Getting travel money right is mostly about a few good habits rather than complicated planning. Here is a sensible default that keeps costs low almost anywhere.
Cards are cheaper and safer for most spending, but some cash is worth having for small vendors, tips, transport, and places that do not take cards. A modest amount of local currency for the first day, topped up from ATMs as needed, is usually enough — you avoid carrying large sums while never being caught short.
A travel or multi-currency card that converts near the mid-market rate will beat a standard bank card that adds a non-sterling fee to every purchase. And wherever you are asked to choose, pay in the local currency — never your home currency — to avoid the dynamic currency conversion markup explained in our guide on why bank rates are worse.
Bank-operated ATMs generally give better value than airport or tourist-area exchange desks. Withdraw a sensible amount at a time to balance any per-withdrawal fees against carrying too much cash, and again, decline conversion to your home currency at the machine.
The single most expensive habit is leaving it to the airport. Sort your card and a little starter cash before you travel, and you sidestep the worst rates entirely. Use our converter to sanity-check prices while you are away so you always know roughly what you are spending in your own currency.