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Warning for Brits heading on holiday who don't carry cash with them
Warning for Brits heading on holiday who don't carry cash with them

Wales Online

time08-07-2025

  • Wales Online

Warning for Brits heading on holiday who don't carry cash with them

Warning for Brits heading on holiday who don't carry cash with them UK holidaymakers are being warned they could face a 'costly mistake' if they don't pack any cash before heading abroad, as research suggests many are getting caught out Are you heading abroad this Summer and want to save some cash? (Image: Getty Images/John Harper ) The Summer holidays are fast approaching and UK holidaymakers are being warned that departing without cash could dent their wallets when travelling due to unexpected costs. Research has showed that failing to pack notes and coins could result in unnecessary expenses for some tourists abroad. A study by Be Clever With Your Cash revealed that 39 percent of travellers have faced unexpected situations where cash was indispensable and over a third of people have found themselves needing hard currency whilst on holiday. ‌ Tipping, local transport fares, and purchases at small-scale vendors were among the most common outlays requiring cash. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here ‌ Prepaid and specialist travel cards can help tourists rely less on physical cash while journeying overseas. However, those suddenly requiring cash could end up facing additional charges, as per the survey conducted by Opinium. The survey of 2,000 people across the UK who have travelled abroad discovered that some tourists who had to make an emergency cash machine withdrawal on their last trip overseas were charged an ATM fee. Some holidaymakers admitted they resorted to airport exchange desks for last-minute cash, despite potentially getting a worse deal than if they had shopped around for travel money and planned ahead. Article continues below Venturing beyond major cities can also pose challenges as rural and remote areas in some countries may be less likely to accept cards. Amelia Murray, a financial guru at Be Clever With Your Cash, commented on the common oversight when it comes to cash usage. She pointed out, "There's still a blind spot when it comes to cash." Expanding on this she remarked, "Many people assume that having a fee-free card is enough, but that can be a false economy if you end up using an ATM abroad that charges or get stung by poor exchange rates." ‌ She emphasised preparation over carrying large sums: "It's not about carrying wads of cash, it's about being prepared for those moments when a card simply won't cut it." Ms Murray advises travellers to take a 'cash cushion' , which is just enough local currency for tips, local transport, or in case cards are not accepted. She underscored the importance of understanding your card policy when it comes to fees and foreign exchange before travelling. Amelia also recommended checking the coverage amount from your travel insurance for lost or stolen cash while overseas. Article continues below According to May figures from financial information firm Defaqto, cash cover is standard in 91 per cent of annual and 86 per cent of single trip travel insurance policies. Defaqto's study highlighted that about a third (35 per cent) of single trip policies covered amounts ranging from £200 to £299, whilst a quarter (24 per cent) provided cover between £300 to £399.

7 unmissable UK beaches to visit this summer
7 unmissable UK beaches to visit this summer

