Camping in France. How to take money?

the_worrier

the_worrier

the_worrier

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So, I'm off around France camping with the kids for 3 weeks. Something of a tour....3/4 nights at any 1 location, then move on. Channel tunnel and campsite fee's paid already via membership of camping and caravanning club (expensive...some are £30 per night!).

I will take a credit card for petrol. What are people's experience's/opinion's concerning cash? In a tent I will have little in the way of a secure facility, except the glove box of the car maybe?

How else could I take money with me, etc? When we went to Florida a year ago on holiday we took a bank card (Electron) with US$ loaded into it from a currency exchange place (not sure this will be an option on campsites as they may not have ATM's or accept UK Electron cards).

???
 
Boot of car, with spare tyre? It's basically festival rules - only leave behind (in the tent) what you can live with losing.

I'd have a small amount of cash with you, a bank card say in your camping bag and a backup credit card in a safe place in the car
 
Keep it in your wallet, which is on your person at all times?

Get a no fee debit or credit card and use that for most transactions (including any motorway tolls). Two options I think are Halifax Clarity (credit card) or Norwich and Peterborough Building Society current account (debit card). Finding ATMs for cash withdrawals will be easy, most supermarkets and towns have them.
 
Its France not the third world, your Visa debit (not switch) or credit card will be accepted almost anywhere.

Sure the Eurozone is in the ****, so they would probably even take the Queens Pound :p
 
TBF it's France. There will be no one in the shops, they'll all be outside on fag breaks for 4hrs over lunch, when you actually want to use the bloody shops.

Take cheques. The French love a bit of old fashioned "I promise to pay you (in a week when it's cleared)" paper.
 
RHS said:
Its France not the third world, your Visa debit (not switch) or credit card will be accepted almost anywhere.

Sure the Eurozone is in the ****, so they would probably even take the Queens Pound :p
Click to expand...

It will be accepted but the fees for using uk debit cards in europe are daylight robbery. Get a halifax clarity credit card and withdraw money as and when you need it, or just take cash and sleep with your wallet.
 
I'd just split some money and cards between a wallet you keep on you, and another wallet that you keep in the boot of your car, probably under the liner. That way, if you were to lose one, you have a fallback. As has already been pointed out though, having a card you can make foreign withdrawls on is useful as you can just take money out whenever you need. Halifax Clarity card is awesome for that.
 
Withdraw a set amount when you get to a cashpoint (so for example you are only carrying 100-200 euros) and carry it on you.

Oh and tell your bank you're going abroad.

Surely you won't be spending much on a campsite?
 
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