[Closed] travelling to Europe, spending/cash whatever ?

Why not a credit card?
I got a Post Office one for use abroad as no fees, just whatever exchange rate Mastercard use. They were taken over by Jaja a couple of years ago but they've kept the no fees thing, quite useful.

Some sort of fee-free card. There's a few banks that do it.

Or just use whatever you have now with a Curve card.

Set up a Revolut account? Can be done in 5 mins using your phone (download app, take photo of yourself and your passport).
Transfer cash in from your bank.
Exchange to currency of your choice with no charges.
Add virtual card to google pay/whatever.
Good to go.

Set up a Revolut account? Can be done in 5 mins using your phone (download app, take photo of yourself and your passport).
Transfer cash in from your bank.
Exchange to currency of your choice with no charges.
Add virtual card to google pay/whatever.
Good to go.

I was going to post pretty much this exact same thing, only replacing 'Revolut' with 'Monzo'

Careful with curve (free tier). There's a spending ceiling abroad, after which extra fees kick in on every transaction.

Set up a Revolut account?

Pretty much this. Also iirc they were running a referral deal for £50 credit or the like if you could find a forumite able to help. (Though if have to check it's not an expired deal)

Credit card that doesn't charge overseas transaction fees (e.g. Nationwide). For extra convenience link to apple pay... job done, no need for cash most places now.

Nationwide CC, and Starling debit account for cash. No fee's.

I don't want a new CC. Plenty of reasons why, but lets just remove a CC from the discussion 🙂

starling debit card as mentioned

CC with no overseas fees has always worked for us with a small amount of cash for beer and ice cream.

We had to sort one out for daughters travels and racing as she couldn't get a CC as a Uni student and most places in the US wouldn't accept payment on her Debit Card.

I don’t want a new CC. Plenty of reasons why, but lets just remove a CC from the discussion 🙂

You do know you've posted on STW and that is never gonna happen don't you?

Santander charge 3% fee on top of the Mastercard exchange rates. Revolut etc have no fee on top of the Mastercard exchange rates. Work out how much you're likely to spend, multiply that by 3%, then see if it's worth it for you. E.g. you'd spend £30 extra on £1000 with Santander.

Also Revolut. Used it faultlessly all over the world for years.

I can give you a referral link if you pm me

Another vote for Revolut, so easy to use. I always withdraw some cash too when abroad as not everywhere takes cards as easily as here in the UK

revolute or similar. Simple and keeps you main account one degree of separation different.

We’re using a Post Office pre-paid card at the moment on Tenerife. Really simple to use & you can keep as much on it as you like. Minimum of £50 top up but if you don’t link a payment card to it & you lose the PO card (or it gets nicked) you’d only lose what’s on it. You can freeze & unfreeze it via the app on your phone.

Monzo or Wise or Starling

Someone mentioned a "Wise" (Previously Travelwise apparently) account to me over the weekend. It comes with an DR card and can be used all over the place.

I don’t want a new CC. Plenty of reasons why, but lets just remove a CC from the discussion 🙂

FWIW revolut isn't, it's to all intents and purposes a prepay debit card, so load up and spend, can't spend what you didn't load and so on.

Easy to load and setup, very good exchange rates very low fees.

I set one up whilst away over Christmas after an issue with my other card provider. Setup cash loaded and spending within less time than it took me to get too embarrassed at the bar.

The difference between Wise and Monzo/Revolut/Starling/Chase is that you maintain different balances of different currencies. You exchange between currencies when you choose, not when you spend. You need to be more organised with it too, as instant exchanges cost more than ones that take 2 to 3 days.
I'm going to be using my Monzo card in preference to my Wise card on my next jaunt.

Santander charge 3% fee on top of the Mastercard exchange rates. Revolut etc have no fee on top of the Mastercard exchange rates. Work out how much you’re likely to spend, multiply that by 3%, then see if it’s worth it for you. E.g. you’d spend £30 extra on £1000 with Santander.

Meh, for £30 it's not really a concern. Is that just on their CC though or £1000 of debit card transactions?

You need to be more organised with it too, as instant exchanges cost more than ones that take 2 to 3 days.

