bennnie

>>>She'll have her medical insurance card<<

Which will be of no use if it's a medical card from your insurance

Why is that? - our medical insurance covers her overseas. Do you have a suggestion on what to do if there is a medical emergency? I will have to look at the trip insurance in more detail but I beleive it also has some limited coverage for medical expenses.

treble

Why not give her a credit card from one of your accounts, that way you can get points/miles from all the little purchases. (assuming she wont go hog wild with it, of course) And some cash of course--maybe get euros at your credit union before she goes?
Try not to worry about medical issues...but if necessary a credit card would sure come in handy!

Jay_G

My suggestion would be to just give her cash. Having been on a few foreign trips whilst still at school and more recently being a 'supervising adult' on a few school trips, I'd say cash is the way to go.

On all the school trips I've been on and help manage, the students only needed money for those 'incidentals' (all food -including packed lunches when we weren't eating in a restaurant - entrances to attractions and travel was taken care of) that weren't covered in the trip cost. A pre-paid debit or ATM card may be 'safer' but there isn't always an ATM in the near vicinity and not all stores (if they're heading slightly off the beaten track) will accept a foreign debit card.

The likelihood of taking an entire tour group to an ATM, if one of them has run out of cash is pretty slim, even if one is available.

In my experience, the money the group will spend things on will cover tacky souvenirs, snacks, 'humourously' named sweets they can't get at home and (if the tour leader isn't paying close attention) alcohol.

Giving cash also (I think) helps kids to make that first step towards budgeting. There's always one kid that is broke after two days and another that is living like Croesus on the last day.

Also, if some of the cash gets lost, they'll always have more. If you lose a debit card, it's gone. Accidents do happen of course, but there's probably no way safer to travel in Europe than as part of a school trip, where everyone is looking out for one another, not least the trip leaders who have the expectations of X number of parents and the attendant pressures that go with it.

Give her cash and let her feel like a grown up.

Padraig

My jaw was dropping as I read this thread. We're discussing pocket money, aren't we? Then Jay_G posted, and my faith was restored. One added suggestion: tell her to split her cash, keeping the larger part of it safe in a wallet under her clothes, and the smaller part more convenient to hand.

nytraveler

She should have her own checking account - will need it for college anyway - and her own ATM card to go with it. Go and open them now and make sure she knows how to use them.

(I didn;t realize that there were so many kids with no acess to money - ours both got checking accounts and ATM cards when they were 15. How are they supposed to learn to manage money if they have no practice before they leave home?)

kybourbon

>>>Why is that? - our medical insurance covers her overseas.<<<

A foreign country is not going to take a medical card from the US. You would have to file some type of claim after she returns to get reimbursed (she would have to pay while there).

>>>My jaw was dropping as I read this thread.<<<

Not sure why since cash is the sure way to be ripped off. Exchange rates are horrible at cash exchangers. Italian banks hate making change even for bank customers. As a non-customer, you would be last waited on. I doubt this kid will have an hour or two to wait in a bank.

Christina

YOur medical card will probably be of no use but it isn't because it is a travel policy or not. Most insurance that covers people abroad (including travel policies) means that you pay the bills and then when you get home, you submit the claims to your insurer and they send you the amount they think they will cover/owe under your coverage terms. You apparently are used to going to providers in the US that "accept" your insurance, meaning they file the claim for you and don't make you pay upfront. Fewer providers are doing this for out-of-network (fee for service) claims, although a few do. But perhaps you are used to going to network providers which must file claims for you.

IN any case, they aren't going to do that in a foreign country, they aren't going to deal with your insurer. The one exception is if your insurance company actually has a network abroad. A few BCBS plans do, actually, and they will have a list of providers wehre you can go and present your card, but those are only in some big cities that I know of. But if you have that kind of plan, you'd better check the list and know where it is.

