Holidaymakers could be unknowingly spending more than necessary while on their travels, simply by using the wrong card.

Your everyday credit or debit card may seem like a convenient option to take abroad, but you could end up being charged an additional 5% when used overseas. Moreover, if you need to withdraw cash from an ATM while abroad, you could be hit with even more charges.

Indeed, you could face extra fees as soon as you reach the airport and attempt to withdraw cash before your flight. Typically, ATMs abroad impose higher fees for international withdrawals, either a flat rate ranging from £1 to £5 or up to 3% of the total withdrawal in some instances.

Luckily, these fees can be avoided by selecting the right bank or travel card designed for overseas expenditure. These specialist cards offer a host of benefits for those spending money abroad, including minimal to no spending or ATM withdrawal fees, along with additional financial protection.

Travel credit cards

One of the main advantages of a travel credit card is the Section 75 protection it offers, which obliges the card company to assist you if you make a purchase between £100 and £30,000 on it. You can also enjoy interest-free spending on the card, provided you pay off any outstanding debt in full each month.

One of the significant disadvantages of this card, however, is that it necessitates a comprehensive credit check, which means your eligibility for the card may be contingent on your credit history.

Travel debit cards

Travel debit cards pose fewer debt risks than their credit counterparts, but they also offer less financial protection. Typically, travel debit cards provide chargeback protection, meaning if you don’t receive the goods or services you paid for and the retailer refuses to refund, you could still reclaim your money from the card company.

Recommended travel cards

The market offers a broad spectrum of travel cards from various major banks and providers, each with its unique benefits and drawbacks. To find a card that fits your needs, it’s crucial to shop around and compare different cards

MoneySavingExpert and Which? have highlighted some of the below cards for those looking to get the best deals while abroad:

It’s important to note that in some cases you may still face extra fees abroad even if you’re card provider itself doesn’t charge a fee since some ATMs will still charge a flat rate or interest for cash withdrawal. There is also a smaller risk of damaging your credit score if you frequently take out cash while abroad with a credit card.

Just 25 miles south of Zaragoza, a stunning Spanish city in northwest Spain, lies a a tiny village that is just as impressive – but for a completely different reason. For 85 years, the tiny village of Belchite has stood frozen in time as a fragile reminder of one of Spain’s most troubled periods of history. 

Settlements have been found here since 75 AD, but with the outbreak of the Guerra Civil (civil war) in 1936, it was left in ruins and now stands as a living museum. In fact, Belichite has been included in the 2025 World Monuments Watch list, heralded as a “critical opportunity” to understand the impact the tragic war had on the Spain that exists today. Located on what was the border between the republican state and fascist forces, Belchite became the centre of one of the bloodiest and most important battles of the whole war.

During a 15-day siege in 1937, the village was all but destroyed. Eventually, the village fell to General Franco’s forces in 1939, who left its razed remains to stand as a reminder of his power and a warning to any future rebels. 

Today, Belchite is frequented only by visitors wishing to walk its bullet-riddled streets and learn more about this troubled period of Spanish history, which in total saw around half a million deaths, both from combat, executions and mob violence, but also malnutrition and disease, according to estimates.

At Belchite specifically, houses were bombed, churches were razed and the townspeople were slaughtered, ending life in the village as residents knew it.

While the 20th century is Belchite’s most famous period of history, the village actually boasts a history that dates back thousands of years. In 1122, Alfonso the Battler (the King of Aragon and Navarre, 1104-1134) founded the Confraternity of Belchite to defend the frontier between the Christian kingdoms and al-Andalus – the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. It stood as an experimental community of knights who vowed to devote their lives to fighting pagans.

Over the centuries, it was built up with some breathtaking medieval churches and monuments, including the arc of San Roque. 

Then, in June 1809, during the Peninsular War, French and Spanish forces also fought in the Battle of Maria near Belchite. 

One of the most vivid descriptions of the 1937 Battle of Belchite was written by historian Cecil Eby: “[The journalist] found a town so totally ruined that often people could not tell where the streets had been. People were digging under piles of mortar, bricks, and beams pulling out corpses.”

“Belchite was less a town than a nasty smell.”

Since then, Belchite has also been used as the setting for several period films, including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006).

Some parts of the village have since been rebuilt and a population of around 1,600 remains, though many parts remain in the state they were left in during the war.

Belchite is easily accessible by car via the A-222 and is just a 45-minute drive from the provincial capital, Zaragoza, making it the perfect day trip. There are two tours of Belchite available – one during the day, and another at night. You can get tickets for a guided tour of Belchite from the tourist information office or buy tickets online, costing €8 per person with children under 14 free. Groups of more than 20 people can visit for €4 each.

Solo travelling can be amazing. You move at your own pace and can make friends as you go with locals and other travellers. But there are some downsides too – solo travelling can be lonely, and if you’re a woman then it can be more dangerous to go at it alone.

Solo traveller Lydia Swinscone has travelled alone to more than 30 countries, and she wrote in Marie Claire about all her tips and tricks for having the best time, and staying safe while you do it. Lydia said the one thing she will never do while solo travelling is turn up to a location without accommodation.

She wrote: “When backpacking with a companion, I rarely had a plan and hopped from town to town without so much as a bedroom booking for the night. When going it alone, however, you have to be much smarter. I’ll never arrive in a new destination without having booked accommodation first, and I’ll always plan my arrival time during daylight.”

She added that she always booked her travel to arrive at her destination during the day. However, sometimes arriving at night is unavoidable, especially if your flight gets delayed, so Lydia urged any solo traveller to book a registered taxi company to take them to their accommodation.

She said: “Wandering unknown streets alone at night with a backpack or carry-on is not a smart idea, whatever country you’re in.”

Another seasoned solo traveller, Fiona Spinks, the founder of Following Fiona, told Express.co.uk there are certain things she will always leave behind when she travels alone. 

“Expensive jewelry is one thing I always leave behind,” Fiona said. “Losing it or worrying about theft isn’t worth it.” 

She also makes sure she is prepared for anything that may come up by packing a small first aid kit on her trips.

She said: “Nothing fancy, just basics like pain relievers and plasters. You never know when you’ll need them.”