going to Sorrento (Italy, not BC) soon. Should I order some Travellers’ Cheques, or just take some cash and my ATM & Credit cards?

you can get a travel mastercard from travel agents, you will need two forms of ID, proof of address, just put money on that, and inside the pack is your unique pin.

can you get them over the counter? travelling very soon…
and can you get them from a bank? e.g. Santander

yes over the counter, I got mine from a travel agent,…not sure banks do them?

Some cash and ATM cards. Easy as anything.

You can get them over the counter – I got one from Asda’s in-store travel money kiosk last year. I wouldn’t recommend the Asda one though, the website to administer it was a pain the proverbial, but I would imagine others do them.

I also got one from FairFX which was much easier to load up with cash online, but I did need to apply online and get it posted to me, so probably not helpful if you are travelling soon.

If you can’t get hold the Whathaveisaidnow’s travel mastercard, just go with normal cards – ideally credit card for buying stuff / paying in restaurants etc., and atm for getting cash out. I wouldn’t bother with travellers’ cheques in Europe these days.

FairFx is good and has an easy to use website and app

last holiday was Ireland, both sides of the border. My debit & credit cards worked fine. last one before that was Canada, debit cards wouldn’t work but credit cards were fine.

I’ll pop to the post office in a minute – three doors up the street

I got my travel card for Thomas Cook, I assume they all do them, but Thomas Cook definitley

last one before that was Canada, debit cards wouldn’t work but credit cards were fine.

If their system was like the US system (which it probably is) debit cards will work, you just have to select ‘credit’ when given the choice at the till. Visa etc debit cards can always be used as credit cards if necessary afaik.

I’m going to the US soon, I will take $100 or so and my cards.

Cash in € makes sense. It’s pretty universally accepted 😉 (even in some non-Eurozone places too).
Credit card or debit card in hotel, petrol station etc. if you like. Debit card in ATM (else you get screwed on CC cash handling fees, interest etc. – actually same is true for Travelex etc.)

Most countries have ATMs. They work in the same way that UK ones do, you just put your card in and it will give you local currency out. Sort of like going to the travel agents to buy cash, but a lot less hassle.

(else you get screwed on CC cash handling fees, interest etc…)

Not if you have a Halifax Clarity CC. Free cash withdrawals and no interest to pay. By far the best travel card and beats all the travel money cards hands down on rates.

But using normal credit and debit cards attracts all sorts of loading fees etc.

plan A was about £200 in Euros cash plus debit & credit cards. Never failed before, except the time I went to a tiny village on the north coast of Crete (1997) and the nearest ATM was 40km+ away.

Think I’ll stick with this plan, Sorrento has at least 3 ATMs according to Google Maps. Naples I’m sure will have more ATMs than you can shake a stick at

Staying half board so should only need cash for drinks & snacks, plus excursions which I should be able to pay for by credit/debit card

But using normal credit and debit cards attracts all sorts of loading fees etc

I can live with that.

But using normal credit and debit cards attracts all sorts of loading fees etc.

Not all and if you use them wisely, then they don’t have to be that much more than the commission paid buying cash or travel cash cards etc.

Loading fees? Generally debit cards are the cheapest way to get money overseas, I thought, and even cheaper to make purchases.

apart from excursions – Pompeii, Herculanium, Capri and possibly a day trip to Rome – I don’t think we’ll need to be buying that much* TBH.

Probably not even bother to hire a car. Naples to Sorrento & back on the railway; transfers from/to Naples airport already paid for in the package deal

*except perhaps an Italy football shirt. And maybe a Napoli one. I collect Footie shirts (or equivalent e.g Canada ice-hockey shirt) when I go abroad

It’s a bit “stating the obvious”, but do your different cards all have the same level of fraud protection?

Nationwide flex+ account = virtually no fees when using debit/credit cards abroad. There will probably other similar but too late for the OP to get one.

Exchange rates are usually decent if your bank/card uses the visa exchange rates.

I’ve not used travelers cheques since the 90’s! Token bit of currency before you go then draw cash out as normal. credit cards for shopping/fuel and the like.

Nationwide flex+ account = virtually no fees when using debit/credit cards abroad.

Other than the £120 a year account fee of course 😉

It’s a bit “stating the obvious”, but do your different cards all have the same level of fraud protection?

shouldn’t be an issue if I’m only going to be using them to get cash out of an ATM.

Exchange rates are usually decent if your bank/card uses the visa exchange rates.

Hotels usually like to suggest that they bill you in the card’s currency. Of course then you’re paying the hotel’s exchange rate, so I’d probably pick local currency.

tbh, 1% of a grand is no more than 2-3 beers. So hardly worth the effort shopping around to “save”.

Switzerland is my issue, now the debit card is V-Pay rather than Maestro/Cirrus. Used my last stash of CHFs paying for last hotel. So much for the single European currency with my wallet filled with 3 currencies.

FairFx is recommended by Moneysaver. I just charge mine up whenever I’m off anywhere out of the way.

I travel in Europe all the time and just use my credit card at an ATM. Just about every ATM I’ve ever tried to use in Europe with my Mastercard has worked fine.

What card johnhe?

Withdrawing cash on a credit card is normally the most expensive way to get cash. Why not just use your debit card?

cant understand why you need them the eurozone is all one big happy family and one of its primary aims was to eliminate such issues

I travel in Europe all the time and just use my credit card at an ATM. Just about every ATM I’ve ever tried to use in Europe with my Mastercard has worked fine.

Credit Card cos will normally add a hefty transaction fee, apply pisspoor exchange rate, and treat it like a cash advance (ie start charging interest on it immediately).

ok so I now have a pre-paid mastercard Travel Moneycard from the Post Office (time was a bit short to be waiting for postal deliveries of any alternatives), just need to activate it (after 10.30am today) and load some more money on it, then get some Euros cash & I’m sorted

thanks for all the advice folks