Holidays - Money

[Transform_IT]

Hi all,

I am going to Tenerife in a few weeks with the family and I haven't been abroad for a few years. My question is, how is everyone dealing with currency/money when over there? Is it best to get a few hundred Euros for cash-only instances, but put the rest on card/contactless? Or are there other methods?

I am looking to receive the best exchange rate possible. Somebody mentioned a place/app called Revolut, but I'm unsure what it is and how it works.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

T_IT

 

[Rotty]

I use a Clarity card from Halifax and use contactless or cash from ATMs, only use proper bank ATMs though

 

[Hades]

When I went to the US recently I took a small amount of dollars. But most of my spending was on a Revolut card.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Take a mix of

1 - cash, at least enough for things like taxi on the day when you land to hotel.

2 - use a 0% fee card for cash withdrawals, like Wise or Revolut. You can buy the currency straight in the card app, and get pretty much the best rates. There is a tiny tiny fee. You can buy these as you go or do it in advance.

3 - payment/shopping will be with credit card with no fees like Halifax Clarity.

This way, my actual bank account is never used abroad. I can only lose cash, money already converted or credit card.

 

[weringo]

Halifax clarity for purchases here. On holiday these days I rarely bothered with cash but if you need it there's zero fees and some nominal interest on the clarity

 

[visibleman]

But most of my spending was on a Revolut card.

Same; i rarely carry any cash if i can help it and usually just use a Revolut card and "top it up" as i go. Also tend to take a credit card as backup/in case of emergencies.

 

[Anuruddha]

Hi all,

I am going to Tenerife in a few weeks with the family and I haven't been abroad for a few years. My question is, how is everyone dealing with currency/money when over there? Is it best to get a few hundred Euros for cash-only instances, but put the rest on card/contactless? Or are there other methods?

I am looking to receive the best exchange rate possible. Somebody mentioned a place/app called Revolut, but I'm unsure what it is and how it works.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

T_IT

Be careful man. You will be scammed

 

[Cadder]

I used my Chase card through Google Pay when we visited Fuerteventura. No cash aside from a few euro coins we had lying about. I have a Halifax Clarity card too but couldn't find it or I'd have used it for car rental and villa.

 

[darkgen]

Halifax clarity for purchases here. On holiday these days I rarely bothered with cash but if you need it there's zero fees and some nominal interest on the clarity

Query. When using the card with a card reader and if prompted to use local or GBP; which do you choose?

 

[CapitalOne]

I just use Revolut Premium.

Used it all over Europe, Caribbean, US and Singapore with no issues. If you don’t use the premium version read up on the max cash withdrawls.

Edit: I always convert to local currency in the app and any card transactions are done in local currency.

 

[peterwalkley]

Query. When using the card with a card reader and if prompted to use local or GBP; which do you choose?

local currency ... the machines will stiff you on the exchange rate.

 

[VincentHanna]

I arrived in Mallorca on Sunday evening and by the time we had got the case and the car, and pulled away it was 11:55 p.m.

The car they gave me had one bar on the fuel gauge and I had an hour drive, but was told there was a "24 hour" petrol station after exiting the airport.

Pulled up, it looked shut but there was a guy there. He said they close at midnight and I by then had 2 minutes to get fuel but it was cash only.

Lucky I had 20 euros in my wallet from a previous holiday and was able to use that to pay for the fuel, to get to the hotel but it would have been a bit of a nightmare as literally all the petrols stations we drove past on the way there were also shut.

Having said that I'm sure somewhere in Palma they must have had a 24 hour petrol station, but it's the last thing you want after travelling, and when it's late.

So yeah, always try to have some cash! Even if you don't intend to use it.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Query. When using the card with a card reader and if prompted to use local or GBP; which do you choose?

Local, always, 100%, absolutely.

Why? Local means the card company controls the exchange rate, which is closest you will get to the rate you see online.

Pay in GBP means the store does the exchange for you, at their rates.

Even when I’m buying things online, like Amazon.jp, I pay in yen.

You can check the difference, last transaction was either £47 GBP or when I paid in yen, it comes to £45.

 

[RianBB]

Revolut Premium is a way to go

 

[Russinating]

Chase or Monzo or similar. Halifax Clarity is massively dated now. Doubt you'll need any cash at all.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

I normally take a few hundred Euros and just use my revolut or travel CC for when Im out and about

 

[ivrytwr3]

OP 12 May 23 "off in a few weeks". Been and back

But yeah, i always take a little bit of local currency and everything else on Revolut or Monzo.

 

[LACKERKNACKER]

Go to your bank, and get some euros, make sure though that the banks makes a note of this in your passport , also travellers checks, take a few, hundred in travellers checks , your hotel will help,cash them…….ffs it’s only Tenerife not the back of beyond

 

[EvilRob]

Chase or Monzo or similar. Halifax Clarity is massively dated now. Doubt you'll need any cash at all.

Dated in what way? Why are Chase or Monzo better?

 

[Semple]

Chase or Monzo or similar. Halifax Clarity is massively dated now. Doubt you'll need any cash at all.

What does massively dated mean?

Yes the monzo app is much better than Halifax, but that would certainly not stop me using my clarity card - that also has a significantly greater cash withdrawal limit than monzo has.