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Overseas travel help.

thorson1987

Coach
Messages
16,907
So after 32 years I finally get to experience my first overseas trip at the end of July. Going over to Queenstown for just over a week.

So just a few questions re money and shit.

1. Should I get a travel card or just use my ANZ debit card?

2. Been told I should exchange some cash before we go (not at the airport though). What would be a good amount?

3. Is it worth buying alcohol duty free?

4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.
 

Parra

Referee
Messages
24,894
If your card is a visa or mastercard debit card with a PIN you should be fine in NZ. Normal atm use. Let your bank know you are travelling.

In NZ there is no more need for cash than there is here. They are pretty funny about tap and go merchant fees though. I never change cash, then again I am not usually in the boonies. A bit for emergencies might make sense - you might find a bar that is cash only out there somewhere.

Phones can be a pain. i know with telstra you can purchase data packs specifically for international use.

I don't think duty free alcohol makes much difference, but if you'd be buying a bottle during your trip then why not. A great aussie innovation is forcing you to walk through a duty free shop to get to the gates at airports, so it's hardly a hassle.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,451
Having a bit of cash is handy. The Plaza at Penrith has a currency exchange that has pretty good rates. Its in like a kiosk, not a shop front. I imagine most malls would have similar. Avoid buying anything at the airport except the duty free on the way out. Check the prices and range of duty free grog once you go through security & immigration so you can compare the prices at the duty free in NZ. Some countries are heaps cheaper than here. Not sure on NZ,but Hong Kong is much cheaper and far more range than Sydney duty free.

Also I always grab a carton of shit sticks the flight out. Since they reduced the limit you cant buy them on the way back in. I've never been checked coming back in.

Phone is a pain in the arse. I used to always get a local sim when travelling, but I seemed to forever run out of credit in no time. I'm with telstra now,so just use the travel pack. It is the best option I think. You may even be able to just get a travel sim from them before you go.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
So after 32 years I finally get to experience my first overseas trip at the end of July. Going over to Queenstown for just over a week.

So just a few questions re money and shit.

1. Should I get a travel card or just use my ANZ debit card?

2. Been told I should exchange some cash before we go (not at the airport though). What would be a good amount?

3. Is it worth buying alcohol duty free?

4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.
1. Your Aust debit card will work, just let you bank know you'll be using it in NZ otherwise they might think the transactions are fraudulent.
They will charge additional fees but if it's only a week I wouldn't worry about it too much.

2. Cash is King. Especially when you're travelling around the South Island. You will not always have mobile or internet connection.
NZD should be easy to get at your bank, just give them a heads up. Costs a little more at the airport but it is convenient.
How much? That's up to you, how many dinners, drinks etc you want to have over the week. In my experience, we always spend more when on holidays.

3. Duty Free is overrated imo. Although I did buy a bottle of brandy, which turned out to be quite handy as we almost froze in a Campervan whilst parked overnight at Mount Cook. That was in May. At 8:00am it was still dark and I was scraping ice off the windscreen, ie on the INSIDE of the windscreen.
Tip to self: Campervans are overrated when travelling to cold places.

4. The further south you go, the harder it is to get a connection. There will be times that you simply lose connection and end up tossing the phone in the glove box or bag. Quite liberating actually. Get a sim card if you want but plan ahead, because it won't won't always work.

If you find yourself near Mt Cook, drop into the Twizel pub and say hello to Mike Darling. Free Wifi, great food, cheap beer and free power points for recharging. Mike is a bit of legend in the area for catching salmon, and something of a local celebrity. Made us feel very welcomed.

Have a great trip.
 

Meth

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
34,475
So after 32 years I finally get to experience my first overseas trip at the end of July. Going over to Queenstown for just over a week.

So just a few questions re money and shit.

1. Should I get a travel card or just use my ANZ debit card?

2. Been told I should exchange some cash before we go (not at the airport though). What would be a good amount?

3. Is it worth buying alcohol duty free?

4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.

