qt11 Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Hi guysMy partner and I are travelling around France (and a bit of Spain & Italy) for 6 months this year and are looking at options of how to access our money while we are away....We are both based in the UK, with UK bank accounts, however don't want the constant additional charges for using our Debit Cards in France during the 6 months... the charge for currency conversion.... the charge for using the card outside of the UK.... etc...Is there any way around this ? Either a European Account run by a UK bank, or would it make more sense to get ourselves a French account ?Ideally we would like to use our Debit cards without any charges, does such an account exist ??Whats the best way of accessing money while away... How do you guys do it ??Whats the best solution ??CheersA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 If cost is your main consideration, forget French banks. Look instead at a Nationwide card from Britain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessfou Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Answer: Nationwide Flex Account with debit card & Nationwide credit card.Both come without additional charges and conversions (at least within Euroland) are made at full commercial rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Will is right. i always use my nationwide debit card at the atms; gives me up to £300 equivalent a day and always at the official exchange rate of the day. no top-up charges of any kind. i also have one of their credit cards and use that for petrol, restaurants and supermarkets. again, the appropriate exchange rate for the day and no further charges if you settle in full monthly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Just one word of warning with some Spanish banks.Say you withdraw 300€, they will often offer to debit your account in £'s and on a recent visit for example the amount offered was £ 204.I declined their offer and elected to be debited in €uros. When this hit my Nationwide account the next day the amount debited by Nationwide was actually £ 198.This is just another example of banks trying to rip you off. Always elect to be debited in €uros but look carefully at the question posed by the ATM as it is designed to get you to make the wrong selection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 This facility (chosing whether you wish the amount to be in Euros or £s), is on offer in many places now. It seems to rather depend on which card you are using as to whether the offer is a good one or not. As said, with Nationwide, always opt for Euros but some other cards (esp. UK credit cards) give a lousy rate and charge a fee for any continental transactions so in those cases it can be better to opt for the £ rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qt11 Posted March 3, 2007 Author Share Posted March 3, 2007 hey guys, thank you for the fast response, I really appreciate your help...[:)]The Nationwide card sounds just what we are looking for. Have just signed up to the flexAccount !!What are the charges on the Nationwide account... ? Do you get charged for using ATMs in France, or is all free ?We've just read this thread [ http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/794412/ShowPost.aspx ] regarding the additional charges and this is what we want to avoid...Thanks for all your help !![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 no charges from nationwide itself. i am not sure about ALL the atms abroad. because i also have an account with credit agricole, i used their machine last time. there was nothing on the screen when i took money out to say that i would be charged and, indeed, there are no charges on my nationwide statements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 forgot to say, no charges AT PRESENT on flex account if you keep it in credit or, if you know you might go overdrawn (due to prolonged travels and difficulty managing account by remote control), it's best to arrange an agreed overdraft facility. the interest rate on an agreed o/d with nationwide is not too bad and at least you are then spared charges for inadvertently going over limit.also, i don't believe you need to inform the bank that you are going abroad (i don't think nationwide "locks" your card like some other banks) but it's best to check with them when you get your card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 The only time I have encountered charges with the N/W card was in Canada, when the ATM clearly stated this before withdrawal. Also, in those annoying little machines you find in small shops in the UK - but again, always flagged up before you comit.Re Sweet 17's post above, if you are able to take a laptop with you, you can of course get a facility to manage your account on line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qt11 Posted March 3, 2007 Author Share Posted March 3, 2007 thank you !!yeah, taking more gadgets that you can shake a stick at.... or should that be a french stick... i'll stop now...[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val douest Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 It is a good idea to let Nationwide know that you will be travelling and roughly where...we are now based in France and use their credit card most of the time. But for some reason after about six months my card was locked out; on enquiry I was told it was 'because it had been used a lot in France and could have been stolen', although there had been no change in patterns of usage. Anyway, it was immediately reinstated and now they have noted that it may be used regularly in France or the UK and that if I am going to use it elsewhere I will let them know.Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessfou Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Assuming you have the two cards, keep them well separated in your wallet, otherwise you might accidentally stick the credit card (instead of the debit card) in an ATM, as I did in January (at the time, I kept them in the same pocket of the wallet - 'cos they were both Nationwide cards) and although I got the same commercial rate, that did incur a £2 cash advance charge. Oops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 I travelled around the world before coming to France and made the biggest mistake before leaving of forgetting about my rarely used flex account with cash card and using my Midland one initially.In Venezuela the maximim the machines would let me have in one withdrawal was the local equivalent of £15 for which I was being charged £2.50 a pop! - Actually 2 mistakes as I should have taken US dollars to Venezuela as you can triple your money with them there.I got someone to send the Nationwide one on to me and I created an on-line account and used it forever after, I never paid any charges and have found in France that it is the cheapest way for me to transfer money here.I withdraw it from the ATM of my French bank using my nationwide card and then deposit it in the same bank, its crazy but it is far cheaper even than the charges of doing a money transfer from Nationwide, I have kept a carefull check on the exchange rates and they have always been better than the Midland.I left my card in an ATM in Bolivia and reported it via the internet banking service, they were very helpfull and responded quickly, the only slight drawback was that they could only send the card to my UK address and I had to have it sent on from there.As double security I kept the HSBC card and they actually allowed me to have a second one issued which the Nationwide wouldn'tTo recap Nationwide is the number one choice as people have been saying and I have had no problems at all with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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