[Closed] Who's good for euros then?

Thomas Cook booked online in advance.

Last time I bothered to check it worked out cheaper to just use an ATM over there - this was using a Nationwide card.

Put your card in the first ATM you see when you arrive.

(unless of course, knowing that you saved 50p is worth more to you than your time incurred sorting out and picking up foreign currency).

+ 1 on ATM

I use Travelex - book online, collect at Airport.

Check the Money Saving Expert page, that will always have the most up-to-date best deals as the rates are always changing. Halifax credit card is always a good bet if you have one though.

Also book online and collect at airport. The rates at the airport itself are always appalling.

Aside from preordering via one of moneysavingexperts recommendations, ATMs in large denominations generally wins. Bulk conversion rate, minimal hassle or [s]fine[/s] fee.

Having said that, whenever I travel back to see family in Ireland the little change booths attached to Spars, Nisas & Garages near the border are unbeatable.

I never even thought of using an ATM. And I used to work for a bank 😳 Cheers folks!

If you've got some time and you'll be spending on a credit card, consider getting a decent credit card that doesn't put a addition 2.5% on card purchases. I have a Halifax Clarity, but Moneysavingexpert has the full list of 0% loading cards.

+1 Travelex online - better rates than ATM. Got €1.23 to the pound last week.

Just bought a load from the Post Office. Price was pretty much what Travelex was quoting plus I can pop in and collect them from the PO which is 1 mile away as I don't fancy waiting for a delivery.
ATM is good (and I'll be taking a card just in case) but I like to see how much money I've spent/got left. Also the trip we're on means that we may not come across an ATM when needed.

I'd say ATMs too

But ..... I once arrived at Madrid airport late one night to find my debit card was refused.
I had €20 in cash so had to get a taxi as far as that would take me and walk the rest of the way 🙂

so I'd also say take some cash, €100 or so

Our local Sainsburys was doing a better rate (about 1.22) than the local post office last week (1.14). I stick a few more euros on one of those travel cash card things as well for emergencies in case debit card gets lost/nicked/broken etc.

I use [url= https://www.iceplc.com ]Ice currency[/url] and prebook for collection.

I just use ATMs when there and always make sure I come back with a 100 or so, so I go out the next time with cash in the wallet in case the ATM at the airport is bust etc...

We always use ATMs when we get there but usually have a few Euros left from the last trip in case...

Costs about 1.5% per transaction plus a small fee (Nationwide) when you're there but as a percentage of the whole trip it doesn't really make that much difference. Maybe as much as a tenner...

If you need currently before you leave then pre-booked ICE is the best I've found in Edinburgh - its at waverley station but otherwise atm on arrival.

Use Thomas cook money card thing. Can use it to pay for stuff and withdraw from Atm's.
Usually take €100 cash also.

Halifax Clarity Card and withdraw from a ATM when you get there.

I visit the Euro zone several times a year and just like some others here
I only use the ATM Machines.
But I also only carry one of the EasyJet credit cards where you put money on the card rather than
use your actual Debit/Visa card, but you do get the full benefits of the VISA card.
And the card is FREE.

[url= https://prepaidcard.easyjet.com ]EasyJet credit card[/url]

If you need currently before you leave

Serious question...when does such a need ever arise?

so I can just use my regular Barclays Visa debit card in ATMs on Kefalonia then? and it works out cheaper than buying currency over here before leaving?

Not quite as simple as that, read up on moneysavingexpert.

Thanks Grantway - just done as you advised with the easyjet card.

and it works out cheaper than buying currency over here before leaving

It might not work out cheaper, it may even work out more expensive.

However, the difference between the various options you have is so small that for most people it shouldn't be problematic. Therefore, pick the option that is most convenient and most secure - credit/debit card.

I have a post office travel money card,I pop in to post office before I leave and load it up,when I'm on holiday I can use it at an ATM or pay for things by chip and pin,also lessens the risk of my bank card/credit card being compromised abroad,they do charge £2 per cash withdrawal so I try not to withdraw all the time rather use the chip and pin when shopping and paying in restaurants ect,after £750 going missing out of my account after a holiday I'll never use my bank card abroad again,I'll usually take 100 cash with me aswell.

Although not possible unless you have a EUR account, the cheapest way to do it is to transfer the money from a GBP bank to a EUR account. I use Transferwise and they are fantastic. You get the actual rate on that day and the charges are minimal. You can get a free transfer if you use this link https://transferwise.com/u/ab510

What's not possible?

What's not possible?

Sorry if I wasn't clear. If you want to transfer from a UK account to a Euro account, then you obviously need a euro bank account to transfer to.

If you need currently before you leave
Serious question...when does such a need ever arise?

We just got back from an Alps trip.

We drove on the peage, and for no reason at all, the toll booth wouldn't accept either of our cards for a €49 euro toll.

If we had not had cash on hand it would have been a lot more complicated than it turned out to be.

(Both cards worked fine everywhere else)

Yes I know what you mean bittersweet but it doesn't involve moving money,the travel card is a MasterCard so is accepted in most places,and most cards are visa anyway which can be used worldwide also.

No probs Wally. Its a no brainer 😉

+1 for using Halifax Clarity card whereever possible, for both purchases and for ATM withdrawls.

For a few hundred Euros in hand (just in case), I just look up the best rate on MSE money and phone the nearest Thomson/First Choice/ASDA/Sainsbury/etc to match that. They usually will if you phone first.

for no reason at all, the toll booth wouldn't accept either of our cards for a €49 euro toll.

This regularly happens when I've been touring on the KTM in France. I've also suffered it when buying fuel from an automated pump in France or the USA with a UK credit or debit card. Thankfully most of the French auto pumps also have a note eater.

Just chatting with the mate who we're going to Sardinia with and he only takes cash now as the ATMs regularly run out/don't work during August (and he goes twice a year so he should know)!
Glad I'd just collected my Euro's!

We drove on the peage, and for no reason at all, the toll booth wouldn't accept either of our cards for a €49 euro toll.

If we had not had cash on hand it would have been a lot more complicated than it turned out to be.

I wasn't suggesting that people never use cash (on the contrary), just that it's quite easy to find an ATM when you arrive in country (save of course if you happen to visit Sardinia...which according to the LP guide are widely available and easiest and safest way to access money in Sardinia 😉 ).

[url= https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0At6CC4x_yBnMdFZYOXVWTGxxQS1YTm5LbVVrVTl3Nnc#gid=1 ]Here[/url] and [url= http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/dec/17/where-are-the-worlds-cash-machines-atms ]here[/url] for a pretty up to date list of how many ATMs each country has.

I can't think of too many occasions when I've struggled to get money on arriving in a country. Obviously, some people prefer the security of arriving in a country with a pocket full of notes, I'm not that fussed.

Although, my plan isn't fool proof, I have just remembered that I've lifted cash on more than one occasion upon arriving into Geneva for weekend trips to Cham/Morzine etc 😳