How to Budget for Your Holiday

Everyone has a preference and we suggest travelling with three types of currency. Have some cash handy for small purchases like coffee at a local market. Take a prepaid travel money card for everyday spending and keep your personal credit cards handy for security deposits at hotels and services like car rental.

We're not usually one to tell stories, but exchanging your money at the airport can be a costly choice. Planning to exchange your money before you travel will help you avoid unnecessary airport fees.

Although there's technically no legal limit on how much money you can take on holidays, if you're travelling internationally you must declare amounts of more than $10,000 on your customs form. Some countries impose specific restrictions on the import/export of local and foreign currencies. You should seek advice from an official government website for the country you may be visiting before placing your order.

We're glad you asked. Cash is great for small purchases and getting the perfect souvenir at the local market but in order to travel safely and securely with additional funds, we recommend grabbing a pre-paid travel money card, like our Travel Money Oz Currency Pass. You can load up to 10 different currencies on the card, lock in your exchange rate the day you load, and it can use it globally wherever Mastercard is accepted (millions of locations!) including at ATMs.

We think having a bank card as another back-up option is a great idea, but we also suggest making sure you understand the fees associated with your card, especially when using it for foreign transactions. Check out our Travel Money Oz Currency Pass, it can be loaded with up to 10 different currencies and avoids unnecessary fees. Basically, you can spend in the local currency of your choice!

Setting a travel budget can be tricky. Sticking to that budget is even trickier. Whether you’re backpacking in hostels or staying in a 5-star resort, check out our destination guides to get a feel for the costs you can expect, and some ideas of what you things you could do while you're there.