Why would he need to wander round with his passport in his pocket all night..could he not cash some travellers cheques before hand (earlier in the day or at the hotel) then he would not have to take his passport out at all.

My laddo has not been on an all lads holiday but stepdaughter has and she took all cash and does everytime. I would not say a gang of lasses is any more responsible than a gang of lads..especially when alcohol will be involved.

Can you not get him to leave money in a safe..most of them have them combination locks now rather than having to pay extra for a safe in the room..and even if he did have to pay a deposit for a safe, surely that would be a better option. He could lob his passport and cash in there straight away and only take out what he needs for a night out on the lash and abit extra just in case..

He could use an ATM abroad but would need to check with his bank about the charges for using it abroad, they can be quite costly.

This probably really is not much help to you...but cash is probably the best option..but it depends how responsible he is....sorry.

I would say take some in cash and then use the ATMs to withdraw the money. If he gets out say £250 each time then the charges wont be too much. I would also suggest they get a safe to put their passports and the rest of their cash in so they don't carry too much around with them.

If he has his bank card with him then at least if he gets into trouble with money you can put some in his bank (obviously don't let him know that is an option )

They are staying in an apartment Val so I'm guessing they will need to sort the safe out ASAP but I know what he's like in hotels when we all go away . Leaves everything lying around in a drawer and despite me lecturing about the dangers never ever uses the safe. He is as silly as a bag of spanners sometimes and this will not be a 4* hotel . This is a lad that without fail always leaves his bag somewhere on our journey . Last time he left it in the car back at the car park . Didnt even notice until we were checking in . Im really not that keen on him having £1000 slung in a nike rucksack that he's likely to leave in Macdonalds.. but Im also aware I need to let him take responsibility himself.

He will be on the lash everynight and most probably comatised until at least mid afternoon every day .I'd really like that passport locked in the safe at the beginning and not taken out again until he leaves for home .

If he loses his money I wont be bailing him out so I'm thinking if he loses his cash card half of it will at least be safe. Yes maybe he can withdraw £250 at a time Kedi . I dont suppose it will make a huge difference on the exchange rate

Didnt realise he was as mad as a box of frogs....in that case, let him take £250 cash to get him there etc and let him withdraw the rest as he needs it.
His passport must be threaded and put through whatever he is wearing like them little mittens kids had when they were kids so they didnt lose them!

As for locking his passport away...if he locks it in the safe at the beginning and is as daft as you say he is, the chances are he will arrive at the airport and the passport will still be in the safe!

Kids eh...

if he locks it in the safe at the beginning and is as daft as you say he is, the chances are he will arrive at the airport and the passport will still be in the safe!

wouldnt surprise me one bit Val.

Just been telling him that this is not a 4* hotel he is staying in this time and that he needs to cough up for air con , a safe and dont expect the fridge to be stocked up with bottles of water and the bathroom to have fresh towels every day.

His answer just about sums it up really . "Theres no way i'm spending my money on a safe . I'd rather make my own in the room "

Dont even get me started on the quad bike lecture . I'm wasting my time really arn't I.

lyn, you already know of my son's experiences in Tenerife but just to remind you- He took quite a bit of cash to see him through the first few days and then used his card to withdraw from the ATM. Despite having his wallet pickpocketed there a few years ago (it contained his bank card as he needed it to withdraw cash on his way out), he didn't heed my advice to withdraw the cash during the day and lock the card away in the safe before going out on the lash. The result? Pickpocketed again, lost his wallet containing money, card and driving licence Will he ever learn?

I have warned him that if he takes his card out on a boozy night and loses it again, not to phone me in the early hours of the morning asking me to contact the bank for him.

I would say, generally the best way is to take some cash and a card to withdraw as needed but please tell him to take everything (apart from the cash he needs) out of his wallet before his nights out

My personal preference is a bit of cash,but mostly traveller cheques.We tend to use the same money changer throughout the holiday,so he takes my/our passport details once and my/our passports go straight back in the security box at the hotel along with the remainder of cash and cheques.
Please urge your son to have a box(perhaps the lads could all share one,if one does it they all might,but doesn't want to be seen as "soft"!!! To lose passport,cash,cards or cheques on holiday can be a real pain....and also,If they had not taken sensible security precautions and anything was lost or stolen their insurance may not pay out. Paula

hi all.....on my 4th lad eldest 39.....I go with kedi.....Ive had the phonecall .....its easier and cheaper going to your local bank to bail them out by putting funds into thier account....tweetie

unless they loose the card on the way or get it pinched.....I'd hedge my bets and so maybe a couple of hundred in travelers cheques as well....they can get replaced quick and easy...tell him leave them till last

I think it's hearing your sons story that I have ringing in my ears shirley and I hadnt thought about insurance not covering either if it's not put in the safe .

