Effects of Poor Exchange Rate

[Sweet Pea UK]

We decided to have a "cheaper"! holiday this year after a big holiday in Orlando in November so booked 4 nights at Disneyland Paris in August. Foolishly I didn't check the exchange rate before I did this

How are people finding it who have recently been - does everything (particularly food) seem really expensive? Just need to know if we need to save harder before we go??

 

[A Small World]

Are you staying on site? You could look at adding half board or half board plus to your booking. This gives you vouchers to exchange in certain restaurants either for the full price of the meal or as part payment. The beauty of this is you pay in advance and so will pay in £ rather than €.

We've never done this before but are considering it for our next trip

 

[Cyrano]

Another option is get a credit card such as Nationwide where there are no commission charges. That way at least you get bank exchange rate rather than tourist. Saved us quite a bit last summer

 

[Ware Bears]

We decided to have a "cheaper"! holiday this year after a big holiday in Orlando in November so booked 4 nights at Disneyland Paris in August. Foolishly I didn't check the exchange rate before I did this

Yikes!!! Don't even go there. We're staying off-site and don't pay until we get there ~ our holiday has increased by over £20 a night since we booked it. It's times like this that package holidays seem very attractive!!!

To keep myself sane, I just remind myself of the good rates I got on other holidays.

Have a look at the menus on DLP Foodguide. The prices there will give you an idea.

 

[wecouldsing]

Another option is get a credit card such as Nationwide where there are no commission charges. That way at least you get bank exchange rate rather than tourist. Saved us quite a bit last summer

this time round i used a post office travel money card - its a rechargable visa electron debit card in euros, theres no commission charges. its accepted pretty much everywhere in the resort and was great in helping me stick to the budget i'd set myself!

 

[angelamc]

If you are staying on site, Iwould strongly recommend the dining option of half board plus, as you can save quite a lot giving the exchange rate. I have been crunching numbers, and even though technically it only gives you up to 15% discount of menu prices, (which I have anyway being a shareholder club member ) the exchange rate of a £17 dining ticket being worth 24 Euros, makes for greater savings. The good food at Disneyland is slightly more expensive, and if need be your vouchers can be redeemed at face value, ie 24 Euros per adult ticket of your meal.

 

[kevankiki]

Yikes!!! Don't even go there. We're staying off-site and don't pay until we get there ~ our holiday has increased by over £20 a night since we booked it. It's times like this that package holidays seem very attractive!!!

Oh dear, we are in the same position, and I hadn't thought of that!

 

[hildasmuriel]

As I have been spoilt and had 4 trips in the last 6 months I have definitely noticed the difference in cost. At the end of October we got so much more for our pound that we did last week.

Doesn't stop me going back though, so I don't think too much about it.

 

[Elroe63]

We booked "half-board plus" for our trip next month and I really wondered if it was the right thing to do. I never even considered the exchange rate being a factor at the time but now I'm really glad we've done it.

 

[MazdaUK]

It might be worth getting shares so you get discounts on park tickets and all your purchases - we saved a load this way

 

[tiring_day]

this time round i used a post office travel money card - its a rechargable visa electron debit card in euros, theres no commission charges. its accepted pretty much everywhere in the resort and was great in helping me stick to the budget i'd set myself!

I like the sound of that, was going to use our Barclays debit card but will get charged commission for using it. Banks are global in these modern times it stokes my goat (or similar phrase) that they charge for this.

I have never heard of this, can you use it at cash points in the parks?

steve

 

[scampbunny]

hiya
been lookin into ways to make things cheaper on our trip lol
looks like nationwide, and the post office, both do credit cards that dont charge commission on overseas transactions - and they also have a 0% deal for a few months on purchases too!!!!!!!!!
am looking into getting one just to buy stuff at dlrp so it dont have to pay interest on those payments, or commission lol
might be worth a look into???
nikki

 

[sam_rogers]

hopefully having the discount from an annual pass will mean i get the same for my money this year as i did last year without an AP