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Going out to France for three weeks and finding most of the accommodation we've looked at doesn't take Visa.
I don't really fancy taking a huge sum of Euros in cash and I'm trying to avoid paying extortionate credit card fees for local cash withdrawals.
What's the alternative, or will hotels actually take Visa if it's the only option??
Other ideas?
Get one of the travel cards eg fairfx or Halifax clarity and cash withdrawal fees are minimal. That said almost everywhere takes cards now. Much better than even a few years ago
Revolut ?
I used a FairFX MasterCard while in Italy, Austria and Spain. Easy to use, good rates, pre-paid so not a big issue if stolen, and I've never had it rejected. You can also top it up via the phone app.
I then have my UK Visa card as a backup, but paying in Euros is the cheapest and best.
If they say they don't take visa what do they say they will take? Used visa all over France no real issues. Is it hotels, campsites or something else?
Had you considered euro travelers cheques?
I've used a Revolut card the last two times I have been abroad and it's amazing. Two friends have got them off the back of mine, you preload it and can then spend it, including cash withdrawals, at the bank to bank exchange rate.
Use that to withdraw cash near your accommodation.
Check the small print on preload cards. Some are loading them with hidden fees. Depending which one you get, some will add fees for cash withdrawls, or they add large fees for swapping out remaining cash back to sterling (and block you doing transfers to another account) and on top charge a monthly fee for non use. As I discovered with moneycorp card which they convinced me to get when I went to pick up Euros at the airport.
Cash, order in advance for airport pick up from big names (Travelex etc). Usually the best deal. Just don't get conned into preload cards with hidden fees though 😉
You can preload your own credit card so it's in the black, and take cash out with that so long as you don't go in the red. You probably will still get charged a fee, but you don't get charged interest on the cash. Usually cash withdrawals on credit cards are charged interest from the instant you withdraw it. No interest free period on cash basically.
Though if there's enough in the bank, take a visa/mastercard debit card. May or may not be charged a fee depending on the machine and your bank. You will get either an exchange rate fee or an exchange rate that's loaded with the fee. It's not that bad though.
Just spent 2 months travelling all over Europe, right down to the Turkish border. When I needed to, I just got cash out of cash machines and, in all that time, I reckon it has “cost” me about £40 more than devising some clever scheme of carrying travellers cheques or using prepaid cards (generally - when a place didn’t take Visa, they didn’t take *any* card).
Thing is, I didn’t have to mess about with any scheme - I just got on with my journey. It was worth £40
I did try to buy a chocolate bar after running last night with a 200 Forint coin, though.
Rachel
[I]Thing is, I didn’t have to mess about with any scheme - I just got on with my journey. It was worth £40[/I]
+1
And far safer than carry loads of cash etc