twitcherwood Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 My husband and I will be embarking on our maiden motorhome 4 month tour of Europe shortly. Advice and recommendations would be very welcome from touring folks who've sussed the best method of accessing euros! ?pre-loaded cards..... ?use of ATM's abroad with debit card....... ?take a load of cash (rather risky I feel!). Any help very welcome - thank you! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 For the past 12 years we have just used ATMs. We go for a minimum of 8 weeks per trip and the thought of carrying that amount of cash is too intimidating. Tried Travellers Cheques once, but found them expensive, so it's the hole in the wall for us using a Nationwide Flex Card. There are ways of getting cheaper deals than the Nationwide, but we find it convenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 This subject comes up very frequently on this forum. I swear by Caxton card. If you search this forum using Caxton in the search box and past year in the since when box you will find the recent threads with various methods people us with details of how they work and perform. I am sure you will have a great trip, we go to France for one or two months every year and look forward to it all winter. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 cards such as nationwide that gives Visa rate (near bank rate not tourist rate) a safe fitted to van money belts, we prefer the under armpit type as you can even sleep comfortably with these on a lump of euro cash distributed between, belt, person, and safe. bearing in mind robbers know exactly where to look.... an alarm system with secondary locking. + window alarms. Lock van whenever away from it, even for a toilet break or even when relaxing outside it. And yes people do get robbed while sitting outside van and someone climbs in through off side door and robs you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 We use ATM's and carry a reasonable amount of cash. You mention 'rather risky' but why? If it is in the van or motorhome it is as a safe as anywhere. Yes, if you carry it around and get mugged, but it is your passports etc that are likely to be as attractive. The reason we use cash is that sometimes you may not be near a ATM, or sometimes it is much easier to pay cash. However, the choice is yours but as with anything, spread your choices so if there is an issue with one, you have a Plan B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 It depends somewhat which countries you will be visiting, and where you will stay. Remember that not all of Europe is Euro based so, once outside the Eurozone, you will probably do better to buy, and carry, local currency than trying to change Euros. It also depends how credit card friendly the country you are in is. In France, for example, cash is almost totally optional, as almost every shop etc accepts cards. Italy is a bit less CC friendly, but most supermarkets and restaurants will take them. Smaller shops may refuse, or may ask for reimbursement of the CC commission. Spain, in the main tourist areas seems to take cards readily enough, but supermarkets in some of the less touristy areas may panic a bit. Generally, it gets sorted out,but you may have to go to the customer service desk, and will almost certainly have to show either your passport of a photocard driving licence as identity. The latter is quite common in Spain. Don't remember any particular problems in Portugal. The low countries are generally card friendly, but Germany is less so. For fuel generally OK, but their supermarkets, especially Adi and Lidl, are not. Cash or nothing. Austria, on the other hand, was more CC friendly. Once into the old eastern block the readiness to accept cards diminishes, and more cash is generally an advantage. The point of all this is that for the CC friendly countries you need relatively small amounts of cash, just a few hundred Euros which, split between two people with a wodge out of sight in the van, presents a much smaller risk that you may be imagining. If you are selective where you leave the van parked, and generally use campsites, the break-in risk is also diminished, so cash is not so risky. It is the most popular tourist resorts that present the greatest general risk, as they fill with a lot of people who don't speak the language, so have difficulty communicating, who also tend to have lots of desirable goodies and cash. Naturally, this attracts the undesirables. The only other thing I'd recommend is to look for a "Pack Safe" bag. They do quite small, neat, back packs, grips, and handbags, with stainless steel mesh concealed between the outer fabric and lining, and wire reinforcement to the straps. They also have a concealed fiddly carabiner type catch for the zip pulls that makes them difficult to open. Popular, city type venues attract dips and pick-pockets, who often work distraction crimes in very slick gangs. One asks you a question, or sets up some other distraction, while another does your pockets or bag, and immediately passes the proceeds to yet another who is walking by. Within seconds your purse or wallet is empty in a bin, and the perpetrators, and the evidence, are gone. Very annoying, but those bags are a definite barrier. That apart, the rest of Europe is, on the whole, very honest and trouble free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 For a credit card, get your hands on a Nationwide one, there aren't any charges/commission for using it when purchasing goods and you get a good exchange rate, you can set it up so that it is paid off in full each month automatically so you won't get any interest charges. For cash we use a Caxton FX Euro card - it is easy to load with 'cash' and you just go to an ATM and draw the cash out as you need it, if you are getting low (you need to keep a check what's left on it) you can just send a text and more cash will be loaded onto it. Note, for Germany it is advisable to have a Maestro credit card as a lot of places don't take anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Brian Do you have any more info the pack safe bags? They sound a good idea PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Have a look here PJay: http://www.alloutdoor.co.uk/pacsafe/pacsafe-biking/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Mel B - 2013-02-10 10:08 PM Have a look here PJay: http://www.alloutdoor.co.uk/pacsafe/pacsafe-biking/ Thanks Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I'm with Spospe and Mel - Nationwide Flex Card, with their Credit Card as backup when we hit our budget ceiling (as we always do!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I used to use the Nationwide Flex debit card but they charge for it now. The best one now is the Halifax Clarity Credit Card. Offers the same commercial rate as the Nationwide one but no charges for using it as long as you pay it off each month. I just set up a DD to automatically pay it off. They do charge a small amount for cash withdrawls but this decreases the nearer to the end of the month you draw cash. I just pay for everything on the Credit card (where you can). Even small purchases of a few euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twitcherwood Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Lots of good advice coming through with plenty of options to explore and extra tips to help us on our way! Thanks for all your responses! