Currency Card - Iceland

Bubblegumcat

Hi, going to Iceland at Xmas.  What is the best way to take money?  Don’t need a big amount as only going for 4 days.  Had a WeSwap card but not sure what’s happening with that and don’t want to risk not being able to use it out there?  Any ideas?

dr_adidas01

jsrose said:

Hi, going to Iceland at Xmas.  What is the best way to take money?  Don’t need a big amount as only going for 4 days.  Had a WeSwap card but not sure what’s happening with that and don’t want to risk not being able to use it out there?  Any ideas?

I used my curve card as you can add your all your cards to it and then decide which one you want to use via the app and they use Mastercard exchange rate.

You also need to be aware that Iceland is still quite expensive and all though you think you won't need a big amount of money you may need more than you think.

Currently 1ISK is about £0.58 GBP the average drink of alcohol is about 1500ISK which is about £8.69 food prices can range from 2,000ISk £12 to 6,900ISK £40.

If you want to have drinks out I would suggest going during the bars and pubs Happy Hour (Which can actually be 3 hours) as drink prices are usually half price or 2 for the price of one.

Also be aware that using taxis can be expensive too as its a flat rate of 600ISK £3.48 per mile and can soon rack up.

Sorry for the long reply I've been to Iceland a few times to visit friends and know how expensive it is.

jbrassy

I went to Iceland last year and can also confirm it's an expensive place to visit.

In terms of what cards to use, I would suggest getting a Barclaycard Rewards credit card and/or a Starling Bank debit card. Both offer zero fees on overseas spending and and don't charge for ATM withdrawals. The BC Rewards also pays 0.25% cashback on all spending. I think overall, you'll be much better off using a credit or debit card than a prepaid card like Weswap. Other than the cards I've just mentioned, you could consider any of the others on this page:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

Everywhere accepts card in Iceland (I can honestly say I never used cash once), so don't bother getting cash in advance before you travel.

Bubblegumcat

Thanks for this.  WeSwap are going to refund me my balance (Hopefully) and I’ve applied for a Starling Card.

thanks for the advice re Iceland.

penners324

Starling is a proper current account but if you use it like a prepaid card that'll work.

[Deleted User]

Who are your existing banking providers?

Bubblegumcat

First Direcr