Not true for revolut at least though my other card (with which I had issue) works exactly like that.

Only a fool IMO carries a boatload of cash, anywhere - just not worth the risk.

I just use a Credit Card, as I do in the UK - never use my Debit Card, again, not worth the risk of having my account blocked/emptied etc.

Another recommendation for Revolut here. It's great, just works and makes ease of what can otherwise be a total ballache.

Best example was my long trip home from Queenstown a few years ago. Used one card to buy a pint at QT airport in NZD, dinner in Sydney airport in AUD, snacks and a beer at Changi airport Singapore Dollars) then a Gregg's pasty in Manchester airport all within about 30 hours of each other.

Is that just on their CC though or £1000 of debit card transactions?

Both.

https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/support/credit-cards/travelling/currency-calculator

(URL says credit cards but page is for debit cards too)

Have a look at a Caxton card. You load it with cash from your current account, and select that you want it to sit on your caxton account as Euros. You then use it throughout Europe without any transaction fees. Works a treat.
DOn't think it qualifies as a credit card as you can only spend what's preloaded on the card. Easy to topup with an app or over the web.

(caveat - haven't used mine in a couple of years, so not sure if any changes due to Brexit)

+1 For Revolut, I pay the €8 euros a month and get the interbank exchange rate it’s stonkingly good value.

Just makes money shuffling and paying in multiple currencies dead simples and your not getting rinsed on exchange rates.

Revolut also allows you to create disposable virtual cards for individual purchases.

as a regular traveller to greece im interested in possibly making things easier and starting to use my revolut account.

opened an account around 5 years ago and ive only made a couple of local purchases to make sure it worked. i currently have about £20 in it but have to say as a financial doofus i dont really understand how to use it properly and what benefits it gives.

we currently send off for maybe £1000 worth of euros before each holiday from places like TravelFX and then generally walk around with all our euros in our beachbags if we dont have a decent safe in the apartment. we're happy enough doing this as the islands always seem so friendly and crime-free but realise thats mebbes a bit naive and weve been lucky so far.

so..... a few questions please.
we also have a halifax clarity card, so does revolut have any advantage over this?

i wasnt aware that you could withdraw cash from a hole in the wall with revolut, so again, any advantage doing this with revolut over the clarity card?

my original card expired and i cant see any way on the website of getting them to send me another. is it just purely online/app based now so you use your phone? and if so that obviously means i couldnt withdraw from a hole in the wall.

once issued with a new card (if thats possible now) is it viable to just withdraw a daily amount from a hole in the wall daily over there, or are there transaction/withdrawal fees charged?

we'd still prefer to use cash in greece when we eat out, so just wondering which the best way of doing that is without carrying loads of cash around with us.

+1 For Revolut, I pay the €8 euros a month and get the interbank exchange rate it’s stonkingly good value.

so when does paying a monthly fee make better sense than just using the bog standard version?

thanks

I always use travellers cheques.

Have a look at a Caxton card. You load it with cash from your current account, and select that you want it to sit on your caxton account as Euros. You then use it throughout Europe without any transaction fees. Works a treat.
DOn’t think it qualifies as a credit card as you can only spend what’s preloaded on the card. Easy to top up with an app or over the web.

Like the one I mentioned from the Post Office?

Used ours last week on Tenerife for the 1st time. Top up from any any of your accounts, no fees, no problems.

I always use travellers cheques.

Blankets, beads, and Martini-Henry's here.

so when does paying a monthly fee make better sense than just using the bog standard version?

They start charging fees for the money exchanges on the free tier one once you go over a certain limit.

I get paid in £ and live in a € area so it works out cheaper for me to pay a monthly fee, for holiday purposes unless you want to take advantage of the other features they bundle probably not.

Moving wages and buying cars then it makes sense 🙂

I always use travellers cheques.

Good grief Charlie Brown are they still a thing ?

we’d still prefer to use cash in greece when we eat out, so just wondering which the best way of doing that is without carrying loads of cash around with us.