If there is a medical emergency, you go to a clinic/ER or wherever, that's all. Just don't expect them to not bill you or take your insurance, you will have to pay the bill and file the claim later with your insurer. I think most travel insurance policies are that way, also, but you will have to read your policies to see.

bennnie

Thanks again for all the advice. As is painfully obvious, we're are not world travellers - family trips have been limited to the US and Canada. So this is her first foray into overseas travel. I've been to Europe on business trips - but that is a completely different experience.

Mimar

The currency used in Greece and Italy is the euro. If you give her cash in dollars, she'll have to exchange it. Small businesses like gelato sellers will not want dollars. If they take them, the exchange rate will be a killer. And she would wait in line and pay a lot at a exchange to convert to euros. If not much money is involved, just buy some euros in the US. You pay but this is the most convenient for her -- assuming she's not ATM-savvy. She should keep all but a few euros in her moneybelt.

For college students abroad for longer periods an ATM card is the best solution. If you choose your bank/credit union carefully, the exchange rate will be minimal or nothing. The parent puts money in the account; the student withdraws it as needed.

ekc

I would go to your bank, get a couple hundred in Euro and give it to her before she goes.

annhig

re insurance, it would be surprising if there were not a policy included with the trip.

you should check with the organisers on the insurance position.

as everything apart from pocket money is included, i agree about just giving her a few €, rather than opening an a/c.

nytraveler

A few euros won;t go anywhere as pocket money. How many days is the trip and is EVERTHING included. You need to figure out everything not included - any meals, snacks, entrance fees, shopping even for souvenirs. local transit, etc. I would assume she will need at least $30 or $40 per day for extras - assuming ALL the basics are covered.

annhig

Hotels, meals, transportation and admission to sights are all included in the trip. Parents are giving tip money to the trip organizer in advance. So the funds she'll carry is souvenirs, snacks and other little things. >>

maybe it depends on your definition of FEW.

i was picking up on the suggestion of €200 pocket money which seemed reasonable to me, no we know that all the important things are covered.

I've sent my kids away on trips with far less and they've come home with some change.

nytraveler

In europe a snack can easily cost $15. And a souvenir $25 or $30. I don't see where it says how long the trip is - but a teeny soft drink can esily be $3 or $4 - so if this is a 15 day trip - that's $60 just for one coke a day.

kybourbon

>>>re insurance, it would be surprising if there were not a policy included with the trip.<<<

Insurance is always extra. I've never seen insurance included with any tour.

If you plan to get an ATM card, you will need a joint account if she is underage. The card needs to be tied to only a checking account and must have a 4 digit pin.

travel4425

a wallet. Travlers check went out with powdered wigs!!

travel4425

Also make sure to tell your daughter to watch the movie HOSTEL before she goes.

annhig

Insurance is always extra. I've never seen insurance included with any tour.>>

even for kids? I'd be very surprised if a UK school or college trip did not have insurance included.

I've remarked on this difference between "us" before - very few people in the UK would consider any sort of holiday outside the UK without taking out specific travel insurance, and any school trip my kids went on this was included as standard. what trip organiser wants to worry about which kid is insured with what company? [or worse still not insured at all]. one trip, one organiser, one policy, one phone no.

but a teeny soft drink can esily be $3 or $4 - so if this is a 15 day trip - that's $60 just for one coke a day.>>

they'll just have to learn to drink water then ... though on my budget, they'd still have roughly €150 left after their "one coke a day". we still aren't talking about large amount of money -though it's a shame the travellers cheques went out of fashion as they were ideal for this sort of trip.

Mimar

Learning to drink something more European than coke is part of the learning experience as is juggling her spending.

annhig

I consulted my teacher friend who with her husband is leading yet another school trip this year.

They normally set a £50 cash limit per pupil for spending money [trip lasts a week] but many parents send the kids with pre-loaded cards which they can use in ATMs.

all entrance fees, food accommodation is paid for, so they only have snacks, souvenirs, drinks [apart from with meals where water is provided] to pay for.

The tour company organises everything including compulsory travel insurance for everyone which is included in the price.