Holidaying in Crete

[Cass63]

Does anyone on here know if it would.be advisable to take euros to Crete, we went to kefalonia last summer and most bars and restaurants preferred cash. For the first time ever we didn’t take any cash and it didn’t stop us getting served anywhere but most places seemed to prefer cash

[Griffith4ever]

Just get them from an ATM when you are there. That or M&S before you go and then change them back. I'd take cash - there are lots of small places that will prefer it.

[omniflow]

Yes - ATM is the way to go and has been for years.

Personally, I try to use an ATM that's physically in the wall of a bank, rather than a freestanding one in the street or a supermarket. I'm sure the freestanding ones are ok, I just prefer to avoid them if I can. However, if you're somewhere like Loutro then your only option will be a freestanding ATM.

There's always a charge per withdrawal, around €5, so taking out larger sums each time makes sense.

Most of the time you'll be offered the option to execute the transaction in € or £. ALWAYS opt for € then you get the exchange rate from your UK bank. If you take the £ option you'll get a very unfavourable exchange rate. This is exactly the same if you're paying by card. Pay in local currency and let your bank handle the currency exchange.

[Earthdweller]

Just get a revolut card ( or similar ) transfer £>€ before you go

You can use the card in € or withdraw cash in € with no exchange fees

[omniflow]

The rule of thumb that I use when paying is:

Village wine in a school dinners jug - cash
Bottle of wine where I see them take the cork out - card

[ATG]

Quick plug for HSBC Global Money Visa debit card. You transfer sterling from your current account to the GM account, choosing the currency you need. You get a pretty reasonable exchange rate ... best I've seen on the high street. And then you waltz around, tapping your card on things as you get sunburnt. In my experience much cheaper than using a UK sterling credit card to pay for things or withdraw Euros from a hole in the wall. Genuinely pain-free experience.