Money abroad - who's a seasoned traveller?

[woodbloke66]

If you ever get as far as Japan, cash, strangely, is still king although CC cards are taken is bigger shops. Take lots and lots of it - Rob

 

[sammy.se]

Hi,
I just got back from Sardinia, Italy.
If you want a convenient setup, fee free way of paying, get yourself a Monzo account. It's a digital only bank.

Monzo.com

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[sammy.se]

I used my debit card exclusively (barclays debit), and didnt use a credit card. No issues at all.

About 20% of my total spend was cash, the rest debit card.

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[Marineboy]

I wouldn't draw cash on a credit card. It is the most expensive way of getting cash.

In general you are correct but you should use a no-fee card like Halifax Clarity. You will be charged interest on cash withdrawals from the day after the transaction but the trick is to pay off the card via your online banking the same day to avoid the fee. And you get your cash at the preferential MasterCard rate.

I’ve just returned from a jaunt to Spain after an absence of several years. Even in rural Aragon, I was amazed by how widespread the use of contactless payments is

 

[Marineboy]

I got back from Turkey last Tuesday and all I did before going was let the bank know when and where and my cards worked with no problems at all both credit and debit. there was no problem at all in any of the 4 countries I ended up being in last week regarding getting money out from any ATM

hth

FWIW, Halifax no longer require you to inform them of foreign trips. It may be the case for other banks too now, presumably because their algorithms for detecting potential fraud are more sophisticated.

 

[geoffshep]

Having been to Europe a few times recently, including Rome, I would suggest taking far less cash. Cards are taken almost everywhere but it depends whether you have one which is free from foreign exchange fees. The Lloyds rewards cards are one of the few remaining cards with no FX fees.

Curve is another app-based card which allows you to pay anywhere, including places which do not take credit cards as it acts as a Mastercard debit card - but it is then re-charged to a credit card of your choice, with no FX fees.

If you are going to get Euros, then pre-order for collection - the rate if you just pitch up at the desk is pretty bad. Tesco usually seems to work out as the best rate, and if you have a Tesco credit card you can use that for a Tesco order, without it being seen as a cash advance - ie no charges. Over £500 worth is delivered free of you can collect within a few days.