I would still use a revolute card and get cash out when you need.
For me the advantage of a revolute car are
1. Top up when you want. Auto top up possible if you want. Transfer balances to any currency with good rates
2. Cheaper cash withdrawal than with my debit card at better rates. If you already have a balance in Euros on the card the money co es off the euro balence. The ATM machine think it's dealing with a euro account.
3. Separation between bank account and card I hand over places. If it is stolen I only risk to loose the balence on the card in the currency I am in. I can lock the card. I might still have £100 GBP on the card but if I only have 50euro someone needs to go to a GBP merchant to spend the GBP and need the app to transfer to euro so I only have 50at risk.
4. Splitting bills. When I was traveling a lot one person would pay and then every one would transfer money as we all had revolute. 5. Instant phone notification of every transaction.

I would still use a revolute card and get cash out when you need.
For me the advantage of a revolute car are
1. Top up when you want. Auto top up possible if you want. Transfer balances to any currency with good rates

so i can easily top up the card from my HSBC card whenever i like, and into either £'s, dollars or euros yep? so in effect a prepaid card. and i could have say 100 of each currency on there and transfer some of the £'s to euros or vice versa for no penalty?

2. Cheaper cash withdrawal than with my debit card at better rates. If you already have a balance in Euros on the card the money co es off the euro balence. The ATM machine think it’s dealing with a euro account.

so take my example above where ive got 100 of each currency on there, if i stick it in a hole in the wall, it defaults to the location? use it in uk i withdraw pound notes, hole in the wall in greece it gives me euros, i dont need to faff with settings....

3. Separation between bank account and card I hand over places. If it is stolen I only risk to loose the balence on the card in the currency I am in. I can lock the card. I might still have £100 GBP on the card but if I only have 50euro someone needs to go to a GBP merchant to spend the GBP and need the app to transfer to euro so I only have 50at risk.

if its stolen, how do you lose any money at all if the baddie doesnt know your pin? or is it also a contactless jobbie?

4. Splitting bills. When I was traveling a lot one person would pay and then every one would transfer money as we all had revolute. 5. Instant phone notification of every transaction.

im guessing this would just be the same as everyone bank transferring money to your mates anyway, so no real advantage over a normal bank card? (but still good that you can do it anyway i suppose)

just trying to convince my wife that this may be the way forward in future as we DO still want to pay euro notes to the greek taverna owners rather than a swipe of a card.
so let me (hopefully) get this right.....ignoring the exchange rate fluctuations, theres no financial advantage in ordering our cash from TravelFX in advance and carrying it about with us. we may as well have £1000 loaded in euros on the card and withdraw as and when. theres no separate withdrawal fees for each transaction.....

thanks for your help

Another vote for Revolut 🙂 Mainly for security - basically you top up your card from your main account, but only as much as you want. So for example you transfer 100€ into your Revolut account, and then have a debit card with 100€ available. If someone clones your card the most they can steal is that 100€.

I've no idea whether it's got better exchange rates or charges, but TBH I'm not spending enough to be worried about an extra 3% on top. Having my account wiped out, that is a more serious concern.

so i can easily top up the card from my HSBC card whenever i like, and into either £’s, dollars or euros yep? so in effect a prepaid card. and i could have say 100 of each currency on there and transfer some of the £’s to euros or vice versa for no penalty?

Yep that it. You have your linked account in your case HSBC, transfer in that accounts currency, then exchange back and forth between different currencies. When I was traveling a lot I had money in zloty, euro, CHF and swapped as need.

so take my example above where ive got 100 of each currency on there, if i stick it in a hole in the wall, it defaults to the location? use it in uk i withdraw pound notes, hole in the wall in greece it gives me euros, i dont need to faff with settings

Exactly as long as you have balence on that currency it works and if the ATM is free for locals it's free for you. (Last time I was in Spain the most local atm had horrible fees for non euro cards)

im guessing this would just be the same as everyone bank transferring money to your mates anyway, so no real advantage over a normal bank card? (but still good that you can do it anyway i suppose)

For us it was easier as if the bill was 100 euro we didn't have to convert to GBP then divide by 3/4/5 people then transfer, then some would have euro back account then bla bla bla.we just transferred in the currency we were operating in at the time. Also for me personally I don't use my phone for banking other than revolute so bank transfer is a bit of a pain, I only do my banking sat down on big screen, but that's just me.

