Foreign travel is a joy, provided you have a valid passport with you. The Passport Office is by a mile the most efficient government department I have ever dealt with, a view endorsed by my children. Make sure you pack yours, unlike the pilot of United Airlines Flight UA 198 who recently had to turn back on a run from Los Angeles to Shanghai after realising over the Pacific that he had left it behind.
Money money money
I hold the usual bank cards. For spending abroad, I have debit cards from both Monzo and Chase. Both give you a near-perfect exchange rate. In Italy last month, I was getting €1.20 to the pound when the best exchange rate for notes I could get at home was €1.15. Unlike most banks and card providers, no 3% foreign transaction fee is levied.
Both of my providers say they do not charge for limited cash withdrawals abroad. True, but the banks operating
.tmb-mov69x69.jpg?sfvrsn=7806223b_1)