You'll love it down there. Enjoy
 

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
11,828
If you're going to withdraw cash from an ATM overseas, seeing as you're only going for a week, try and limit it to just 1 withdrawal and get the cash you'll need in 1 go. Not sure if NZ is the same but when I've been in Europe or US the banks charge something like 5 or 6 dollars from memory for international transaction fees....
 

horrie hastings

First Grade
Messages
7,284
When I went to Europe and the UK in 2011 I took plenty of Euro and Pounds with me, exchange rate was great then then just relied on my debit card then , fees weren’t to bad there except for France. West Coast US in 2014 I took a Qantas cash card which I loaded up before going, great not paying any or a very small basic fee at the ATMs there. My first Overseas trip was to NZ back in 1990 and was back there in 1993 and apart from a one night stop over near Auckland airport on the way to Hawaii in 2006 I haven’t been since, I remember the South Island being truly beautiful.
Going to Singapore for a week in October, ugggh it’s going to be nightmare working out the best option for the phone .
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
NZ is easy. If your bank operates there (Westpac and ANZ do) stick to their ATMs and you’ll cop less fees and try to withdraw large amounts once or twice rather than lots. Otherwise use your credit card.
For phone either get a local SIM, buy an overseas data pack off your provider or just rely on free wifi where you can find it (there will be plenty in Queenstown). Don’t use roaming data, it’ll cost you a fortune.
You’ll have no trouble getting mobile coverage anywhere there are people but outside towns you can lose signal pretty quickly because NZ is so mountainous you won’t have line of sight to a cell tower. Enjoy not having to answer the Phone!
Duty free alcohol is worth it if it’s cheap, the prices are marked so it’s easy enough to work out! Sometimes they have some nice specials on.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
I don’t think you need a travel card but I would always advise you to have a second card of some kind kept seperate from your wallet. If you lose a card at home it’s annoying if you do it abroad it can ruin your trip.
I would normally have a couple of hundred bucks in cash mostly just so you don’t end up stuck with nothing but it’s not really needed.
I always buy duty free on the way back in, it’s not that much cheaper but if I get 4 bottles you end up with one free more or less (that’s with the mrs allowance and she’s doesn’t drink, so I get 4 lol) I’ve found buying in Sydney on the way back in is actually cheaper than a lot of other airports, I have mostly been using Arab airlines the last few years mind.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
I would normally have a couple of hundred bucks in cash mostly just so you don’t end up stuck with nothing but it’s not really needed.
I agree for the most part and the need for cash is very much subject to your location. I'm sure Queenstown is OK when it comes to EFTPOS and Wifi, but go a little more rural and you'll suddenly find the services gone.

It's the same when you go bush in Australia. In central Qld for example, once you leave town, just forget about the phone or internet. Same in most places. We were in Broome last year and thought we were OK to drive to a pearl farm less than 50kms away. Great place, nice food, and a well stocked bar... but the EFTPOS decided to die that day. I luckily grabbed a $100 from the ATM before leaving Broome, so we had cash and were able to have lunch. But a lot of other folk went with without a food and beer because they only had cards.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
So after 32 years I finally get to experience my first overseas trip at the end of July. Going over to Queenstown for just over a week.

So just a few questions re money and shit.

1. Should I get a travel card or just use my ANZ debit card?

2. Been told I should exchange some cash before we go (not at the airport though). What would be a good amount?

3. Is it worth buying alcohol duty free?

4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.

Hey mate

1. Your typical ANZ/St George/Westpacs tend to work at ATMs in NZ no worries. But aren't the best value. You take a bit of a hit on conversion fees.
Travel cards are the same, they tend to have no fees but the exchange rate you get is sneakily worse than the actual current rate.
But,
I can recommend CITIBANK as an international account with great exchange rates. We used it all over Europe. No fees on any major bank ATM withdrawal.
We also had a BANKWEST credit card which was no conversion fees and great exchange rate.

