19yr olds travelling for 4 months.best insurance and money card/credit card

[beverleyjane]

my son and 3 friends are travelling for 4 months to india, thailand, australia, nz, chile, brazil.
can anyone recomment travel insurance and the best way to take money.

thanks

[humpy07]

Nationwide used to be the best debit card but now I think Santander would be the best bet. Check www.moneysavingexpert.com for the latest

[boxtops]

I wouldn't take money, I would take a debit card and just take it out of a hole in the wall as I needed it. Not all banks charge you for taking out money overseas (e.g. Lloyds does, Nationwide doesn't).

[boxtops]

You probably need to check out a range of travel insurance and see what's the best for worldwide - if they are still students then the NUS might be able to do something at discounted rate?

[humpy07]

http://www.moneysavin...travel-money#topcards

[KARL]

For a journey as wide reaching as yours I suggest you take at least two cards with you and carry separately in case one gets lost, stolen or (in my experience most likely) the issuer blocks it for "security" reasons. Make sure you advise the issuers that you are going abroad and where you will be for which period. Make certain you take with you, and also leave with people you can reach at home, contact details for card issuers in case of problems.

[munchie63]

I think Nationwide are now charging fees for transactions outside the EU.
The post office have a credit card that has no foreign exchange fees, so that woudl be worth looking at.
There are a few travel money cards around, that you can pre-load, but generally, they'd be in euro's or US $, so you'd get charged for using them elsewhere.
Debit cards, and most banks charge, can be expensive, usually £1.50+ to use the machine, plus a fee to chnage your pounds into dollars etc.

I'd suggest a mix of US $ (easily changed worldwide), a credit card to fall back on, and some travellers cheques (for security) in US $ and Auusie $.

Incidentally, you can't buy Indian Rupees outside of the country.

[KARL]

Some additional thoughts. Obviously you would need to arrange that funds pay off any credit cards and that there is enough money in any accounts that you debit from, or else your whole financial system will seize up when you cannot sort it. Secondly, avoid like the plague cost exchanging any cash at airports. Of the countries you mention, India is the place where you will find the use of cards least common and there you will be best to get local cash on arrival in the country and in major centres to carry on the rest of your travels.

[KARL]

....sorry, editing left a spurious "cost" in there. Please ignore.

[munchie63]

I'd definately suggest taking a travel money card with you. As I said earlier, the post ofiice do one and I believe Thomas Cook still have one, but they may have stopped now.
The big plus with these (as well as being secure, and refundable if lost) is that they can be topped up by someone in the UK while you're away.

You could get a sterling one - minimum load is £50 - and take that with you. It can be used at any shop/atm with the visa electron sign. At the atm you'd get charged a 'cross border fee'. IE a charge for changing your £'s into Peso/Aussie?Rupees etc.

But a si said, if you get stuck for cash, a parent or friend in the UK can ring up or go into any post office and add funds to your card. All they need is the 16 digit card number, so you'd always have funds in an emergency.
Hope that helps

[beverleyjane]

thanks everyone.
i've checked the moneysaving expert and the best travel money card seems to be fairFX.
I think he should take one of those and I can put money on when he's away, also a santander zero credit card which he can also put some money on before he goes.