Taking Holiday Money to France

Hello there, after some advice please.

Off to France for 4 weeks. What’s the best way to take cash? Should I just use ATMs, or will there be a service charge?

What about Traveller’s Cheques?

Cheers,

Alex

I always use the cash point. Rate is usually fine. There is a charge on most accounts so take a lump out at a time rather than lots of little bits.

Will this be the most asked question of the summer?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/travelling-abroad-pre-paid-credit-card

I’ve never taken cash, I just use an ATM when I get there. You’ll be charged if you use your credit card, but not if you use your debit. I think that’s how it works.

You’ll be charged if you use your credit card, but not if you use your debit. I think that’s how it works.

From my experience that’s wrong… all incur a charge unless you specifically have a card which doesn’t charge.

There is a cost to everything, therefore use the safest method wherever possible – ie credit card.

Halifax Clarity credit card. No fees on cash withdrawal or foreign transactions, proper bank exchange rate. Pay it off asap via internet bank transfer.

There is a cost to everything

Not with a Halifax Clarity CC there isn’t. You just pay the Mastercard rate of the day. No charges for cash withdrawals from an ATM either.

Nationwide also used to do a charge free card but I think they withdrew it.

I asked this last week as this time tomorrow I’ll be in Portsmouth waiting for a ferry!

Taking a wad of cash for ice cream, tolls etc and (debit) card for petrol, shopping etc for which I’ll get charged 2.something % of the total cost by my bank. Taking cash out a machine I’ll get charged 4.something % of the total withdrawn.

Figure that cash for small purchases, card for big shopping trips and petrol won’t hurt too much. Easier than carrying hundreds of Euros around all the time.

I’m off to France next week, I always take a loada cash when I go and then have my PO credit card which is a cheap one to use abroad.

I use debit cards for most purchases same as I do here. It’s cheap. I use ATMs if I need cash. I don’t think the difference in cost between that and a Bureau de Change is that much, is it? I wouldn’t carry loads of cash around, too risky.

I recently looked into this (thread on here somewhere…) and compared the rate of exchanging cash at the Post Office before I went with the rate for purchases with barclaycard. There was literally nothing in it (better exchange rate with BC but they then add a fee percentage which makes it identical to Post Office).

Different for ATMs (at least with LloydsTSB debit card) as there is an additional cash withdrawal fee.

People seem to think cash is risky get I’ve never had cash taken from me, lost cash or suffered any fraudulent transactions in cash worth more than 50 francs.

On the other hand I suffered cash machine fraud in the UK, A cash machine gave me too few notes in Spain, I’ve had several cheques bounce, my banks have made errors in their favour everywhere, my sister got mugged at a cashpoint, a friend got mugged at a cashpoint, companies have made fraudulent use of my credit card details in the UK and France.

When I sell cars I only accept cash. A taxi driver friend recently sold his taxi to a Hungarian. They met in the bank and made the transaction in cash.

Not with a Halifax Clarity CC there isn’t. You just pay the Mastercard rate of the day.

Yep, and you don’t think someone is making money from the ‘rate’?

People seem to think cash is risky get I’ve never had cash taken from me, lost cash or suffered any fraudulent transactions in cash worth more than 50 francs.

On the other hand I suffered cash machine fraud in the UK, A cash machine gave me too few notes in Spain, I’ve had several cheques bounce, my banks have made errors in their favour everywhere, my sister got mugged at a cashpoint, a friend got mugged at a cashpoint, companies have made fraudulent use of my credit card details in the UK and France.

When I sell cars I only accept cash. A taxi driver friend recently sold his taxi to a Hungarian. They met in the bank and made the transaction in cash.

There is a difference between selling/buying cars – which I do with cash and been in a different country with 2 weeks worth of cash. Do you carry it all with you (lose it, stolen etc) or leave it in the hotel/car etc.

Even in the UK I rarely have more than £50 in cash, at that’s only when I’ve just been to the cashpoint – every transaction I can I do with a CC. As even when there is a fraud, you’re never financially impacted.

When talking about the sort of values you will spend during a typical holiday it literally makes no difference which method you use. It will be couple of quid either way.

Just do what is simple and makes you happiest.

As even when there is a fraud, you’re never financially impacted.

In France you are. The first time I suffered cash point fraud in the uk they told me I was lying and had drawn the cash out myself or given someone my card and pin. It all got very nasty until I found a receipt from a petrol station a couple of hours before the withdrawal and too far to have done both.

A Liverpool solicitor became famous taking on the banks who accused clients on making the fraudulent withdrawals themselves. My argument with the Spanish bank lasted weeks

1700e in my pockets at present.

#waits for hit man to call#

I’ve lost my wallet twice in my life. Glad there wasn’t more than £20 or so in it each time.

Taking a wad of cash for ice cream, tolls etc

No need on the tolls. It’s quicker with a card. The machine sucks it in a spits it out straight away, just don’t try and use the lorry driver’s slot unless you want to stand out the sunroof

Terrible country that there France

Station sevice

Encore des stations services

Restaurants

Still want to use your credit card rather than cash?

Although owing the publisher of the first link of edukator I wouldn’t trust it too much

Ive been a fan of Bernard Tapis since watching his programmes for budding entrepreneurs way back when. Adidas, La Vie Claire with Lemond and Hinault, OM… . An inspiration.

Caxton FX Euro card