Exchange rate was pretty good IME, I am sure you could hunt and find something better somewhere but usually as good or better than most FX places that had a physical branch and better than my bank.

ignoring the exchange rate fluctuations, theres no financial advantage in ordering our cash from TravelFX in advance and carrying it about with us. we may as well have £1000 loaded in euros on the card and withdraw as and when. theres no separate withdrawal fees for each transaction…..

Exactly I even had a separate travel wallet, with just the revolute card, some Id, and a little local currency (and one million receipts). It's pretty easy to set up, I seem to remember you do have to send some pictures of id (via th app during setup) and then it takes a few days as they varify (which is reassuring for me) but then the card arrives and you are good to go

Exactly I even had a separate travel wallet,

haha, i have one of those already, clarity card, EHIC cards, euros etc...

looks like the phone app has more options than the website, ive ordered a new card and will have a play with it when it gets here.
as we've already got our euros out for june i think we'll go business as usual with that one, but every now and then just take out a 10e note to prove it all works, then go live with it in september.

thanks for the advice.

Exactly as long as you have balence on that currency it works and if the ATM is free for locals it’s free for you. (Last time I was in Spain the most local atm had horrible fees for non euro cards)

just been looking for hopeful summer travel to Europe - Aus' bank cancelled / ceased offering multicurrency travelcard 6months or so into covid (I got an automatic refund on balances but I still have the kids cards to sort as they didn't get any correspondence or credit)

with Revolut my understanding is that if you withdraw more than GBP200 equivalent in a month from cash machines with a basic card then you get a 2% service charge....personally think this a pretty good deal compared to paying a sometimes unknown hefty fee

again for me the attraction is security as well as value...if I've used my debit or credit card to park at the airport I need that card to get out when I get back plus any loss if cloned is limited

as to credit cards versus debit many car hire co's and some hotel chains can be pretty awkward to impossible

with Revolut my understanding is that if you withdraw more than GBP200 equivalent in a month from cash machines with a basic card then you get a 2% service charge….personally think this a pretty good deal compared to paying a sometimes unknown hefty fee

that right? so in my example (withdrawing our £1000 spending money on holiday) itd cost us £16? doesnt seem such a good deal to me, i may just be naive tho.
anyone know what the cost of withdrawing those euros with a clarity card would cost?

as to credit cards versus debit many car hire co’s and some hotel chains can be pretty awkward to impossible

Which would you prefer to have onerous charges attached and/or frauded? Not your Bank Account is the answer. Use a CC.

that right? so in my example (withdrawing our £1000 spending money on holiday) itd cost us £16? doesnt seem such a good deal to me, i may just be naive tho.

If you've got a debit card why carry cash in the first place? With Revolut I've only ever withdrawn enough cash to cover minor incidentals - meals, drinks, trips, shopping etc all go on the card.

If you’ve got a debit card why carry cash in the first place? With Revolut I’ve only ever withdrawn enough cash to cover minor incidentals – meals, drinks, trips, shopping etc all go on the card.

firstly, im led to believe that theres a fee for each transaction (not sure how much tho) and moneysavingexpert advice is to use clarity or revolut etc over a debit card.

secondly, in greece we prefer to pay with cash as thats what all the taverna owners prefer. we also get discounts by booking accommodation direct and using cash on arrival.

secondly, in greece we prefer to pay with cash as thats what all the taverna owners prefer. we also get discounts by booking accommodation direct and using cash on arrival.

Not sure how recently you went or where you go but in Athens over Christmas new year many places wouldn't take cash.

I guess much of this is it turns out the rampant tax evasion made claiming covid relief very difficult.

£1000 spending money on holiday) itd cost us £16?

Not many methods I know of where you’ll pay less than 1.6%, and still get an ok conversion rate.

I wrote
as to credit cards versus debit many car hire co’s and some hotel chains can be pretty awkward to impossible

intheborders
Which would you prefer to have onerous charges attached and/or frauded? Not your Bank Account is the answer. Use a CC.

