Last time I came home from England last year, I brought loads of stuff that I can't get here like gammon joints, cheeses, and a copious picnic for the journey and no-one batted an eyelid. I think the initial zeal post Brexit has calmed.

I imagine that means that you can bring over your dog/cat food with you? I know this is a worry for many people travelling with pets.

As a back up to cash we use a Post Office money card. Load it with Euros, granted not the best rate you can get, but no charges. Works like a debit card everywhere, except serve yourself fuel pumps.

I am finding EE quite good at the moment - I have been in and out of Europe a few times over the last year and they charge me a flat £10 a month fee to use all my UK call/ text/data allowance in Europe. I just have to remember to turn it off again when I'm home, bacuse they don't (of course) remind me...

I appreciate the heads up. I thought we were due to pay just over £2 a day for EE roaming but have now found the monthly £10 fee buried in the small print!. They don’t make it easy do they?

I'm on a SIM deal with PlusNet which piggybacks EE & I can use data, texts & calls in most European countries just as I would in the UK.

https://www.plus.net/help/mobile/roam-li...391ca8444f9d1ac

I do travel a bit with work and have always used the Halifax Clarity Credit Card, no transaction fees and it uses the international visa exchange rate, which is usually pretty good. charges a small fee for cash withdrawals if you get caught short in Albert Hein!

As for mobile data abroad, if you can get a Blue Light Code or similar then EE do 20% off a new contract. Choose one with an 'Included Extra' and you effectively get their 'Roam Abroad' pass for free. I think it covers most European countries plus USA, Canada and Aus.

I'm fairly sure the above is accurate, but please check before you commit!

The US inclusion in the EE contract is of interest to me - thanks for that FB.. On that, I also have a Halifax Clarity card for when I need cash abroad but note (as I realised after I used it for the first time) you start accruing interest on any cash withdrawal from the next day. As a result, to get true feeless cash abroad, I immediatley clear that amount I have withdrawn by a transfer in of the equivalent amount of sterling. But then, I am frugal and others might not think it worth the effort...

For normal credit card transactions, my Nationwide card has no penalties for use abroad...

On our trip to Australia in February, I got a Three Contract-free sim with data and that worked as if at home (apart from the few hours in Doha.)

We took a preloaded cash card with no cash-withdrawal charges, but in 3 weeks we NEVER needed cash at all - even buying a hotdog from a charity stall in a car park.🤪

Interestingly, I accidentally paid for a purchase using my NatWest debit card and got the best rates with no charges, so won’t bother messing about on the next trip.