Krakow Cash or Card

Saffamagic

My wife and I are off to Krakow in a few weeks but not sure what to do with regards to spending money, is it better to use our normal bank card out there or should we exchange pounds??? We are not sure whats the best way to spend money out there

Any help would be great please...

eDicky

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

st999

I was in Poland last year and used my Santander Zero credit card for everything.

I even got cash out of an ATM and because I transferred the equivalent to my credit card account before the statement date it didn't cost me any extra.

Just make sure they always charge you in zlotys.

NoodleDoodleMan

We visited Krakow last autumn, plenty of ATMs - although most will incur a user fee on top of whatever your bank charges.

Credit cards accepted almost everywhere - good advice above, always pay in local currency.

worried_jim

Nice and free-

https://www.starlingbank.com/

NoodleDoodleMan

Starling is considered the best debit card for foreign holidays - but Krakow ATMs will almost certainly impose a user charge, just the same as any other debit card.

Most that we came across were Euronet and they did take their own fee.

worried_jim

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

Starling is considered the best debit card for foreign holidays - but Krakow ATMs will almost certainly impose a user charge, just the same as any other debit card.

Most that we came across were Euronet and they did take their own fee.

Unlike any other debit card Starling uses the MasterCard interbank rate so is top of the tree. Also great for any shops and restaurants.

londoninvestor

worried_jim wrote: »

Unlike any other debit card Starling uses the MasterCard interbank rate so is top of the tree. Also great for any shops and restaurants.

Starling is better than most (though Metro Bank's debit card also gives you the MasterCard rate in Europe, including Poland).

However the Mastercard rate isn't the interbank rate - there is a spread added on. (You can verify that by looking at the rates for any given day: the rate for converting GBP to PLN isn't the same as 1 divided by the rate for converting PLN to GBP, so you must be losing something in the conversion.)

Hobsons_Choice

Plenty of Kantors in Krakow where you can exchange pounds for zlotys. Better exchange rate than over here.