I know, it’s boring reading people’s accounts of their skiing holidays! So I thought I would focus on my opinion on travel money. Apart of course from this little video to brighten your day!
I am completely baffled why people use bureau des changes! They hark back to the days of travellers cheques… remember them?
Get a credit card with no foreign transaction fees (like Capital One Mastercard) and a debit card that doesn’t charge for withdrawals (like Starling or Revolut** UPDATE Chase now have a card with a daily limit of £500 for cash machine withdrawals).
Never, never, never buy your foreign cash from the bureau de change desks at the airport… they will flay you alive!
You don’t need to buy it at home either, the exchange rates are crap too, but they’ll kid you there are no transaction fees! It’s all buried in the rate.
Every single airport in the developed world has a cash machine in the arrivals area. Use that to get a bit of cash.
You don’t need too much cash though, everywhere (with a few notable exceptions) now use contactless.
As long as your card doesn’t wack you with a flat transaction fee! Check before you leave.
Get as little cash out as you can, you’ll lose money changing back the excess.
Keep excess euros for next time, the way the exchange rate is going they’ll be worth more too!
Never, never, never accept the conversion offered on a credit card or cash machine transaction, they’ll murder you on the exchange rate (£20 difference on 200 euros today!) always, always, always pay in the local currency.
Job done…. and the snow was good.
Loving the blogs a good old fashion yarn 🧶 well done mr Riley and keep them coming. Ps what about travel books v trip advisor have we lost the art of surprise ?
Watch this space. Next blog may be called “in google we trust….sometimes”