supposedly give a good rate AND avoid some charges

I'm off to USA soonish & wondering about using one. Any comments would be welcome, Ta

I have a Fairfx USD & Euro card

IMO – you can't beat it, some of the best exchange rates & a flat $2 for an ATM withdrawal with no fees for any other purchases you make
It certainly beats Nationwide etc. when you factor in the FX rate you get

i got given a prepaid Visa card in Beijing last year. It was dollar denominated (was a gift from an American bank) but the exchange rate was far better than a normal cash withdrawal/maestro transaction

We took a Barclays Travel Money Card and the whole thing was a shambles – from trying to get one in the first place to topping it up.
Every time we tried, we got stuck in their phone answering system for ages – and one of an increasingly bizarre list of excuses why they couldn't answer their phones right now – from "all our lines are busy" to "bomb scare".
In the end we had to go back to debiting our current account with the usual outrageous charges attached.
Needless to say we have complained and asked for a refund.

Used LloydsTSB Visa travel money card, in USD. No problems either taking out cash or paying for stull in shops. Much easier than travellers cheques.

FairFX on its way(ish)

Cheers

You don't need any of that nonsense! Just get a Nationwide current account and a Nationwide credit card.No overseas charges, good exchange rates for any sum. Simple!