I think I'm going to hedge my bets and maybe do some of each . At the moment his money is in my bank account . I may even drip feed him over the 10 days just because I can

Hi Lyn, when our eldest daughter went abroad with her mates for the first time I had exactly the same worry. I seperated her money into sandwich bags and envelopes. She had some in her hand luggage, some in the lining of her suitcase, some in a soapdish in her toiletries bag and some in each hand bag. I told her I'd done it but didn't tell her where it was hidden. Fortunately she wasn't robbed and didn't lose her money but towards the end of the holiday she had to text and ask me where the last £100 was as she was running out. It was the envelope I'd hidden in the lining of her case. I know it sounds extreme but it worked and also gave me peace of mind. Didn't stop me worrying about her getting drunk and injuring herself etc; but hey you can't win them all.

I always automatically fear the worse sharon so it's kind of a damage limitation excercise for me .

He did say today that a couple of his friends were intending to just take the lot in cash and seperate it across their suitcase and hand luggage.

have you thought of getting a pre-paied visa card

I have got one of those that he could take Brian . Well it's a mastercard but would there be any advantage over his normal bank card if he only made a couple of transactions.

Never used them [i have enough plastic to carry around] but they have become popular over the last couple of years, one benefit is they can only draw on what they have,whereas with their bank one they could clear the account and run up a nasty overdraft

I used a pre paid visa card in eygpt and I could use it everywhere that had a visa sign, think that could be the best option, may be an idea only to put half his money on to start with and he could always get you to put the rest on when he needs some more funds that way, that way if it goes missing he won't lose everything , and you still get a little control and contact as well during his hols!!!

We have a Thomas Cook pre paid card- which (I think) charges 2e per cash withdrawal and free to load and use as a payment card in shops etc (ie you only get charged for taking out cash). Also for a small fee the card is replaced if lost. I'm not sure but I imagine it would also be easier to claim under travel insurance if you were unlucky enough to have card taken and used than if you tried to claim for a whole heap of cash not kept in a safe.

It's such a worry isn't it Lyn? The first time my youngest went on a lads holiday luckily (for me-not so much for him) one of the lads parents were staying in the same resort and they sorted out safes etc for them and I was much more relaxed 'cos I knew there would be someone about if there was a big problem.
The next time he went he was with his girlfriend and girls are MUCH more sensible than lads LOL. I insisted they had a safe (no matter what the cost) and told him to keep his passport in it at all times and only to take as much money out with him at any one time as he could afford to lose. Also if he was approached for money, just to give it to them and run!!!
He actually just took around £100 in Euros and then used his bank card to withdraw cash from the ATM, the fee is really reasonable. Don't forget to inform the bank though that they will be using the card abroad or it will be stopped. The bank also gave him a list of phone numbers to ring if he did lose his card and if the worst came to the worst it is easy to moneygram them money.
Other than that all you can do is cross your fingers thay will be sensible and be OK!
P.S. The worry of it all is a good way of losing weight

Right I think what I will say is take maybe £300 in cash and then use his card to withdraw chunks of £200 -£300 . I'm not going to transfer the whole let into his bank account either yet . some of it will be pay going into his account and I'll hold back the last few hundred until he's at least half way through . I might even put a bit on my pre-paid card and he can take that too .

I think £1000 is going to be tight anyway for 10 days with all the drinking & clubbing he's likely to be doing .

If the worst happens he wont lose it all and if his card gets stolen I can do as Denny suggests and moneygram it providing he has enough in his account to cover paying me back. ~Havnt a clue how to do that , do you know so I can be prepared?? . Thanks for the reminder to ring the bank too Denny.

I'll be glad when this is all over and he's back.

It's available at the Post office and I think travel agents have a similar scheme.