Travellers cheques, cash or visa?

[yellowbellies2004]

I seem to fancy reading somewhere that it was better for your pocket to use your visa card on holiday as much as possible, rather than to keep cashing your travellers cheques. Has anyone else heard this?

[Ann-Marie]

I only use my visa card if I need to on holiday. Much prefer to use my travellers cheques as they can be used just the same as a dollar bill everywhere, with change given in dollars - no need to go to the bank to exchange them.

Ann-Marie

[blott]

No, I don't think so. It all depends on what sort of Visa card you have as to whether it's cheaper to use this method so if you want to tell us which one you have? In fact, some are positively more expensive than travellers' cheques.

If you get commission free travellers' cheques, these are 'free' anyway as you pay nothing when you use them in the USA and you can treat them like cash in shops, etc and get change. Just make sure that you get US$ travellers' cheques rather than GB£ ones.

[yellowbellies2004]

I think that by the sound of it so far it would be best to stick to travellers cheques then. I probably saw it on one of those financial programmes, I don't know. The visa card I would be using would be a Barclaycard standard, Smile or Mint.

Thanks for your input

Kate

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by yellowbellies2004
I seem to fancy reading somewhere that it was better for your pocket to use your visa card on holiday as much as possible, rather than to keep cashing your travellers cheques. Has anyone else heard this?
[/quote]

One point I have just got some US$ travelers cheques at 1.77, my husband just used his visa debit card in Chicago and got 1.86, so you don't need to be good a maths to see what the best is??

If you find out if the credit card uses the exchange rate of the day which Visa does I think you are quite often better using them.

I have always taken TC's but this year I think I will try using the Visa or Visa/debit more.

[wrpac00]

Kate,

We use a mixture of both. We use our credit card for restuarants, supermarket, shopping etc and use the TC's for smaller items and tips.

[blott]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by yellowbellies2004
I think that by the sound of it so far it would be best to stick to travellers cheques then. I probably saw it on one of those financial programmes, I don't know. The visa card I would be using would be a Barclaycard standard, Smile or Mint.

Thanks for your input

Kate
[/quote]If you use Barclaycard for purchasing in shops, you'll be charged 2.75% foreign exchange fee on top of all your purchases (read the 'fadey' print on the back of your statement, including your other cards, to check). If you use Barclaycard in a cash machine, you'll also have cash advance charges - I think 1% per day.

Cheapest is a Nationwide card which doesn't charge anything for foreign exchange on purchases. The one I chose recently also has a cash back facility of 1% so spending actually saves you money (I always wanted a card that did that! ).

[yellowbellies2004]

That's really interesting to know. I've only just applied for a Barclycard so that all the holiday stuff like extras you were't planning for could go on there as it's 0% until Feb. Now I know that I'm going to look elsewhere and also investigate my Mint and Smile.

We've been to Skegness today(East coast of England, in Lincolnshire)and we've bought a blow up tube each, you know the kind you sit in with your bum in the water. We also got a 6ft 6in crocodile to sit on in the pool. I want to blow them up right now! Then we can take them back next time (and there will be a next time!)

Only 6 and a half weeks to go!

[blott]

I thought you must be called Yellowbellies for some reason - my Dad came from Lincolnshire so even I know what it means, me dook! I used to live in Stamford too.

I know, exciting isn't it? Just one tip but it's too late now and that is that inflatables are normally cheaper in Florida (unless you got an out of season bargain). You can blow them up right now if you want but you'll have to flatten them again before you can pack them!

[yellowbellies2004]

Well fancy that - a Lincolnshire connection. I often get asked why I'm called yellowbellies. I thought the floats might be cheaper over there but I was just so excited. The croc was only £5.99 and the tubes were big ones for £1.99 so I thought they were okay. ALso my daughter will want to use them immediately! Hey I am driving my family mad [}]