Travelling to Spain. Which of these cards I have are best to use and for what purpose?

mickym

Hi

I am travelling to the Balearic Islands in the next few weeks and I am wondering what options are best for me to use when it comes to 1) paying my accomodation bill when I arrive and 2) general spending.

I have the following:

- NatWest Standard Debit Card (MasterCard)
- NatWest Credit Card (I think it's a reward card)
- Monzo Standard (MasterCard)
- Chase (I have registered successfully for my account and have the app, but I may not receive my physical card before my trip. Not sure on if there are limits on Google play I could potentially use it with in meantime?) 

Usually I would bring my accomodation payment in euro cash, and then half my spending money in euro cash and half on my Monzo to use to pay via card or make ATM withdrawals.

However I know Monzo now have fees since I used it abroad last.

I thought making the large payment for accomodation on card would save me worrying about travelling with lots of cash on me, but I obviously want to avoid any big fee charges.

Could anyone advise? Thanks!

NoodleDoodleMan

I would apply for a Starling card soonest - they come quickly if memory serves.

eDicky

I would think that your Chase card will arrive in time if you're not going for a few weeks.

Starling Bank will send you a debit card within a few days after account opening.

mothemoneysaver

From the chase website:

"We don’t charge fees when you use your card abroad and we'll apply the current Mastercard exchange rate to any purchases you make in the local currency. Local banks may charge their own fees when you use one of their cash machines and you should make sure you understand what these are before making a withdrawal."

That sounds quite promising. Is there a way to know if a foreign cash machine would charge for withdrawals? In the UK they are marked quite clearly when there is a charge.

TOP_CAT

You might find some informative threads on which banks to use for cash withdrawals and/or check the web .
I have done this  before and found info on which banks atm to use.

Thing is any info may not be up to date today and if it is you may not have the correct banks non charging atm near you when you need it.
For purchases use your chase card or another non charging card 

One option is  buy some euros in the uk because using atms for cash withdrawals is a minefield in spain 

NoodleDoodleMan

My understanding is that Banca Marche do not charge ATM usage fees on foreign debit cards - quite possibly the last bank in the Spanish resort areas not to do so ?

The absolute best deal for Brits travelling to mainland Spain, the Balearics or the Canaries is to have a Santander UK current account - no fees taken at Santander branded ATMs.

Ironically their fees for non Santander debit cards are about the highest around - 6 Euros per transaction ?