charging you a fee, for example in the US its bank of america. I used that to get cash out abroad, and then used my credit card to pay for pretty much everything else. Dont know if Nationwide does this?

I have one with sainsburys to get nectar points and another with an airline to get airmiles. You could get a cashback one instead.

anyway the other posters have some good suggestions. But I wouldnt worry too much about exchange rates in terms of the euro, unless youre buying a yacht or something

You still get stung on the exchange rate. Withr you other cards you are paying for those 'privileges' with withdrawal charges and poor exchange rates.

stilltheone

Much better than the Clarity now if you get both accounts as suggested: