Road Tripping in the USA!
- Thread starter [TW]Fox
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Nobody plans every hour with a spread sheet, it's just to help plan the route and which hotels to book
You just use it for the start and finish point each day and that nights hotel.
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Thats what we do, but to know where to book, when and for how long you need......
.... a plan! Excel is just a helpful way of collating one. It's not looking book a two week resort trip with inclusive flights - its all done separately and you need something to help you piece it all together.
Google does pretty much this too.
Actually no you won't - you'll get a very good exchange rate, but it'll then be modified by the 3% charge and, if applicable, the cash withdrawal fee.
Some card products ie Halifax Clarity do not load the exchange rate and charge no other fees either (Bar interest on cash withdrawals).
lol, 'the only downside'? yea and the fact you genuinely do get, to quote you, 'an absolutely crap exchange rate'.
Prepaid cards are for people who can't get credit, it's a bit of a Fisher Price My First Travel Money solution and they should be avoided unless you have no other option, IMHO.
Take the right credit card and just use it like you would in the UK.
On my last trip I withdrew a total of 40 USD and paid $0 in ATM fees and a pennies-amount in interest on the Clarity for the cash withdrawal. Couldn't care less about them taking the card away. Even completely trivial items like a 70c Soda at a gas station are a simple swipe away.
I therefore still maintain that it makes no sense to take a 'reasonable amount of cash'.
But with the right card if you do decide you want 'a reasonable amount of cash' simply withdraw it from an ATM! Miles cheaper than getting ripped off by crap 'holiday money' places.
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Because you didn't take the right credit or debit card - which is the entire point being made
If you want to spend more money to avoid applying for a single additional card then obviously its entirely your decision to make, just don't recommend it to others as if its some sort of sensible solution as it's not
You don't need 'all kinds of different cards' - you need at most one additional card, a Halifax Clarity or similar product. You make it sound like some sort of protracted ordeal to which buying a huge pile of USD from a travel agent is some sort of easier option. As I said at the beginning of the discussion the only real reason avoid this method is if you cannot obtain the product in question for whatever reason.
Don't have a credit card. Only have a debit card + american express corporate card.
Cash it is then lol.
You'll need a credit card unless you want the car rental experience to range from 'absolutely enormous pain' to 'impossible'.
Unless you can use that Amex, which would be fine.
He probably tips the valet with the cash he's withdrawn from the ATM he's used whilst on holiday
Exactly that. Always have some cash on me but I just don't buy it before I go.
Not that I valet park, it voids the rental agreement.
You did very well there, when I looked it was rather closer to Joe T's experience! I don't often end up in a Super 8 (Infact only twice) but routinely paying over £100 a night is a quick way to ensure the trip costs so much that its hard to justify the following year.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I've gone with the Secret Garden Inn (Santa Barbara) which is more like a B&B, and the Carmel Lodge (2 nights) in Carmel.
Just the last night of the stay to book now.
Don't forget to pop to Laguna Seca for a look around, it's 20 minutes from Carmel.
This is where I am going this year - so far my research has told me the following are unmissable:
Rocky Mountain National Park
Pikes Peak
San Juan Mountains
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Monument Valley
etc
Some mind blowing scenery, hopefully it's going to be excellent