National Geographic

time19-06-2025

  • National Geographic

7 unmissable UK beaches to visit this summer

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Don't believe anyone who says the United Kingdom is a poor comparison to the likes of Australia, or South Africa when it comes to beaches. What the country lacks in palm trees or exotic wildlife, it makes up for in the sheer variety of its coastline. Somewhere in its four nations, your perfect beach awaits: places with birdlife or wild beauty and destinations where fish and chips with your feet in the sand is an essential part of the beach-going experience. You may need a windbreak but what could be more British than shrugging off a bit of weather? 1. Porthcurno, Cornwall All of Cornwall's magic is concentrated in these couple of acres. The sand is a deep wedge, which expands at low tide, the sea is of a blue that would make a peacock blush and pillar-like granite cliffs ripple along the coast like fortifications. There's culture, too, at the open-air Minack Theatre, where the backcloth is the horizon of the Atlantic. The price of such beauty is crowds in the summer months — traffic jams on the approach lane are legendary. Arrive early- or mid-afternoon or try the quieter sister-beach, Pedn Vounder. It's accessible on foot around a headland at low tide. Porthcurno beach is located at the very tip of Cornwall, in southern England. Photograph by Getty Images, John Harper 2. Weymouth, Dorset For 12 years, George III holidayed at Weymouth, transforming a fishing village into a resort for flaneurs — then, in the late-1800s, for the public arriving on the London train. Come for a classic English seaside experience — deckchairs on the promenade, donkey rides on the pampered beasts of West Hill Donkeys, pedalos, Punch and Judy shows twice a day and sand perfect for castles. Factor in toddler-friendly shallows and you have a favourite with young families. And for fish and chips? There are over a dozen options in town but there's a reason why family-owned Marlboro has been around since 1974. (Welcome to Weymouth, the British seaside resort with a twist.) 3. Sanna Bay, Ardnamurchan The Highlands are an idea of isolated beauty as much as a real destination. Enter Sanna Bay, the most westerly point in Britain. To get there, you take a pretty drive snaking along the shores of Loch Sunart. Beyond Kilchoan village, you're on a single-track lane — over moors and past white smallholdings, sheep and Highland cattle — to reach a remote carpark at the end of the road. Even so, you won't be prepared for the impact of walking through dunes to these icing-sugar sand arcs before turquoise shallows. Smaller beaches notch beyond headlands and sunsets are otherworldly. Better still, there's usually a breeze, which means none of Scotland's infamous midges. The isolated beauty of the Scottish highlands is what makes the beach at Sanna bay so appealing. Photograph by Getty Images, Simon Hodgkiss 4. Bamburgh, Northumberland There's a debate to be had about the appeal of cosy coves versus epic beaches. If you lean towards the latter, this is your spot. Bamburgh beach is vast: four magnificent miles from Seahouses harbour to a monster castle at Bamburgh, all backed by silver-green dunes and dotted with rockpools to poke at with a shrimp net. Walk the lot and you can stop for king prawn chilli burgers at Creel & Reel food truck at the carpark in Waterford. You will also deserve a pint of Bamburgh Blonde at the Bamburgh Castle Inn back at Seahouses. 5. White Park Bay, Antrim A public campaign raised £15,000 to safeguard this beauty for the National Trust. Now, otters gambol at dusk (a sure sign of eco-health), 17 species of butterflies and countless rabbits flit in the grasslands behind. Not forgetting the most-photographed cows in Northern Ireland, known for grazing on the beach, swaying along sands whenever a local farmer moves his herd. The squeaky 'singing sands' (the sand is known to produce a humming or buzzing sound) hold fossils — bullet-like squid and the shells of extinct mollusks, commonly known as devil's toenails. The absence of people will put you in mind of Australia rather than Antrim. Just be wary of swimming: the current can be vicious. 6. Holkham, Norfolk On summer weekends, when up to 1,000 cars fill the parking area, it can seem like half of Norfolk has arrived. Through a fuzz of pine trees and a small sea of dunes, you will wonder where they all went. Holkham is big — two-miles long and 1,640-foot wide at low tide. Co-ordinate a visit for that time because it's the scale that wows at Holkham. This is a beach for cricket and kite-flying, to throw balls for madly excited dogs or to lie behind a windbreak and watch vast cloudscapes roll past like galleons under full sail. The beach at Holkham is one of the longest stretches of sand in the country. Photograph by Getty Images, Jackie Bale (How to spend a weekend in North Norfolk, UK.) 7. Whitesands Bay, Pembrokeshire Wales has bigger beaches like the Gower's Rhossili and pretty coves like Mwnt or Porth Iago. This stretch of coastline near St Davids wins because it has all you need from a beach. The pale sand gets emptier the further you go from the carpark. There's surfboard rental to ride friendly summer waves, plus seasonal lifeguards. Footpaths track to St Davids Head, the Land's End of Wales, marked by a neolithic tomb or to the rocky ridge of Carn Llidi hill, which rises above the beach. Save an ascent till dusk to see islands scattered in a sheet of golden sea. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).

Trump's VIP dinner served ‘Walmart steak' and ‘Costco freezer aisle' halibut, say guests
Trump's VIP dinner served ‘Walmart steak' and ‘Costco freezer aisle' halibut, say guests

Yahoo

time26-05-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Trump's VIP dinner served ‘Walmart steak' and ‘Costco freezer aisle' halibut, say guests

It was marketed as the most exclusive event in crypto, a Donald Trump-hosted dinner for the top 220 holders of his TRUMP memecoin, held at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. But according to several attendees, the glitzy gala left much to be desired — from the food to the access. Nicholas Pinto, a 25-year-old influencer and Trump supporter, told Fortune the experience was underwhelming. 'Trash,' Pinto texted Fortune during the banquet. 'Walmart steak, man. Everyone at my table was saying the food was some of the worst food that they ever had,' said Pinto after the meal. But Pinto wasn't the only one with complaints. TheStreet Roundtable spoke with two other attendees who painted a similar picture. One, a crypto trader who asked to remain anonymous, said, 'It felt like the event was staged for a photo op. Most of us didn't even get a handshake. The real celebrities were probably given private time.' What would you have expected from a TRUMP VIP dinner? Share your thoughts He continued, 'The food? Total conference buffet level. You don't drop six figures on a token to be fed dry halibut and steak that tastes like rubber.' John Harper, another attendee and long-time Bitcoin investor, said he expected more from the Trump brand. 'I've been to weddings at Holiday Inns with better food. They made this sound like a dinner with the President — we were just background props.' Harper joked that the halibut 'tasted like it came from a Costco freezer aisle.' Public Citizen protesters gathered outside, chanting 'shame.' Reports say that while some of the top-tier guests received crypto-branded watches and a brief moment with Trump, the majority were left checking TRUMP's declining price during the meal. What would you have expected from a TRUMP VIP dinner? Share your thoughts While the White House insisted this wasn't an official event, Trump stood at a lectern with the presidential seal. Afterward, he told reporters: 'It was good, very good.' But for many guests, the only thing truly unforgettable may have been the disappointment — and, apparently, the bread. Official Trump (TRUMP) coin is down 3.6% in the past 24 hours, trading at $12.57. The token has slipped nearly 8% over the past month. Trump's VIP dinner served 'Walmart steak' and 'Costco freezer aisle' halibut, say guests first appeared on TheStreet on May 25, 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

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