I didn't put that too well - possibly for good reasons the OP didn't want to get a credit card - was trying to point out that there are places/situations that pretty much insist on a credit card... Even if don't use good to have available as a fall back and personally I'd use in preference to a bank account linked debit card any day but respect the OP's desires

Not sure how recently you went or where you go but in Athens over Christmas new year many places wouldn’t take cash.

crete last october, and everywhere preferred cash.

Not many methods I know of where you’ll pay less than 1.6%, and still get an ok conversion rate.

clueless really when it comes to things like this, i just accept the best advice (which is usually on here) 😀
so thats a decent cost for withdrawing that much then yep?

Someone mentioned a “Wise” (Previously Travelwise apparently) account to me over the weekend. It comes with an DR card and can be used all over the place.

I've had one of these accounts for a few years because i regularly transfer money between accounts in different countries (not like that).
Great transfer rates and really easy to use.

Anyone that I refer get's a discounted rate on their first +200GBP international transfer so PM me if you're interested 🙂

I ended up going with Revolut as per recommendations on here. Seems fairly painless and have transferred funds to it for the trip
Just waiting for the card to arrive and we're all good

im still trying to convince my wife that we should use revolut, however im not sure why. "because singletrack say so" is usually adequate but im not there yet 😀

i dont have the right answer for her, so could someone please let me know the answer to her question?
"why's it better than the clarity card that we've already got? just seems like more faff."

i tried the "yes but if theres a few of us out and we're splitting the bill its easier to just transfer to their cards in the right currency". to which she correctly replied that nobody else we know has one 😀

with Revolut my understanding is that if you withdraw more than GBP200 equivalent in a month from cash machines with a basic card then you get a 2% service charge….personally think this a pretty good deal compared to paying a sometimes unknown hefty fee

Not sure about that it sbeen a while since I regularly used it but when I signed up the fee didn't kick in until about £2-3000 I remember.

im still trying to convince my wife that we should use revolut, however im not sure why

I would say security and management of currencies / transactions.

[wifes voice] yes but is it actually more secure than a clarity card? and why do we need to manage currencies or transactions any better than the clarity card can do?
i can put them both in a hole in the wall and withdraw cash. and i can pay for goods just the same with them both.
why would i need to manage a currency any more than that? pay for stuff on clarity card, wait for bill and settle in full. [/wifes voice]

im still struggling to argue with my wifes point. is there something im missing? if the clarity card was lost or stolen could we lose more money for instance? i dont think so, as i think the limit is still £100 isnt it, and id guess a revolut card would almost certainly have that much on it at any one time too (and would also be contactless).....
and im guessing the difference in total cost of using either card for transactions/withdrawing over a 2 week period say would be negligible?

i get that it may be better if all of your mates had it too, but struggling to see a benefit over clarity apart from that.

thanks

As with anything, if you're happy with what you have, the benefit is going to be limited.

Are the rates better? (Honestly don't know)
Is it more secure? Well you were happy with wodges of notes, it's certainly more secure than that. Against clarity? Don't know, you can cancel/freeze etc the card very easily with the app, you can create single transaction ones should you be especially worried about somewhere/something cloning your card.
The big difference is "pay for stuff on clarity card, wait for bill and settle in full" doesn't apply, you're moving the cash first so you can't over spend, you can see exactly what you've spent immediately so when they accidentally over charge you know there and then, not at month end. In essence it's a no nasty surprises thing.

just been reading a moneysavingexpert comparison between various debit and credit cards. concentrating solely on use abroad, the clarity card which we already have states......

The Halifax Clarity is a long-term top pick as it has great feedback, no fees on overseas spending and low ATM interest.
You don't get charged interest on spending abroad as long as you repay IN FULL, but you will if you make cash withdrawals (about 5p per £100 per day) – so try to minimise these.
- No fees on spending or ATM withdrawals overseas
- 19.94%-27.94% interest on cash withdrawals, charged daily until it's paid off
- 19.9% rep APR

so altho there are no fees per se for withdrawing notes from a greek ATM, there IS interest to be paid daily, and even tho we always pay in full, im conscious that settling this can sometimes take the best part of 2 months for the statement to be sent out and then a few weeks given to pay it.
so a good card for purchases, but not withdrawing cash from an ATM. is that how you read it?

yet the starling card.....

