What do you use for money when visiting your overseas partner?

[maybesomeday]

Hi,

Been planning my overseas trip for a few weeks now. It's been stressful and everything I've had to do so far has been a hassle. I'm now up to sorting out my travel insurance and money, and once again am coming across a lot of issues.

How do you go about using money when you visit your overseas SO? Do you use a money card/cash passport, your normal Visa/Debit card, credit card or cash?

I'll be going to England and Spain, and have a stop over in Dubai as well. A travel money card/cash passport seemed like the best way to go initially, as it's meant to save you a lot in regards to fees when withdrawing, purchasing and converting currencies. However, recently came to notice the fees are still a little too high for my liking. Which means my usual Visa/Debit card that I use in my country (Australia) has even more fees when used overseas. I'm not interested in a credit card, just a personal preference so that is not an option here. I would also not like to have several thousand pounds/Euros on my person at all times either.

So this is my predicament, and I'm in desperate need of some advice or any other options.

Thank you.

[snow]

I have always used cash, I would convert it before I flew out and use it only in my destination city. I stopped in many different countries, but I rarely, if ever, bought anything while I was on layover. There is just no need to. I brought snacks on my carry-on and there has always been water fountains to use if I was thirsty.

[80anthea]

I've always just used cash but I have never taken thousands of pounds. How long are you going for?

[maybesomeday]

I've always just used cash but I have never taken thousands of pounds. How long are you going for?

Going for three weeks, and have been advised by almost everyone I know not to take large sums of cash. Too many pick-pocketing going on in the areas I'm going to be visiting. I would only take some cash for smaller things that I want to purchase.

[80anthea]

Going for three weeks, and have been advised by almost everyone I know not to take large sums of cash. Too many pick-pocketing going on in the areas I'm going to be visiting. I would only take some cash for smaller things that I want to purchase.

Is there an option of putting some in a safe when you get there? Most hotels have security boxes now.

[80anthea]

I would also say unless you're staying in fancy 5* hotels everywhere and fine dining for each meal you're unlikely to need thousands of pounds for 3-weeks in the UK and Spain.

What works for me and my SO is that when I go to him I pay for the flights and he pays for expenses whilst I'm there so I don't actually ever take that much cash with me. Can you arrange something like this with your SO?

[differentcountries]

I usually use a mix.

I usually withdraw/convert a semi-large sum in the airport atm before I go, as I dont like to enter without cash. I tap into that sum plus I sometimes pay electronically by visa card. I usually withdraw 1-2 times when I am there, because Turks like to use cash so I do too. I use my credit cards as backup.

Last visit, I payed for the flights and SO was able to pay most of the expenses on my visit, so I actually only used the first sum I withdrew plus I did some clothes and gift shopping which I payed for by visa.

[BFG]

I use a mix of three different things - cash, credit card(s) and accessing more cash while overseas.

Converting cash from one currency to another isn't cheap, it's always important to remember that. I travel from Oz to the UK fairly regularly to see my SO and have a decent system now - i like to get out about $300 before i leave and convert that at the airport. If for nothing else but that it's a good way to waste five minutes wandering around the terminal. That way when i get off the plane in the UK all tired and cranky and irritable i can just get in a cab or wherever i'm going without having to muck around....passport control, get my bag, gtfo of that stupid airport.

I don't like carrying large sums of cash for obvious reasons so that's typically all i bring. That lump usually lasts me the first few days and somewhere in that time i'll use my card to withdraw a decent amount of cash on my wanders - generally somewhere around $1500aud worth. Then i leave that at my SO's house and just carry around with me what i need.

I find that drip feeding myself is a good way to stop the usual #yolo spending you do on a holiday. I'm with commbank and they do a platinum debit mastercard - that's good for me because the foreign exchange rates they employ on that work out costing me about the same as bringing the whole lot in a wad of $AUD in the first place.

That's what I do for spending money in my wallet anyway, when we go out to a nice dinner and it costs a bit or stay at a hotel or something like that i'll use my credit card so that I don't waste money transfer fees on big lots of cash like that when I don't have to. The fees I pay for using that in that scenario mean it's only worthwhile for me when spending over $150aud in one go and the rate our currency goes at overseas these days, that's actually pretty easy to do

[Moon]

I don't generally need much cash when visiting, just a couple of hundred dollars at most, which I've found to be pretty expensive to do at the airport, so I use PayPal. A few days before I leave, I send however much I want to my guy, he transfers it to his bank account and withdraws the money for me, and it only costs something like $1.50. If I need more, or for the travel, I just use my credit card.

[80anthea]

Converting at the airport is one of the most expensive ways to do it. You get much better rates and less commission if you do it at an exchange place in a town or city. Here the post office does it at a far better exchange rate.

[Lio]

I visited my SO once and used cash only. But it was my second trip to Asia. I used my debit card in Japan last year, in the end of my trip. I prefer to use cash anyway, so I convert my euro to the country's money before my flight (in my SO's case, Korean Won - KRW - not to misunderstand with KPW which is North Korean Won)

[differentcountries]

Converting at the airport is one of the most expensive ways to do it. You get much better rates and less commission if you do it at an exchange place in a town or city. Here the post office does it at a far better exchange rate.

Here there is only one exchange place besides the airport, and they can charge whatever they want because they are more or less the only place. The banks and post offices can convert, but for some reason they dislike to do so. I usually withdraw no more than 4-500 lira (=140 USD). I usually dont convert paper money, I just withdraw them. I need the money on the travel, not just for the visit. I need to buy drinks etc. in the airports and have enough for taxi - I usually travel by myself from the airport since he is working most times.

The thing is that hardly anyone uses cash here anymore. We are very much a card nation. I even offend people a bit when I try to pay by cash here. It is very different in Turkey, where some act like they do you a special service if they accept your card lol

[Rezie]

I take a bit of cash (like 40 pounds) from the airport ATM and basically use my debit/credit card everywhere. The cash is just in case. I've never had any problems. Cards can be used basically everythere in Europe. When using my card to buy things my bank doesn't charge anything. Using the ATM costs a certain % but due to easiness and the small amount it is easier to use the airport. Exchangin money is too much of a hastle.

So in short I basically do the same as at home. Use my card and have one note just in case cash is needed.

[AJG96]

I usually take a bit of cash with me and convert it, but for most of my purchases I use my debit card. Just remember to let your bank know you're travelling overseas!

[maybesomeday]

Thanks everyone for advice and tips.

I've decided to just make a final decision and stop stressing about it too much. So what I've come up with is taking both cash, a cash passport through my bank, but limiting myself to how much I spend off it, and then my SO will be my back-up if I happen to spend both cash and money on the card, and I can pay him back once I'm home. In theory is sounds like it could work, I just hope once the time comes there are no major issues.