How to make holiday cash go further

What with meals, souvenirs and drinks, the cost of a holiday abroad can quickly add up. But don't let your holiday money shrink further than it should simply because you are using the wrong piece of plastic. Ruth Jackson explains how to avoid paying through the nose for your money while on holiday.

What with meals, souvenirs and drinks, the cost of a holiday abroad can quickly add up. But don't let your holiday money shrink further than it should simply because you are paying with the wrong piece of plastic. Although most credit cards hit you with extra fees and charges when you use them abroad, there are a select few that won't charge you a penny.

In the past the Nationwide Gold credit card was the pick of the bunch for regular travellers. It didn't levy any extra charges when used abroad. Sadly, that has changed. Nationwide now passes on a 1% exchange fee when the card is used to make a transaction in any currency other than sterling. Fortunately there's an alternative.

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Ruth Jackson-Kirby

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.