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 PJay - 2013-02-10 9:54 PM Brian Do you have any more info the pack safe bags? They sound a good idea PJay Apologies for mis-spelling, they are Pacsafe. Website here http://tinyurl.com/ateufxp Probably best to pick the one you like, and then shop for it. Quite a few from Amazon. The only drawback with ours is it is not waterproof. Haven't checked to see if they do waterproof versions. As you'll see, there are a few more anti theft ideas in them as well. They're well made too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 These are the holster style we use....in India this Christmas I even slept with it in. http://www.gapyeartravelstore.com/Security-Holster-p-113.html There are many types, the belts look handy for cash also.... http://www.gapyeartravelstore.com/Money-Belts-Body-Wallets-p-1-c-37.html For swimming I have something like this,, I can't find our particular one... takes cards and cash and keys but a bit annoying as it tends to float...ours looks smaller http://www.ebay.com/itm/waterproof-key-money-ID-container-W-UV-bead-lanyard-swimming-box-valuable-case-/280991250746 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 For years I have used a simple material drawstring bag & loop the string through a belt loop, then suspend the lot down inside my trousers/shorts. I do the same with the van keys. Takes passport & money & cards & costs zilch. I think I would know if someone was trying to access it! 8-) 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I take a Caxton FX card and a lot of cash. I have a safe that is firmly fixed but I also hide some money in odd places. I do have to be careful not to forget where I hid it though! One of my best was inside the spare toilet cassette, I don't use that any more as my wife regarded it as "dirty money". H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Hi Since retiring ten yeaars ago, we have travelled extensively outside the UK and until recently always used the Nationwide debit card because they gave you the bank rate (not the tourist rate) and charged nothing. However, they have now started charging for cash withdrawals (2% plus £1 per transaction) and so we have switched to the Halifax Clarity Card. Wherever you are in the world, you get the bank rate and are charged nothing if you pay it off immediately (it is a credit card, not a debit card). As a point of interest, I always transfer money into the Clarity Card on the same day as I take it out of the ATM but since the payment isn't usually credited to my account for at least two days, I am nearly always in credit in my account and in the nearly six months we have been out of the country I have had to pay the exhorbitant sum of 17p interest (and I'm still not sure how that came about! :-D ). Finally, the only time we take cash with us is if we are going to a country where they prefer to be paid in US dollars rather than their local currency - and for that I use the Travelex online service which gives the best rates. Have a good trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Another big vote here for the Halifax Clarity card - we saved over £200 vs using the Caxton Card on our tour. Why anyone would take any amount of cash in this day an age of free ATM's is beyond me. Just spend without having to top up or worry about your "cash" hidden away. No charge (at all!) when using ATM's. Just ensure you don't fall for the "withdraw in sterling" trick whereby the ATM does the (weighted) conversion and charges your card in ££ rather than given you straight euros and charging your card in Euros. Always withdraw in Euros if asked about £. No problem using unmanned fuel stations (which 'preauthorise' an amount leaving you unable to spend it until the actual transaction amount has cleared). Exact exchange rate on the day - not Caxton's "Loaded" Exchange rate. All purchases fully insured (vs Caxton where even your Credit Balance isn't insured against lost, never mind your purchases!) 58 Days Free Credit Just some of the benefits. The only benefit of Caxton is the ability to top up and potential mitigate a fall in exchange rate (if you have a crystal ball!). But then your money isn't covered if Caxton was to cease to be. We wrote a full review of using the Caxton Card for 12 abroad months here: http://www.europebycamper.com/2012/06/halifax-clarity-vs-caxton-we-saved-over.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Addie - 2013-02-11 12:51 PM Just ensure you don't fall for the "withdraw in sterling" trick whereby the ATM does the (weighted) conversion and charges your card in ££ rather than given you straight euros and charging your card in Euros. Always withdraw in Euros if asked about £. Good point Addie - I forgot to mention that one! It also applies, of course, wherever you are in the world - always go for the local currency option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bulgaria Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Caxton FX Euro card. It's a credit card using the Visa card network. You preload credit onto the card then us it like a normal credit card in the Euro zone to pay for goods and services and withdraw cash from ATM's. Card can be loaded via SMS text message or online. In the event of loss or theft the maximum that can be "stolen" is the credit balance. It won't let you go overdrawn. I just top mine up by text message every other day. Good exchange rate. No currency charges for withdrawing cash. Reliably works at unmanned filling stations. I've used one for the past 5 years. I don't have any association with Caxton, other than as a customer. Hope this helps. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 £ down to 1.17 €...was 1.28 last year :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-02-11 4:12 PM £ down to 1.17 €...was 1.28 last year :-S Don't remind me! Our money has been devalued by 10% since we left the UK in September 8o| . But at least it has started a slight recovery - it did go as low as 1.13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 The only thing I have against credit cards is that if you use it a lot then it is easy to forget just how much you have taken out on the thing, especially after a long trip away. Yes, I know you can check your balance through the internet but with cash you know exactly what you have spent and more importantly, how much you have left. Plus I am old fashioned and just like the feel of crisp banknotes., ok tatty banknotes. I am also suspicious of any transaction in a shop, garage or restaurant as it is far too easy for your details to be nicked. I know all the rules you should follow but so do the crooks. I read that the average time between your card being 'hijacked' and money being removed from your account is about 3-5 minutes. Even Shell not so long ago had to do a bit of homework on some of their service stations as cards were being nicked/cloned by their own staff. However everyone has their own system and as long as it all works, why not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryW Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Hi Just back from a trip using the PO credit card (no charges and good rate) and the Caxton FX card. The interesting point about Caxton is you keep your money in your bank until you need it then when you do need it you go to an ATM, send a text on your phone for the amount you want a reply comes back within seconds and you draw it from the ATM immediately. Best way for cash in my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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