Euro holiday money

[siousxiesue]

So, I'm lucky enough to be going away/abroad for half term week (1st time in yonks) and wondered what do people do about holiday cash? Post Office job, get some money changed beforehand, or rely on cash card and ATM once I get there?

[Loz]

Get into a Metro Bank. None of their cards (debit or credit) have any foreign loading charges and you get the standard (very, very good) Visa rate. The issue (including cards) everything on the spot, so you can be in and out in 30 mins or so. Chuck some money into your new holiday account and yer off!

[BJL]

This site is very good, in my experience - http://travelmoney.moneysavingexpert.com/

There's a bureau at London Bridge (Ace FX, where Richer Sounds used to be) and they're much cheaper than the post office.

[DaveR]

If you travel to Europe more than once a year it's probably worth getting a euro denominated card. They operate as pre-paid credit cards that you top-up with euros at whatever the rate is on the day, and you then use as a debit/cashpoint card. It will definitely work out cheaper than using a UK card or getting cash from most bureaux de changes, and also safer than carrying cash.

http://www.fairfx.com/

There is a fee for the card but usually waived if you top-up a minimum amount.

[OD]

I love my Metro accounts, I have both debit and creditcard so dont have to worry about the foreign fees on either!!

[Ruskin]

We got a free Caxton Card which allows us to charge our account with Euros and can then use the card abroad, withdrawing for free whenever we need it. Much better than large amounts of cash or foreign card charges.

[malumbu]

After Nationwide got rid of their cheap commission on using their debit cards abroad (zillions of us opened Flex accounts only for that reason) I now take heaps of cash with the brill rates offered by the Victoria Street places eg Changelink. It pees all over banks, the post office and I wet myself at the aiport exchange rates.

Many years ago I used Barclaycard, then Barclays Debit card, not realising the silly commission charges.

Interesting about Metrobank though.

Got a Caxton card, forgot my login details, then Ryanunfair started charging on the pre-loaded cards, so that was the end of that.