How to pay in Europe while travelling
While on your holiday in Europe, you can pay with cash or credit/debit cards for the services and goods. Paying with cards brings certain advantages, but you must be sure that the card is valid in the country you are travelling to. If you need to take some money off the cash machine abroad, at first you should check with your bank how much does it cost. If you wish to use a card you usually need to have a bank account, if you don’t have any yet, you can discover the best current account and obtain the credit/debit card along with it, so your travelling will be much easier.
Photo by Images Money
Before leaving on vacation it is worthwhile to think about which cards to keep at home and which of them to take with you. Even if you have multiple credit or debit cards, it is recommended not to take all of them on your holiday. When deciding which card to take with you it is good to check the fees for ATM withdrawals abroad or check which one offers better travel insurance or insurance against abuse.
It is advisable to take cards from different associations, ie, Mastercard and VISA, where both are the most common cards within EU countries. It can happen that a trader accepts only one of them. However American Express is usually acceptable in the main shops and airports, it is better to check with your hotel first so you are not dissapointed on your arrival.
Good travel insurance which is part of some credit or debit cards and packages for personal or business bank accounts can be another factor for choosing the appropriate card for your vacation. Some insurance covers all family members. It is definitely worth taking a card with special benefits such as priority check-in options at the airports, visit the airport VIP lounges, discounts on car rentals and accommodation in selected hotel networks or resorts or golf courses. Some banks offer opening a bank account online so you don’t even have to visit a branch and you can choose the best conditions from home.
And finally one warning!
Never change money on the street! Even if the trader offered you advantageous rate free of charge. I personally saw Italians that wanted to pay for the lunch in Prague but instead of Czech crowns they wanted to pay with Hungarian forints which they exchanged on the street in the rate of Czech crowns in believe they received Czech crowns (Hungarian forints are 10 x cheaper). However if you have no choice (in such case there is no official exchange office or bank), do not change big amount of money at once!
And what about you, what type of payment you usually use on your holidays? Do you use cash, or cards?
Category: Travel Tips
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