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Money

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
Whats the best way to deal with cash in foreign lands. Should I just cary a couple hundred in cash and have my credit card do the rest? Its a mastercard and I checked and its all cool to use it over there. Would they screw me on the exchange rates?
Post edited by JustV on

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my_name wrote:
    Whats the best way to deal with cash in foreign lands. Should I just cary a couple hundred in cash and have my credit card do the rest? Its a mastercard and I checked and its all cool to use it over there. Would they screw me on the exchange rates?

    Depending on which country you go charges might be different as some cash machine will charge you on top of the rate to convert your money into local currency...

    It really depends where you go, also it is always good to have cash & card, that way you don't keep the cash with the card and if one is stolen or lost, you still have cash to sort yourself out...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I dont' want to do anything with a debit card. My bank sucks and charges me when I don't use one of theirs, and after asking what to do overseas, they said they will still charge, so debit/atm's (cash machines) are a no go for me :p

    I remember when I traveled before, I had gotten some travlers checks then had them exchanged at a bank for their currency. But that was like 5 years ago so I didn't know if I could still do that.

    How popular is mastercard overseas (ireland i guess specifically)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Everywhere I went so far mastercard was working...
    I think mastercard is use everywhere... at least round europe...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You'll be able to use a Mastercard virtually everywhere in Ireland, well in all the shops and such in the bigger towns, if you go to a rural pub they wont take it.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    so for pubs, little souvineery shops and such use cash and like resturants, bigger stores and stuff use credit card? i'm staying in a hostile, do they take plastic? what other kinds of places won't take credit?
    Thanks alot guys :)

    Also, whats the general rule on tipping bartenders, I dont wanna be the stingy bitch who gets the waterd down drinks :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my_name wrote:
    i'm staying in a hostile

    That doesnt sound very nice.

    Most places will take plastic, but some will charge you for doing so. Taking cash out on plastic, especially credit rather than debit cards is normally really expensive.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    scarlettleeds wrote:
    you're staying in a hostile? i wouldn't recommend that, doesn't sound very friendly :p

    .

    My thoughts exatly, but its dead cheap compared to a hotel. :\
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my_name wrote:
    My thoughts exatly, but its dead cheap compared to a hotel. :\

    I'm not sure you understand, hostile is a word meaning rude or unpleasant. The word I think you mean is hostel, as in a cheap hotel.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bongbudda wrote:
    I'm not sure you understand, hostile is a word meaning rude or unpleasant. The word I think you mean is hostel, as in a cheap hotel.

    i heard you dont get like your own private room and bathroom though. What is one like? Is there free breakfast :hyper:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    scarlettleeds wrote:

    when i first went hostelling years ago in the lake district, in some of them you had to help out with housework in the morning, like hoovering, washing breakfast dishes etc...not sure if they still do that anywhere though.

    They best not as I dont do that at my own house :p

    Well it doesn't sound bad. Another question (yeah I'm full of it... them) This may sound bad, but I'm a horiffically really shy nervous scared person, i'm traveling with my brother, will we be in the same room if its a shared one? we booked it together. I think i'd have a heart attack if I had to wake up in a room of strangers, I'd most likely get the, oh my god he left me feeling i get laot. i kinda want him there for a comfort thing i guess.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And if they are mixed sex rooms, I'm sure they aren't likely to deliberatley split you up if it can be avoided...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you will still incur currency charges if using your mastercard abroad- if simply commission if nothing else. most hostels you will be sharing lots with other people, but it's not terrible you either get really nice people or you won't see them at all, everyone does like their privacy. some dorms are 4 people, some 6, and some huge, i think in general it is about 6

    you can still use travellers cheques, they're useful, and you can also now get a card that acts as a travellers cheques, its by AMEX and you can use it anywhere that sign is.
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