best way to take spending money? ?

[Ads]

Best way to take spending money its been 6 years since we last went to orlando and we took cash and travellers checks im just wondering ifthey still take travellers checks like cash ? As now there are pre paid travel cards not looked in to them in depth but was reading that some you are limited to how much you can put on the card and also if you got money left on the card they charge to get your money refunded back to you any feed back or experiences wouldbe grateful thanks

[brownm]

We normally take the US Dollars and if you have a Post Office card they don't charge you per transaction and there is some other bank cards that do the same but can't recall which ones right now.

Traveller cheques are dated now and places ask you for your passport which can be inconvenient to carry round with you.

[syrup]

Hi Ads,

We always take cash and a money card like FairFX which normally gives excellent rates, also if you have access to a computer you can top it up so you don't have to take too much and get a poor exchange rate when you get back home if your lucky enough not to spend it all. We found travellers cheques a bit inconvenient since the introduction of money cards.

I have had a FairFX money card for a few years now and have never known of a limit. You can withdraw cash from ATM's before leaving for a very small small charge or even withdraw your cash when you get home for a small charge.

I think it's £9 to purchase one, but if you do a search you can usually find a link for it for free. Of course there are other cards but this one I have experience of.

[GrahamC]

My son has just come back from New York, where he used a Post Office pre paid card with no problems. He topped it up on a daily basis to control his spending, and whilst it has an upper limit, you are talking thousands of dollars.

[kitch50]

It is a very personal choice and in the past there have been some very "lively" discussions on the forum on this very subject. Personally we always take cash and a credit card for emergencies only.

[Tony G]

I've done everything except travellers' cheques. I've had a pre-paid card, used regular debit/credit cards and now exclusively take a small amount of cash and use my fee-free credit card.

My current card is with Halifax and they have been great.

[Laurel Oak]

Used to take Travellers Cheques many years ago but now take cash with credit cards as back up.

[Katys Grandad]

I really don't think there is a 'best way' that suits everybody.

I carry a small amount of cash but mostly use a credit card. That works best for me but I recognise it may well not be the best option for others.

[noodler]

I take a small amount of cash, usually $100 or less as I have Nationwide Select Credit Card and Santander Zero Credit Card. These are commission free and I ALWAYS pay the bill in full when I return home to avoid interest charges. This way I know I won't have loads of leftover cash and it also saves me around 3% commission.

I have used the cards for most purchases, I just keep cash for something small like paying for a coffee. Anything over a couple of $'s and I use the card and no cashier has ever quibbled.


Its worth a look at moneysavingexpert website as that gives great information about spending abroad.

Hope this helps.

[steph_goodrum]

We take cash and a Fairfx card. That way we know you don't have to worry about any unexpected bills when you come home, we are spending money we have already saved rather than having to budget for it. The rate is always excellent (it was $1.61 at the weekend) you can only withdraw $300 in cash a day but there aren't any other limitations we have found.