Compare our best prepaid travel cards

These can be loaded with several different currencies, making them ideal for both frequent travellers and those taking trips to multiple destinations. For example, you holiday in Europe but often visit the US on business, you could use a prepaid travel card to cover your everyday spending wherever you are by topping it up with say £600 then exchanging £200 into euros and £200 into US dollars. The different currencies will then be stored in separate “wallets”, allowing you to switch currencies when you like.

These can be used at home and abroad, making them even more flexible than the best travel cards offering multiple currencies. You don’t need to worry about setting up a wallet for the currency you want to use; the card provider simply converts your pounds to the required currency each time you make a purchase. However, this can make holiday budgeting harder and may increase your costs, depending on the charging structure.

As well as multi-currency cards, you can take out prepaid cards designed to hold a specific currency. This can work out excellently if you're trying to lock in a good rate now by loading your euro prepaid card, but not if you then use the card to buy things in a country that isn't in the eurozone. That's because if you spend in a country that does not use the euro, it converts to the local currency each time you make a purchase, which can work out more expensive.

These keep your balance in dollars. If you spend in countries that use a different currency, the card will exchange your dollars to the local currency, and you might well be charged a fee. The currency exchange takes place as soon as you load your card. If the pound strengthens afterwards, you won’t be getting the best value for money, but it if weakens you'll do well.

A travel credit card works just like a regular credit card, with which you can make purchases by borrowing money. The main difference is that travel credit cards don't charge foreign transaction fees for spending abroad. 

For many people, cash is the most comfortable form of payment when travelling. It's hassle-free and universally accepted. But it’s riskier, as you'll lose out if it’s lost or stolen and you’ll need to budget carefully to ensure your foreign currency lasts the length of your trip. 

These days, there are plenty of specialist banks and providers that offer bank accounts that don't charge foreign transaction fees when used abroad. This offers you a chance to take advantage of the best exchange rates. And if it's your main current account, you won't have to worry about topping up your account before you go.