$$$ overseas

[scottroo]

Heading on a trip next month for 14 weeks to Europe, looking at ways to access money....

Looked into a travelex card, but dont really like the fees and exchange rates

then got told about the wizard credit card, no atm or fees overseas, and you can put your money onto the card and use in as a debit card until it reaches a zero amount

anyone have any suggestions?

[Mic]

I just use my VISA card, costs $6 per transaction so I just make sure I withdraw a few hundred at a time to last me a while.

[heater31]

Which Bank gets your business?

Commonwealth Bank have a Traveller's cash card that you can pre-purchase currency (ie Euros for your case) and operates on the mastercard network. Plus you can load more than one currency on the same card so you don't have millions of bits of plastic that can get stolen/lost. Well worth investigating IMO.

[scottroo]

savings and loans

[overloaded]

rob a bank

[Q.]

savings and loans

Get a Visa debit card with them. It will be linked to your internet banking and you can transfer AU$ in and out at any time. And you can use it at any ATM anywhere in the world - even Mauritania

You'll get whatever the exchange rate is at the time of your withdrawal.

[Dirko]

OK. Here goes.

The Wizard thing sounds good due to the no ATM or Transaction fees. However when you do a "cash advance" i.e withdraw money out of the ATM you get slugged 19.24%. That's nuts.

All banks somehow get you for conversion fees or withdrawal fees somehow. Some banks are low for converting your AUD to EUR some high. Some may not charge anything but then slug you like Wizard do.

If you get a travel card, for a specific destination, the advantage is you know exactly how much you have in local currency. You don't have to worry about conversions (it roughly works out the same whether you do it first up or do it over there).

If you use you own Australian Bank card and it gets lost/stolen how are you going to access your funds then ? What is the backup your bank provides ? What security do they have to prevent all your holiday money from going walking ? Those are the sort of questions you need to ask.

Hows that for starters ?

[Trader]

Just take a big fat bundle of cash.

[Iron Fist]

Just take a big fat bundle of cash.

Im with trader
Big wads of cold hard cash

[Ron Burgundy]

Which Bank gets your business?

Commonwealth Bank have a Traveller's cash card that you can pre-purchase currency (ie Euros for your case) and operates on the mastercard network. Plus you can load more than one currency on the same card so you don't have millions of bits of plastic that can get stolen/lost. Well worth investigating IMO.

I would recommend the CBA Travel Card also. Recently used it on an overseas trip and it worked a dream. Can load multiple currencies on there (and transfer cash between the currencies) and as it is a prepaid card it isnt linked to your personal accounts.

[devilsadvocate]

Just take a big fat bundle of cash.

Im with trader
Big wads of cold hard cash

Then - get on the overnight sleeper train from Berlin to Paris.
Crooks gas the A/C system in your carriage, then go from room to room pinching everyones valuables.
All your cash is now gone and you're at Gare De Noord with nothing.

My advice - listen to Quichey's advice. He's a seasoned traveller and I've been around a bit myself. The advice to take wads of cash is massively risky.

If you're going for a fair stint, I'd even look at setting up a GBP or EUR denominated bank account, otherwise, shop around for Visa Debit deals with our banks. EDIT - Given that you're heading over for 14 weeks, I'd definitely look into a EUR denominated bank account. Visa DR is still a good option.

[Trader]

If they get your cash they get you once.
If they get your card details they can f you over continually.

[Iron Fist]

Just take a big fat bundle of cash.

Im with trader
Big wads of cold hard cash

Then - get on the overnight sleeper train from Berlin to Paris.
Crooks gas the A/C system in your carriage, then go from room to room pinching everyones valuables.
All your cash is now gone and you're at Gare De Noord with nothing.

My advice - listen to Quichey's advice. He's a seasoned traveller and I've been around a bit myself. The advice to take wads of cash is massively risky.

If you're going for a fair stint, I'd even look at setting up a GBP or EUR denominated bank account, otherwise, shop around for Visa Debit deals with our banks. EDIT - Given that you're heading over for 14 weeks, I'd definitely look into a EUR denominated bank account. Visa DR is still a good option.

I was only kidding mate

need to take a combitantion of both
cant u get travellers cheques that only you can cash??
they would be a good option wouldnt they?!

[White Line Fever]

Pimp yourself out and spend the local tax free cash currency you get for each job.
You won't even need to take money/cards with you.

[Dirko]

cant u get travellers cheques that only you can cash??

I'd only recommend those for remote places where ATM's etc aren't readily available.

[Q.]

cant u get travellers cheques that only you can cash??

I'd only recommend those for remote places where ATM's etc aren't readily available.

And even then they'd only be good as toilet paper



Always good to have a backup card. Load up a Travelex Visa with Euro and have a S&L Visa Debit Card as standby.

[Johno6]

Take some cocain over with u and just sell it when u need some cashola...

[devilsadvocate]

If they get your cash they get you once.
If they get your card details they can f you over continually.

It taxes about 30 seconds to cancel a card.
Plus transactions processed from stolen bank cards are a bank's liability, not yours. You need to report it to police, complete a stat dec and it's the banks problem not yours.

Take $10k cash with you and get it nicked, you're 10k lighter.

[devilsadvocate]

I was only kidding mate

need to take a combitantion of both
cant u get travellers cheques that only you can cash??
they would be a good option wouldnt they?!

Fair enough.

Travellers cheques were great in the 80's.

[devilsadvocate]

Take some cocain over with u and just sell it when u need some cashola...

Cocain is stupidly more expensive in Aus than Europe, so perhaps just take plenty of lube and follow white line fever's advice!