Most cost effective way, get a Citibank account to withdraw cash from bank ATMs in cities and only use your ANZ as an emergency backup.

2. Get enough cash for the first day or an emergency. Enough to get a taxi into town from the airport plus a feed. Couple of hundred $ max.
Order it online through Travelex and pick it up from an outlet.
But for most of your cash, see point 1. Withdraw from ATMs locally.

3. Maybe? It's a decent price but not outrageously good by any means. Do a price compare online maybe. Anything more than a bottle each is a pain in the arse to carry anyway.

4. Get a local prepaid sim once your over there. It's a pretty low price compared to everything else that adds up on a trip. This might help https://www.kiwiexperience.com/blog/the-best-sim-card-for-your-new-zealand-travels
 
Messages
15,545
So after 32 years I finally get to experience my first overseas trip at the end of July. Going over to Queenstown for just over a week.

So just a few questions re money and shit.

1. Should I get a travel card or just use my ANZ debit card?

2. Been told I should exchange some cash before we go (not at the airport though). What would be a good amount?

3. Is it worth buying alcohol duty free?

4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.

1. No. ANZ debit should be fine. If you would usually withdraw $100 at a time at home then withdraw $300 or $400 at a time when you're OS. Less transactions = less fee's. As others have mentioned, just let your bank know. You should be able to do it through net banking.
If you're only there for a week, you should have a rough idea after the first few days, how much you think you'll go through.

2. Having a few hundred dollars in cash handy is never a bad idea. Travelex is good, or you can try your bank. I used to use Australia post. You order on the website and pick up from the local post office the next day but I'm not sure if they are that cheap anymore. Shop around.

3. No. In most cases your local Dan Murphy will be cheaper. The only good thing about duty free alcohol is that sometimes they have limited edition stuff that you can't get at home. For the most part though, Duty free alcohol, perfume, electronics are all overrated and not really very cheap at all.

4. Just grab a cheap sim over there.They are available at all the major grocery stores and post offices, same as they are here.
 

horrie hastings

First Grade
Messages
7,284
All this holiday talk, just booked 6 days in Singapore in October and just starting to plan a big European trip for next year, looking at river cruises as part of it which is doing my head in a bit but as with any holiday it will all fall into place when it's supposed to .
 

Parra

Referee
Messages
24,894
4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.

I arrived in Auckland yesterday - I imagine you'll fly into a different airport - however the tourist SIM promotions could not be missed - the promo people are hard to avoid. Before you even hit customs or even duty free.
 

Zadar

Juniors
Messages
961
All this holiday talk, just booked 6 days in Singapore in October and just starting to plan a big European trip for next year, looking at river cruises as part of it which is doing my head in a bit but as with any holiday it will all fall into place when it's supposed to .

Have you been to Singapore before HH?
What’s the attraction or what do you plan to do, looks pretty spectacular with some of their resorts, but heard it is very pricey, would like to do the horse races in Singapore or Hong Kong one year, Grand Prix or rugby sevens always looks good there too.
 

___

Juniors
Messages
860
Experienced traveler here:

1. Should I get a travel card or just use my ANZ debit card?

ANZ is compatible in NZ so you can save yourself trouble and use it - however it's a good idea to get a travel card and load $1000 (AUD) on it just to be safe.

2. Been told I should exchange some cash before we go (not at the airport though). What would be a good amount?

It depends on what you want to do. If you're there for say 10 days and want to buy souvenirs, site see, and do physical activities, I'd say $1500 would be sufficient (likely to consider you'll be eating out every night).


3. Is it worth buying alcohol duty free?

It depends on your intake and whether or not you drink it. I am a Scotch man and got 2 bottles of black label that came with a satchel bag for $100. Same thing elsewhere would've cost me nearly double that.


