Currency Card help

[darren]

Hi,

We're off to Haraki on the 1st May. We've tried to buy some travellers cheques in the UK but have found that they're extremely difficult, if not impossible. to get hold of and the travel agents are telling us we may have problems using them when we get to Rhodes. Thomas Cook no longer sell them and M&S are stopping selling them from May.

Does anyone know if we'll be able to use the new 'currency card' (pre-paid mastercard), that they keep trying to sell us? Will the Hotel, Da Vincis and the shops accept it?

Also, we arrive at 8.30pm and don't fly home until 11.20pm - do you know if its possible to collect and drop off a hire car at the airport at these times of night? Or does anyone know how much a taxi will cost?

Thanks for any help or advice you can give.

[zeno]

Travellers cheques are so 1990s. So yes difficult to use.
Not sure about the prepaid cards being accepted everywhere
The car hire company should have no problem with your flight times

[Bob]

Taxi and bus prices for 2013 are on the Tourist Board's site now:

www.ando.gr/eot/eng/info.htm

You need to be careful of the extras on the taxi fares listed (if for example your journey is late at night or you have lots of luggage etc.) Read the small print.

Haraki (and much of the island) is still pretty much a cash economy, although there are exceptions I'm sure. We use cash everywhere and work out the most economical way of getting it there. Currently, before we leave UK, we put a positive balance into a Halifax Clarity card which has no fees for foreign use. Then we go to an ATM (which means going outside the village) and draw cash as required. This way we can keep the cash amounts fairly small to reduce any risk.

With the demise of travellers cheques it's even more of a pain that there's no ATM in Haraki.

It would be interesting to learn from others on here just how easy or difficult it is to use Visa/Mastercard for purchases in the village.


Bob.

[darren]

Thanks for all your help. We've managed to get hold of some Travellers Cheques from Thomsons and have put some money on a currency card. Will let you know how we get on trying to use it in Haraki!

[Bob]

The cash card you said is Mastercard so will be acceptable in lots of places plus banks and ATMs. Simon at Haraki Rent a Car should take the travellers cheques so I'm sure you'll be fine with this combo.

We're going next Saturday so maybe see you there. Really hope you have great weather



Bob.

[darren]

Cheers Bob. Sat outside the hotel and weather today has been gorgeous well into 80's. Even now at 10.30pm it's still lovely and warm - plenty of mozzies about tho! Here's hoping the weather holds out for us all. Hope you have a good flight out.