Travel Money

Generally speaking the best way to spend whilst abroad is by using the right credit card. The right credit cards give you consumer protection, great exchange rates, no fees and some even give you cash back.

One of the most expensive ways to spend whilst abroad is to use the wrong Credit Card. Most mainstream credit cards have high charges for using them abroad and even higher charges for using them to draw cash out. You can check what your existing card charges on the Money Saving Experts web site.

If your current Credit Card charges fees for use abroad please see below where you will find a list of credit cards that are great for traveling as they have no nasty fees.

Once you have the right credit card there are two golden rules to using them :

1. Always get billed in the local currency rather than in Pounds.
2. Always pay your full balance off or you will be charged interest.

In the past I have used the Halifax Clarity card as I was an early adopter when Halifax was one of the first to offer a card with no fees when used abroad, however I have just got a Tandem card as it pays cashback when I use it in the UK or abroad. I could not apply for a Barclaycard Platinum Cashback as I already had a Barclaycard.

The Tandem card is working well for me and what’s more if you apply (and are accepted) by using the link below they will give you a £10 Amazon voucher (They send me one too).

If you are traveling with a partner or other family member it is worth considering adding them as an additional card holder. Or get them to apply for their own travel credit card. If you were to lose your card whilst traveling your partner would still have theirs.

Cash is always needed, however you don’t need it until you get to your destination and generally getting cash from a cash machine using the right debit card is cheaper than getting it before you travel.

Debit cards are generally the cheapest way to draw cash from cash machines whilst abroad.

As with Credit cards, you need to use the right Debit Card or you will end up paying large fees. You can also check your Debit card at Money Saving Expert.

If your bank account charges fees you will find a list below of great cards to use when traveling.

It is always worth taking multiple credit and debit cards from different providers. Keep your back up cards in a bag separate from your day to day cards.

My favorite card is the Revolut card as it lets me hold money in multiple currencies. give me a UK and a Euro bank account number, lets me transfer money cheaply around the world, gives me great exchange rates and allows me to draw cash out around the world.

Cash Before you go

If you want some Euro Cash before you travel and you bank with Barclays and you have a Revolut card there is a clever trick which gets you Euro Cash at the Interbank Exchange rate.

• Open a Barclays Euro account (free if you have a barclays current account).
• Exchange Pounds to Euros in your Revolut account.
• Transfer Euros from your Revolut account to your Barclays Euro Account.
• Go to a Barclays Bank and draw cash out of your Barclays Euro Account.

If you require any other currencies there is no fee free way to do this at the Interbank Exchange rate. Take a look at Money Saving Expert Travel Money to find the best rates available.

Generally I pick cash up from an airport cashpoint machine as I arrive in a country.

Travel Credit Cards

Travel Debit Cards