Holiday Cash

[Han]

If you were going to be taking around £1,000 on a trip abroad, what method would you/have you used?

I'm not keen on taking that amount of cash but do not want to be stung too heavily by charges for any other facilities avaiable.

Anybody used travellers cheques or that post office card before? how was it? what did it cost?

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

weve always took almost all travellers cheques and then found the best rate once over there and also took a bit of local currency just to tide us over a day

 

[Han]

weve always took almost all travellers cheques and then found the best rate once over there and also took a bit of local currency just to tide us over a day

do you lose out in any way by doing that?

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

how do you mean

 

[muzzysgal]

If you've got time to, open an account with Nationwide as you can use their cash card free abroad, either in the ATMs or as a debit card to pay just as you would in the UK.

This, of course, is assuming that your destination is likely to have plenty of ATMs - you aren't going to some secluded island :icon_bigg

 

[SJN-Fox]

weve always took almost all travellers cheques and then found the best rate once over there and also took a bit of local currency just to tide us over a day

Yep. Me too, and will be doing the same in a couple of weeks when we go to Spain (assuming the hospital lets us go).

Never really had a problem changing them. You often get charged a small fee but then, unless you're with Nationwide you'll probably be charged for using your debit card at an ATM. The card from the PO gets charged for each transaction and you also have to pay for the card too (I think it's about a tenner).

 

[Han]

how do you mean

Are Travellers cheques expensive? Did you get a worse rate when you were there? Obviously in general, i don't expect you to remember every little detail

If you've got time to, open an account with Nationwide as you can use their cash card free abroad, either in the ATMs or as a debit card to pay just as you would in the UK.

This, of course, is assuming that your destination is likely to have plenty of ATMs - you aren't going to some secluded island :icon_bigg

We're off to New York so i'm assuming there will be plenty.

Nationwide might be worth a shout.


Spoke to the lady at work, she had one of those Post Office cards and there is a charge to withdraw cash but there isn't when you make purchases with the card.

 

[Hazzman]

how do you mean

Commission and a crap rate.. The majority of standard holiday resorts now have 0% commission changes on traveller cheques. The rate of exchange is smaller but generally that's what you pay for being safer.

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

if you want £500 in travellers cheques then you get that amount but when you exchange them you might get more or less for your money its all down to currency rates, but if its a very good rate before you go maybe it might be worth taking dollars with you

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

whilst on the subject of holiday cash were thinking of going all inclusive next year - which we havent done before - how much money do you take for a fortnight???

 

[Han]

whilst on the subject of holiday cash were thinking of going all inclusive next year - which we havent done before - how much money do you take for a fortnight???

oi! stop hijacking my thread! :icon_wink

 

[Han]

Commission and a crap rate.. The majority of standard holiday resorts now have 0% commission changes on traveller cheques. The rate of exchange is smaller but generally that's what you pay for being safer.

thats my point - is it worth it? i'm thinking yes!

 

[Hazzman]

thats my point - is it worth it? i'm thinking yes!

From talking to my Dad about it previously, yes.

 

[SJN-Fox]

whilst on the subject of holiday cash were thinking of going all inclusive next year - which we havent done before - how much money do you take for a fortnight???

Depends where you go and what you plan to do. I've been all inclusive on a few occasions now (Cyprus and Egypt).

I'm not one of these who stays in the resort all the time though, I like to go out a few times and sample some of the local restaurants and not feel tied to the hotel "because it's free".

You'll need to allow for trip/activities as well as local taxis and stuff.

I think for Egypt I took about £500 for 10 days (although that didn't include my diving), and still brought some back with us even though we ate out 4 or 5 times in that 10 days and went on a couple of trips.

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

Depends where you go and what you plan to do. I've been all inclusive on a few occasions now (Cyprus and Egypt).

I'm not one of these who stays in the resort all the time though, I like to go out a few times and sample some of the local restaurants and not feel tied to the hotel "because it's free".

You'll need to allow for trip/activities as well as local taxis and stuff.

I think for Egypt I took about £500 for 10 days (although that didn't include my diving), and still brought some back with us even though we ate out 4 or 5 times in that 10 days and went on a couple of trips.

im like a fish out of water when it comes to going A/I

 

[Matt_B]

If you've got time to, open an account with Nationwide as you can use their cash card free abroad, either in the ATMs or as a debit card to pay just as you would in the UK.

We're off to New York so i'm assuming there will be plenty.

Nationwide might be worth a shout.

I have both Barclays and Natwest cards and neither charge for use in normal ATM's over there (obviously some machines charge the same as over here). You also get the exchange rate that the bank is offering on the day.

Another good thing with Barclays is that if you have any foreign money left over when you come home you can just pay it into your account as normal money, no commission. This means you get the current rate but also that you can get rid of coinage, whereas travel agents tend to only exchange notes back (not such a massive problem with the US where you can get dollar notes).

 

[highland fox]

Taking all of the money out of our Country and going abroad and spending it in other Countries whilst small businesses here fold.You all disgust me,don't know how you sleep at night

 

[drummindefender]

don't use a natwest card mate i got charged loads this summer !

 

[Han]

Taking all of the money out of our Country and going abroad and spending it in other Countries whilst small businesses here fold.You all disgust me,don't know how you sleep at night

I wouldn't buy your cakes anyway.

 

[bocadillo]

If you were going to be taking around £1,000 on a trip abroad, what method would you/have you used?

It would very much depend on where I was going.