Foreign currency
The best way to get the highest possible exchange rate is to compare the online foreign currency websites such as the Post Office or Travelex, taking into account any commission or delivery fees and whether you'll be charged to change your money back into Pound Sterling (£). These sites work out much cheaper than buying on the high street and are really easy to use.
Also remember that while there are 16 EU countries who accept the Euro (€) such as Spain, France and Italy there are also 15 other countries, not including the UK, who have stuck with their own currency. These include: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Norway. If you know which countries you'll be visiting then buy the relevant currency in advance and be sure you can convert back to Pound Sterling (£) for free.
Mobile phone costs
Maximum tariffs for mobile phone operators were brought in recently by the European Union which set the maximum cost of making a call while in Europe to 32p a minute, and the cost of receiving a call to 12.5p a minute. Whilst a welcome measure for those on two week holidays the new charges still don't represent good value for money if you intend on spending longer on the continent.
If you do intend on calling home regularly then a better option may be to buy a specific 'bolt-on' for your current contract which includes EU calls - or if you will only be calling people in the same EU country (i.e. friends also on holiday) then why not consider buying a cheap pay-as-you-go SIM for your chosen destination. In the long run it will work out much better value.
Also remember that Data and Wap charges are extremely high when abroad, even if they are normally free on your contract at home, so be sure to turn off 'data roaming'. The best thing to do is take a laptop and lookout for an internet cafe or Wi-Fi hotspot, as then you'll know exactly how much your online time is costing.
Bank cards and charges
As a rule of thumb the most cost effective and trouble free way to finance your time in a country is by using local currency and avoiding your plastic altogether. However if you do find yourself in a situation where your bank or credit card is needed, there are a few charges which can be either avoided or reduced.
Most credit card companies impose a 'Foreign Currency Charge' of between 2.75% and 2.99%, but a select few such as Santander and the Post Office offer cards which don't charge any extra when used abroad.
Debit cards aren't any better, with many charging a fee of up to £4.95 on a £100 cashpoint withdrawal, however most have a minimum fee so if you do need to visit a cashpoint be sure to get all your money out in one go rather than making 2 or 3 separate withdrawals.
Most suppliers apart from Nationwide also charge £1-£1.50 every time you spend on the card abroad so your cheapest option is nearly always to use pre-bought currency.
Don't let shops convert the currency
Shops and restaurants will sometimes offer to convert the bill into Sterling for you, but don't be fooled - you'll receive a much lower currency conversion rate than you bought your Euros for and will almost always end up paying more than you should.
The only time you should consider letting them do this is if you have run out of foreign currency and your credit or debit card charge is more than the difference.
Look out for the cheapest fuel
After taxes, UK residents pay more for Diesel than any other EU country apart from Norway, so in general wherever you take your motorhome on the continent you are going to be getting a slightly better deal than back home.
However, some countries are better than others and if you're going to be passing through one of the three 'L's (Luxembourg, Latvia and Lithuania) then be sure to top-up as they are the three cheapest EU countries for petrol. On the other end of the scale you've got the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark who are the most expensive.
In other words, if you're planning a long haul then be sure to pencil in a route that takes advantage of a few cheap fills along the way, and make sure you get a tank full before heading back to the UK.
Caravan Guard Limited is a UK specialist in motorhome insurance (visit http://www.caravanguard.co.uk/motorhome_insurance/index.php) For more information about Caravan Guard in general visit http://www.caravanguard.co.uk.
