London & Ireland: Best way to pay for things?

[aimeedyan]

We are getting closer to our 1st trip to Europe (16 days, but who's counting?) and I'm reading up on travel tips. One thing that we have gotten mixed opinions on is how to pay for things there.

Is pulling cash from an ATM once we arrive in each country (using our debit card) the best option? Or should we/can we use a credit card or debit card for most purchases? 

My dad is going with us and he really wants to strictly use his credit card for security reasons. We are debit card people but wonder if the protection of a credit card is better. Or, if just old fashioned cash is the way to go.

Hotel, car rental, airport transfers, and flights are already purchased. This would be dining, shopping, entry fees, etc. Not a huge amt of money but I still don't want to get hit with tons of transaction fees.

What do y'all do?

[anna7602]

How soon is this trip? I would get a Capital One credit card or another credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees (I can't remember if the Chase one I have with a chip, which is awesome in Europe, doesn't charge fees ever or if we don't get charged fees because we also bank with Chase).

I do not use a debit card for anything at all. It seems like a wasted opportunity to earn points and I also like the protection a credit card provides.

[chicago]

Agreed with pp. Credit card with no foreign transaction fees and use it for as much as possible. We do bring two ccs and a debit card (we had an issue in Italy where our cc number had been stolen back at home and we had to cancel the card on our trip) and we use the ATM to take out a little cash for random things we think we'll need it for.

[Susie]

On my previous trips to Ireland, I paid for things with credit cards when possible and/or when the proprietor did not charge a higher rate for cc's than cash. I have two credit cards with no foreign transaction fees (primary is a Barclay Arrival+, backup is a no-annual fee Capital One Venture card), which is key to doing that and not paying excessive fees. A lot of B&B's had cheaper cash rates, so I paid cash at those. I just got cash at ATMs with my debit card. Just a couple heads up, depending on where you are going in Ireland, not all little towns have ATMs. Doolin does not, for example. So make sure you are prepared if you are going to any really small towns and are low on cash. Also, my credit union's daily withdrawal max's were in USD, so I needed to think about how many EUR that was that I could withdraw. Fewer, larger withdrawals (near the max) meant fewer ATM fees.

[Deleted]

I would obtain and use a CC with no fees for international purchases (I have Capital One). You want a Visa or MC. I'd use that for everything (call to let them know you're traveling abroad, and all the countries that you'll either transit through or visit so you don't get a decline due to unexpected traffic).

I would only use debit cards at ATM machines - and at the airport, I'd pull out equivalent of 3-5 days worth of spending money and split it between DH and I. You'll need cash for incidentals, taxis, beers, etc. I carry that in my moneybelt or DH in his belt wallet.

Your mileage may vary - and I know people have vastly different opinions on this- but I usually get the equivalent of about $100USD in local currency before we leave. I've done that on 5 of 6 of my trips....after the airport ATM was out of cash :-) That gives you a little spending money on the ground and to handle the factor of forgetting to get money, etc.. I don't think that CHase charged me for it, either.

(I only use debit cards at ATMs at home, too - I just don't like the possibility of some asshole wiping out my account...even if I get it back. Who wants to deal with that?)

[sporky]

You can try to use a CC when possible, but make sure you have cash on hand because there are many attractions and smaller restaurants that do not accept cards.

[sunnysally]

If you have time, I highly suggest getting an ATM card and using that for withdrawals rather than your debit card. Since you can only use it for withdrawing cash and you need a PIN, you don't have to worry about having your accounts cleaned out in case your card is lost or stolen. Make sure you check with your bank to find out if any fees are involved for ATM use. Our bank doesn't have any fees for using an ATM and only charges a 1% foreign transaction fee.

[dragon's breath]

One thing I do when I travel...

I have a second banking account with its own debit card (same credit union). I do this so I can put the "travel money" into that account, and even if the debit card were stolen, and the account wiped out, they would only have access to a small(er) amount of money, not my entire account.

If you do not have a chip & pin card, be careful about using it at ATMs. I know when I was in Ireland (2009), some of the ATMs were famous for eating the card if it didn't have that feature. If the ATM was attached to a bank, not as big of a deal as they could arrange to get it out. If it was in a shopping area? You may lose it.

For the ATM, I used my debit card. My credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees, but something I need to check before I go to Europe (in June), is how much will I be charged to get cash from an ATM, and would interest accrue that day? I pay off my balance in full to avoid any interest, but if I have to pay interest on a cash withdrawal, that would wipe out any points I earn, so not worth it (unless I were to pre-pay the card before I left).

[frlcb]

A chip and pin or chip and signature card is the best thing to get if you have time. Barclay, Chase, Capital One. I have never had a problem with an atm eating a non chip card

[mrsd2006]

Our Delta AMEX Skymiles card doesn't have any foreign transaction fees, so we used that as much as possible.

And DH found a bank that was affiliated with his account here so we could get money from the ATM with no additional charges.

[Deleted]

At home I use Amex for absolutely everything (like, I will charge a bottle of water), but when I travel I like to use cash. In London I would use cash for small purchases and my card for dinners out. I always try to put bigger purchases on Amex because we hoard points and I think it balances out the foreign transaction fees. I would take out cash every few days from the ATM. There will still be fees for the ATM.

When we were in Ireland in 2013 we used mostly cash. We found many places did not accept cards, had credit card minimums, or strongly preferred/gave discounts for cash. Like pp, some of the b&bs we stayed in had a better cash rate. If you're driving around stopping in little pubs and stuff, cash.

[neonpink]

Mar 23, 2015 6:31:56 GMT -5 frlcb said:

A chip and pin or chip and signature card is the best thing to get if you have time. Barclay, Chase, Capital One. I have never had a problem with an atm eating a non chip card

Wells Fargo Cards now also have chip cards. I just got new cc and debit cards with them.

I have never had a non chip card eaten by an ATM.

I typically use my non transaction fee credit card for most purchases and use my debit card and with drawl a few days worth of cash. 

Have a great time.