Hi ALL
I am planning for a Europe trip with family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids.
What is the best secure and inexpensive (relatively) way to carry money for spending in Europe.
The trip is for 2 weeks. How much estimate should I budget in — 7K for accommodation, food, local travel and sightseeing?
thanks
deep
Cash EURO around 1000,
28 Degree Card or equivalent ( used it when ever possible)
Other Bank Card for emergency cash Withdrawal via ATM.
When carry cash, spread it with family members, they pretty good at pickpocket :)
Edit - carry the wallet in front pocket, wear the backpack in front in public transport :)
I just carried some emergency AUD and then just kept everything else on my trusty Citibank card and withdrew as necessary.
Yeah, I never bother to get any Euro before going because 1. I'll have some left over from the last trip, 2. It's highly unlikely you cannot find an ATM before leaving the airport and 3. A credit card and some AUD should do for emergencies.
I see a few people have already posted answers to the questions,
I was just wanting to say to make sure you are very very careful, I was on a train with 4 friends (all about 20yrs old). One friend had zipped her handbag up, and closed a magnetic lock on the top, and also held it at the top closed with her hand.
three little girls probably 12 years old push onto the train at the last minute(we assumed they were late so we let them on fairly easily).
They then ran out instantly as the doors closed within half a second. We were confused and started checking pockets, One of the girls had reached into the bag, to the side of my friend holding it, opened the magnetic lock and used something(maybe a pen) to poke the zipper open and take her wallet, phone and passport all in one go.
Hold your bags up close to you and don't have anything in your pockets.
We only noticed it after about 15 seconds of the train going and there was no way we could have stopped and chased them.
That's horrendous experience! I can't imagine the trouble your friend would have to undergo to get the passport etc sorted out. In which part of EU was this?
This was in Rome on one of the main trains.
She had to just go and get a temp passport which only took a few days, we were on a tour and she had to stay back in Rome instead of come to Venice with us. But met up with us right afterwards.
She wasn't too fussed about it in the end, everything got sorted out just fine and she knew that there was no point in having the tour ruined by something like that.
Reading your first post I thought <Rome>
Spent a month there and caught lots of public transport. Husband wore cargo pants with those low pockets (empty)
Got so sick of being targeted by pickpockets mostly jumping on and off the metro or the crowded buses he finished up ditching them.
Watching the pickpockets in action at Termini was also amusing
as possum said, citibank debit card - does everything you want at a very very low cost
Carry a GPS tracked safe
i always keep an emergency cash supply with a second credit card in a little cloth baggy that's on a long string around my neck (yeah, ok, necklace) and under my clothes. Just in case.
I spotted a couple of young girls pickpocketing at the Trevi fountain (Rome). They were too quick for me to see actually nab anything, but their behaviour was very suspicious.
Each would sit separately next to various tourists who were looking at the fountain and then over time they would meet up at the back of the crowd, then separate again to head back in.
They were targeting people that looked Chinese too.
They were not looking at the fountain themselves and were able to get very close to people as it was a crowd.
I think anyone can get pick pocketed. Fortunately I didn't, but it's not any skill on my part just good luck. I did have to shake my head at an American with an open bag, with credit card readily visible. Perhaps it was a dummy target
Thanks for the suggestions. I will apply for citibank debit card
I have one more query please:
What is the best SIM I can purchase to be used in Europe. I just need for internet access and receiving SMS -very minimal use for 13 days
Thanks
Citibank debit card for ATM withdrawals. See the Wiki page on this site.