4. We have wifi at our accomodation, but don't plan on spending heaps of time there. Should I look at getting a cheap sim card over there to use (don't have international roaming on my plan) or one of those travel sim cards? Especially when it comes to our trip to Milford Sound which is going to be a long day on the bus.

I'd buy a sim card over there and bin it when you leave - it depends on what you use your data on. Keep in mind plenty of places in NZ will have wifi for you too such as shopping centres and cafes.
 
Last edited:

horrie hastings

First Grade
Messages
7,284
Have you been to Singapore before HH?
What’s the attraction or what do you plan to do, looks pretty spectacular with some of their resorts, but heard it is very pricey, would like to do the horse races in Singapore or Hong Kong one year, Grand Prix or rugby sevens always looks good there too.

I had a 3 or 4 day stopover in Singapore coming back from Europe but that was back in 1993. Original plans for a holiday this year was the west coast of US but with the dollar in the toilet decided against it so decided to make it more local, my better half suggested Darwin or Singapore as somewhere different, I was starting to warm to idea of Darwin but a good deal came up for Singapore so booked it, my better half has never been to anyway in Asia[ apart from Airport lounges] and with Singapore was interested in the World War 2 history so that swayed the decision. I always wanted to go back to Singapore but thought it was easier for a short stay coming back from Europe again at some point. I remember it being spectacular and after booking Luxury escapes came up with a good deal staying at the almost brand new Sofitel hotel in the city, while the package is comparable price wise with what I booked, some of the inclusions are better including breakfast every day and free drink happy hour with canapés every day also, still though i'm happy with where we are staying at the Pan Pacific which is luxurious too. Will be in Singapore a few weeks after the Grand Prix so the prices were a bit less, the Singapore dollar is comparable to the Australian dollar at the moment.

Always thought I could do a few days in Hong Kong but coming back from Europe in 2011 spent about 2 hours in the terminal there, it was so hot and humid and outside you could not see very far because the smog was so thick, think that has put me off going but it also could be the fact that I was a bit ga ga after the 12 hour flight to there from Heathrow.
 

Zadar

Juniors
Messages
961
I had a 3 or 4 day stopover in Singapore coming back from Europe but that was back in 1993. Original plans for a holiday this year was the west coast of US but with the dollar in the toilet decided against it so decided to make it more local, my better half suggested Darwin or Singapore as somewhere different, I was starting to warm to idea of Darwin but a good deal came up for Singapore so booked it, my better half has never been to anyway in Asia[ apart from Airport lounges] and with Singapore was interested in the World War 2 history so that swayed the decision. I always wanted to go back to Singapore but thought it was easier for a short stay coming back from Europe again at some point. I remember it being spectacular and after booking Luxury escapes came up with a good deal staying at the almost brand new Sofitel hotel in the city, while the package is comparable price wise with what I booked, some of the inclusions are better including breakfast every day and free drink happy hour with canapés every day also, still though i'm happy with where we are staying at the Pan Pacific which is luxurious too. Will be in Singapore a few weeks after the Grand Prix so the prices were a bit less, the Singapore dollar is comparable to the Australian dollar at the moment.

Always thought I could do a few days in Hong Kong but coming back from Europe in 2011 spent about 2 hours in the terminal there, it was so hot and humid and outside you could not see very far because the smog was so thick, think that has put me off going but it also could be the fact that I was a bit ga ga after the 12 hour flight to there from Heathrow.

Mates sister lived there, he hated the humidity when he went, but absolutely loved the chilli crab and having Singapore slings in a famous hotel (names escapes me) where you have the sling and shell pistachios and just throw them around.

He had a day pass to the marina bay sands which he said was unbelievable,

Luxury escapes had a deal for Singapore/Maldives which seemed a good price, would love to do that one year.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
^decent advice for a long trip but not worth opening a new account just for a one or two week jaunt IMO.

Probably true.
It's the cheapest way but ultimately the small hit in fees using your current accounts might not be worth the effort of a new account.

If you plan to travel a bit more often in future its handy to have though
 
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