Ever taken the wrong currency on holiday?

Holidays are supposed to be a time of relaxation. A time when we can get away from it all, kick back and forget about our troubles. However, there is a lot that can go wrong to spoil a holiday. Missed and delayed flights, illness or injury, and bad hotels can all affect your holiday in a negative way. But for the most part these are unavoidable. That’s why it pays to have travel insurance.

However, there are some things that ruin holidays which are self-inflicted. When you hear facts, such as the one released by ICE plc, the foreign exchange prepaid currency card provider, you begin to realise how easy it is to mess up your vacation. According to ICE, one in ten holidaymakers has taken the wrong currency on holiday.

They advise that before you go away you should always double check to ensure you are taking the right currency, as simply taking euros is not always enough. Although a number of countries in the EU use euros (and some like Montenegro, which aren’t, do as well), there are still many countries that don’t. Poland still uses the zloty, Denmark and Sweden still have the krone, despite all being in the EU. Croatia has recently joined and is advising tourists to bring both euros and kuna.

Often, places in these countries will not accept euros, leaving you without cash on your holiday. You’re then forced to change up your money and lose out on the rates. With exchange rates being particularly bad for us Brits at the moment thanks to a weak pound, this could be throwing away good money after bad.

Tom Johnson, head of online business for ICE, said: “Wherever holidaymakers are heading, it’s important to do some research on the local currency.

The Eurozone may seem familiar territory, but it still has some surprises up its sleeve and holidaymakers can get caught out. Order the right currency before leaving the UK, preferably online to obtain the most competitive rates and to avoid additional charges incurred through ATMs when using debit and credit cards abroad.”

Date Created: 04/09/2013