We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that dates on the Forum are not currently showing correctly. Please bear with us while we get this fixed, and see Site feedback for updates.

Use EU cash machine, or buy Euro in the UK

Would I get more Euros for the pound, if I take money out from an EU country's cash machine (Croatia) than doing the exchange in the UK.

Comments

  • NoodleDoodleMan
    NoodleDoodleMan Posts: 3,971 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 July 2023 pm31 1:08PM
    ATMs in Croatia are very likely to take fee for withdrawing currency - from online reports it's universal.
    You also have to consider any fee which your UK bank will take - best ones are the so called "user friendly" debit cards which don't - such as Chase and Starling etc.
    The best ideal scenario is use your debit /credit card for contactless (or PIN) transactions where possible.
    Hopefully other members can advise, Croatia is not somewhere we have experience of recently.

  • NoodleDoodleMan, Thanks for your input. I am aware Croatia is catching up (for better or worse). Perhaps taking a small amount of cash, and using the card for certain payments will be the way to go.
  • Yes, there is always a place for some cash IMO - better to have it and not need it, rather than the opposite way around.
    Especially somewhere cards are not as widely accepted as in other tourist destinations.
    Out of interest do you have an advantageous "user friendly" debit and/or credit card ?
    or




  • I don't feel any card will ever be friendly enough for ordinary folks. I only have a Mastercard debit. Surprisingly, from the travel agent in Croatia, my card was accepted over the phone for my flight payment. The person said that normally they only accept credit cards. It seems Croatia is indeed catching up.



  • NoodleDoodleMan
    NoodleDoodleMan Posts: 3,971 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 July 2023 pm31 3:22PM
    Some are more "user friendly" than others.
    Martin has flagged up debit cards from hell on his website advice.
    I would recommend Chase, it's a regular best in class debit card.
  • bagand96
    bagand96 Posts: 6,395 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 July 2023 pm31 4:01PM
    Segwell said:
    I don't feel any card will ever be friendly enough for ordinary folks. I only have a Mastercard debit. Surprisingly, from the travel agent in Croatia, my card was accepted over the phone for my flight payment. The person said that normally they only accept credit cards. It seems Croatia is indeed catching up.



    There are a plenty of cards that are "friendly enough" for ordinary folks.  They're discussed in the articles helpfully linked above by @NoodleDoodleMan

    It's not Mastercard/Visa or Credit/Debit that makes the difference for the card being a good card for travel or not.  It's the issuing bank that makes the difference as they make the charges.  Well worth 10 minutes of your time reading the articles.
  • zagfles
    zagfles Posts: 21,292 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Chutzpah Haggler
    Changing cash in the UK is usually the worst option. Typically there's a 5% markup on the interbank exchange rate, even at places that claim they're "commission free", and another trick they pull is display rates which look reasonable but the small print says those rates only apply when you change a ridiculously large amount like £500 or £1000.
    If you're going to change cash, usually better to do it abroad. Or get a fee free card and withdraw from ATMs, some charge but it tends to be a flat amount so the charge will be usually be fairly insignificant if you withdraw eg EUR200.

Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 348.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 241K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 617.4K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.7K Life & Family
  • 254.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.