Off to France in a week or so time for a fortnight. When we’ve been before we’ve just taken a massive wad of euros… is there a better way? Don’t have/want credit cards but have VISA debit cards – will they be accepted everywhere (I guess so) but what about exchange rates etc?

You will be fine with VISA debit, charges etc depend upon your bank but are likely to be quite chunky. You can use them in the ATMs also.

I just use my Visa Debit in local cash points. Works pretty much anywhere in the world (where they have cash points).

NB Might be worth telling your bank you’re off on hols as sometimes they block your card if it suddenly starts making large cash withdrawals abroad.

Always choose to pay in local currency rather than £. The retailer will often use a much worse exchange rate than your bank.

Go on Travelex website or one of their kiosks and they have pre-paid Euro credit cards (Master Card) which work well, put what you think you’ll spend on the prepaid creditcard and take your debit if you run out.

Then you can just top it up and use it again next holiday, they will also send replacements out if you loose the card.

Personally, I have a Santander Zero card purely for holidays as its free currency exchange, most banks will charge a transaction and commission charge on debit cards these days.

Not all of the petrol station machines accept them, so be careful.

Not all of the petrol station machines accept them, so be careful.

This doesn’t seem to be the case any more, used to have this problem quite a bit, but never in the last few years.

I haven’t had a debit card refused in France in years.

i went to France once, but the trails were too smooth for my radness so i won’t go again.

I had a problem last Christmas. (Spanish debit card btw)

I’ve had various cards declined in France – so take my Halifax Clarity Credit Card – http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/low-rate-no-fee/clarity-card/ for most purchases & pay it off upon return so it’s truly zero fee. x/rates are good too

As a backup, I have my regular debit card, and a Travelex card with a couple of hundred Euro’s loaded

I also have a Santander Zero credit card just for travelling with.

I always take local currency £1000 worth of Euro and keep the card as a backup.

You can get pre-loaded credit cards – top up before you go, use and then bin it.

Plan how much you will spend a day and add 10%. Will you go again in the next 2 years? Could keep the currency.

Amex charge a couple quid to buy back currency at the same rate you bought it from.

Tons of options.

[/quote]We’ve just taken a massive wad of euros

🙄

Just looked on money saving expert. The Halifax Clarity card was recommended.

Whenever we go we just use our debit or credit cards and get cash from an ATM.

The only issue has been automated petrol pumps and motorway toll machines which seem to hate my wife’s Natwest cards.

I accept that there is a cost to convenience so in simple terms I used to take:
Couple of hundred Euros in cash – enough for tolls, fuel etc if the card has an issued on the way out.
The ability to move money to another account (of somebody who is with you on the trip)
Generally as there is a charge on a lot of card use (unless you get one of the specific no charge cards) I would take out cash in lump sums and use cash for most things when I was out there. In general I tried to have enough cash in my wallet for a trip to the supermarket or a tank of fuel just in case.
On top of that check to see if your mobile provider has roaming enabled and if they have a fixed price data /call plan for europe before you go.

Amazingly the French had chip debit cards way back in the mid 80s when I lived there, in the UK we carried on using magnetic strips for years.