lamgray

Hi everyone,

We're giving my parents a surprise trip to Florence and Milan next year and have booked the hotel. We cannot book their train tickets, and a few other tickets yet, as it is not 2 months in advance of their trip. So, we'd like to be able to give them a gift, and give them a form to pay for everything, since we cannot prepay the hotel, train, etc for them yet.

I was thinking of getting a pre paid visa (Can you use as a credit card at hotels?) instead of travellers checks? I'd rather not write them a personal check, as they might decide its too big of a gift, refuse to cash it and pay for the hotel themselves!

Any advice would be much appreciated for this xmas gift! Thanks!

Michel_Paris

NO traveller's cheques. Too costly, too inconvenient. I'd also check the fees on prepaid cards. You may find them...mmm..exhorbitant. There were some threads here on the Amex product, bad news for you, good news for Amex. Yet, so convenient!

In addition, they can't use CC for everything (e.g. gelato), they need some cash. Keep it simple.

OK, flight and hotels are booked. I'd give them an ATM card linked to a bank account with the money in it. When they need cash, they go to an ATM (everywhere) and withdraw what they need. And, if you want, you could follow the balance and decide if you ever want to "top it up" if they are really having a good time

notbob

Instead of just sending them, why take them on the trip?

notbob

Instead of just sending them, why NOT take them on the trip?

janisj

prepaid cards are a rip off - not as bad as travelers checks but not good either. I just bought one for a relative - looong story - but this was one of the very few situations where one makes any sense at all.

If there had been ANY way to do it differently we would have. There are fees to open the card, fees to use the card, bad ATM/conversion fees, just fees every time you turn around. Even fees to close out the card.

They will get more value for money using their own cc's and ATM cards. I assume this will not be a surprise trip. If it were me I'd deposit a sum into their checking account just before they leave. Or you could pre-pay on to their visa/mc account.

lamgray

Thanks for your replies. . . a GREAT help. . .I think we are going to do a debit card, or do a prepaid credit card for just the hotels and give them Euros for the rest. I have to talk it over with my husband.

While I would LOVE to join them. . .I just got married, and my parents helped out so much with the wedding, we wanted to do something big in return. . .and my dad's been talking of taking my mom to Italy for an actual honeymoon (they never had one) for YEARS. Not only can we not afford a trip for 4 right now. . .but this is a honeymoon trip for them. . .at least we wanted to give them our honeymoon b/c without them we could have never have afforded the wedding!

I've gone through my father's boss and arranged time off for him (only 8 days total, so we're only doing 2 cities. . sigh) . . can't WAIT to give it to them, picked up travel books for them today!

Michel_Paris

Hmmm..well, not sure on your last ideas either.

Primo...If you know they are going to two cities, and I assume you are going to prebook the hotels before they go...why are you going to give them a prepaid card, with its bad fee structure, to pay for the hotels? Pay for the rooms BEFORE they go.

Secondo...do not give them euros. The cost to get them at home will exceed the cost to get it over there from an ATM, plus why have them carrying around all that cash. Get them say.. a hundred to tide them over when they get there.

Believe us, it's easy to use the ATMs over there, no need for prepaid cards.

jamikins

Why not call the hotel and pay for the hotels before they go?

cherrybomb

What a really great thing to do for your parents! If you are comfortable doing this, it might be a good solution to get a debit card that hooks to your account under their name(s) to use, or you could add them as a card holder on one of your credit cards and give them that rather than getting the prepaid one.

The credit card solution might be the best, especially if you have a FF or rewards credit card as I am noticing offers that give you extra miles for adding a cardholder to your account.

I would assume that if your parents are uncomfortable taking a check from you, they are pretty unlikely to drain your account on you

lamgray

I was going to try to pre pay for the hotel, but I'm not sure if we can get the same rate at this time. . .

suze

I would try to prepay the hotels, if possible.

You could give them cash in Euro and travelers checks or the prepaid travel card. While neither are optimal because of the fees and possible inconvenience, your situation is a bit unusual.

Ideal would be they accept your personal check ahead of time, put it in their own account, and use their own ATM card and credit cards.

nanabee

lamgray:
the advice you've been given is great. i just want to say, how impressed i am with what you're doing for your parents. how thoughtful and caring, ... you're a wonderful daughter and i'm sure your parents apprecitate what you are doing!

lamgray

thanks to everyone for all the advice. . been a great help. I am going to try to pre pay for the hotels. . and we'll try to give a personal check for xmas. If they won't take it (as they are SO stubborn sometimes), I will go with the alternative routes!

Thanks again!!!!!

Also, thanks for the praise, but it's not needed. . .if you knew how much my parents have done for the two of us over the past 2 years, you'd know how much they deserve this!!!

janisj

yes - definitely try to pre-pay the hotels instead of relying on a travel card.

If they DID try to use a pre-paid travel card to pay for the hotels you'd have to load quite a bit extra on the card. At check in, most hotels will put an extra "hold" on this type of card just like they do w/ regular cc's. This hold can be anywhere from 20% over the room rate up to the full amount of the stay - or a fixed amount.

If there isn't enough balance left on the card they can be rejected and they'd have to pull out their own cc (or cash)

So just try to pay what you can up front and forget about a pre-paid travel card.

Christina

I was going to suggest paying the hotel yourself, also. As for the prepaid VISA, I don't see how that's any different than giving them cash, if you are afraid they'll think it's too much and refuse it. You can tell how much those cards are for, also (in fact, you have to, don't you get a statement telling you how much is left each time you use it? You do on the gift cards I've used). SO they are going to know how much it is worth, regardless.

lamgray

OK, I've figured out the hotel! I contacted the hotels via home and have made the reservation in my name. I then fill out an authorization form with my credit card information, and label the items we will be paying for and the people allowed to check in for the room.

This way, the hotel will be paid for via our credit card or they will not be allowed to check in under our name. I am trying to prepay now, but not sure if I can yet!

As far as other incedentals (train, etc) that I cannot book yet, I will outline where they need to go to book and when, and provide the cash or check to do so at xmas when we give the gift, perhaps even add them to my debit account!

Again, thanks to everyone. HUGE help and keeping me from wasting a TON of money that we could put towards their trip instead!