Originally Posted by
deniah
Keep it really, really simple:
*Use Debit cards to withdraw at ATMs as needed. Always good to have cash in hand as backup.
*Never ever get cash from credit cards, anywhere.
*When paying with credit card, pay in local currency when possible
That's it. Dont sweat the details and enjoy your trip.
This ^.
You shouldn't need much cash in the UK. I would withdraw maybe 50 pounds max to start and then if you need more you can always get it.
Advice about paying with local currency is very good too. Never let them charge you in USD, always insist that you pay in local currency (pounds in UK and Euros in France) - otherwise you'll get killed on the dynamic currency conversion rates.