Fee-free spending and cash withdrawals anywhere in the world. Like the Chase account above, Starling only does a 'soft' credit check (unless you also apply for an overdraft) – so if you don't get it, there won't be a permanent mark on your credit report.

If you're thinking of switching to Starling, or using it as your main bank account, read our full Starling review.
- No fees on spending or at ATMs

- ATM limits: six per day, max £300/day

.....would appear to be totally free cash withdrawals and obviously no interest as its not credit? so a better choice than the clarity and revolut cards for taking money out abroad, yes?

i realise the amounts involved will only be small anyway, but just trying to get my head around the best way of using cash in greece without carrying 1000 euros around in a bag.

thanks

Revolut worked well, apart from 2 places that only took a local app or cash. Mostly though, worked like a charm.
It also messages you with how much you've spent on a given day etc.

revolut charges tho if you withdraw over £200 per month. we'd be looking at withdrawing around £1000 per holiday, maybe more. so im favouring starling which allows £300 per day with no charges i think.

Why cash if you have the card? I only took cash out twice, otherwise I just used the card.
I don't use cash in the UK, so see little point using it abroad

I always 1) put everything on Clarity CC where possible 2) take some cash, 3) load up my paid for Nationwide Flexplus account in order to make free ATM withdrawals when my cash is running out.

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/help/travel/charges-using-your-card-abroad/#withdrawals

If I wasn’t benefiting more widely from the paid account I’d find a fee free alternative like Revolut or whatever Martin recommends.

Golden rule at home or abroad is NEVER withdraw cash from an ATM using a credit card as you’ll be paying interest from day 1.

Why cash if you have the card? I only took cash out twice, otherwise I just used the card.
I don’t use cash in the UK, so see little point using it abroad

we go to crete twice a year, the tavernas and local car hire prefer cash so we're happy to use it there.
any other countries, we'd use a card.

local car hire prefer cash

I'm sure they do but I'd tell them to f++k off or I'd go somewhere else! 🤔
Seriously, who would pay cash for car hire! Madness...

I’m sure they do but I’d tell them to f++k off or I’d go somewhere else! 🤔
Seriously, who would pay cash for car hire! Madness…

not a chance, its far from madness. the local companies are always recommended over the 'big boys' and the one we use has become a friend now. totally different car hire experience to any other country we've been to, its just so relaxed. no deposit, and we were once even told that "if youre going to have an accident, try and get the damage on that side where its already been scraped" 😀
why on earth wouldnt you prefer a one-off cash payment over the threat of dirty tricks, and money taken off your credit card against your will?

Pick one of your credit cards, use it - everything has a cost, but if you want to save money, stay at home.

Anyone carrying around shedloads of cash risks losing it.

I looked at Revolut but didn't go for it due to the limit on ATM cash withdrawals. I set up a Starling account instead and it's been great - really easy to set up and manage, transferring money is instant and you get notifications every time the casrd is used. The only issue I've had has been with self-serve petrol pumps - one of them debited me twice, but that was swiftly reversed when I raised a dispute with Starling, then I have a second duplicated payment for another transaction. That's still "pending" so either it will be reversed automatically or I'll raise a dispute. Exchange rate has varied from 1.189 to 1.2108, plus they charge a transfer fee which amounts to few pence in each £100

One thing I never did was draw out money from a cash machine, but that's because we had a chunk of euros from previous trips. I think we spent about €30 in cash as opposed to over €2k on the card

Reading the above, I think the clarity card might be enough for you

No specific recommendation but last time I was in Austria (2020) I was surprised how many places were cash only. We're talking museums and cafes in Vienna too, I had to get extra cash out a couple of times. May have changed due to pandemic I suppose, but they were noticeably different to other EU countries and not that long ago.

Starling all the way. Pretty much cost-free. You get a notification with current balance every time you pop into the gelateria, so it's easy to top up from your usual current account when necessary

Starling all the way.

yep, thats my conclusion too after a bit of research. applied the other day, it was easily done all by phone, just got to wait for my card now.
then ill chuck a few hundred quid in it from my 'current' current account for now and see how it goes.

thanks for your advice.