One of the easiest ways to waste money while travelling is to ignore how you’re paying for things.

Currency conversion fees, poor exchange rates, ATM charges and unnecessary cash withdrawals can quietly add up over the course of a trip. And when you’re already spending hundreds or thousands on flights, accommodation and food, there’s no reason to give away more money than you need to.

A good travel money app can make spending abroad much simpler and potentially save you money along the way.

I’ve tried a few different options, but Revolut is the one I personally use most for travelling. I love being able to set aside money specifically for a trip, convert it into the currency I need and keep track of exactly how much I’ve budgeted.

But Revolut isn’t necessarily the right choice for everyone. Wise and Monzo are both worth considering, depending on how you manage your money. Here’s how I’d choose between them plus the simple things you can do to avoid unnecessary currency fees when travelling.

You don’t necessarily need a dedicated travel money app. Your normal bank card might work perfectly well abroad. But a travel-focused account can make things easier, particularly if you travel regularly or want more control over your spending.

Depending on the provider, you can:

• Spend in different currencies
• Exchange money before or during your trip
• Hold multiple currencies
• Withdraw cash abroad
• Track your spending in the app
• Use physical or virtual cards
• Keep your holiday budget separate from your everyday money

And there’s another advantage I really like: you can see what you’re spending while you’re actually travelling. Instead of coming home and discovering that your trip cost considerably more than expected, you can keep an eye on your budget as you go.

If I had to recommend just one travel money app for most travellers, I’d choose Revolut. The feature I find most useful isn’t even the currency conversion itself. It’s the way I can separate my holiday money from the rest of my spending.

Create a holiday budget

I like putting money aside specifically for a trip and keeping it separate from my everyday spending. For example, if I’m travelling to the US, I can have money set aside for the trip and convert what I need into US dollars.

That means I know how much I’ve allocated to the holiday before I even leave. And because the money is already there, it’s much easier to keep track of how much I’ve spent. It turns my holiday budget into something I can actually see rather than just a number in my head.

You can keep personal and shared spending separate

This is particularly useful for me because I travel with my husband. We have a joint Revolut account for our shared expenses, so we can keep money for things like restaurants, transport and other holiday costs separate from our individual spending.

For example, we might have dollars in our joint account for our shared expenses, while I have my own dollars available for things I want to buy for myself. It’s a small thing, but I find it makes managing holiday spending so much easier.

Spending abroad

Revolut gives you a card you can use when travelling, while the app lets you manage your money and currencies from your phone. You can also use virtual cards, which I find particularly useful for online purchases and bookings.

The important thing is to understand what your particular Revolut plan includes. Exchange allowances, weekend fees and cash withdrawal limits can vary between plans, so it’s worth checking the current pricing before you travel.

Should you upgrade your Revolut plan?

Not necessarily. If you’re an occasional traveller and don’t need additional features, the basic plan may be enough. But if you’re travelling frequently, exchanging larger amounts of money or withdrawing cash regularly, it can be worth looking at the higher-tier plans and comparing what you actually get for the additional monthly cost. Don’t upgrade just because you see more benefits listed. Work out what you’ll actually use first.

→ Try Revolut for your next trip

Wise is another excellent option, but I’d think about it slightly differently from Revolut. Where I particularly like Revolut for everyday travel spending and budgeting, Wise is especially useful if you’re regularly moving money between currencies or sending and receiving international payments. You can hold multiple currencies, convert money through the app and use the Wise card when travelling.

Who is Wise best for?

I’d consider Wise if you:

• Send money internationally
• Receive money in different currencies
• Regularly move money between countries
• Want a straightforward multi-currency account
• Travel internationally but don’t necessarily need all the additional features of a broader financial app

Wise is also very transparent about its conversion fees, which can be helpful when you want to know exactly what you’re paying. If international transfers are a big part of how you use your money, Wise would probably be my first choice.

→ Try Wise

If you’re already a Monzo customer, I’d definitely look at what your existing account can do before opening another travel money app. Monzo makes spending abroad straightforward, and its app is particularly good for keeping track of your spending.

For many travellers, that’s all they actually need. You can use your Monzo card abroad and see your transactions in the app, without needing to open a completely separate account just for travelling. The main thing to check before your trip is your specific account’s current cash withdrawal limits and any applicable fees, particularly if you expect to use ATMs regularly.

So why choose Monzo?

I’d choose Monzo if:

• You already use it as your main bank
• You want to keep everything in one app
• You mainly pay by card when travelling
• You don’t want another separate financial account

If you’re already happy with Monzo, there’s probably no need to open a new account simply because you’re going on holiday.

There’s no single winner for everyone. It really depends on what you want the app to do.

	Revolut	Wise	Monzo
Best for	Travel spending & budgeting	International transfers	Everyday banking + travel
Multiple currencies	✓	✓	Limited compared with the others
Currency exchange	✓	✓	✓
Travel card	✓	✓	✓
Holiday budgeting	Excellent	Good	Good
International transfers	Good	Excellent	Good
Cash withdrawals	Plan-dependent	Plan-dependent	Plan-dependent
My pick for travelling	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆

My quick verdict

Revolut: Best if you want a dedicated travel-friendly account, budgeting tools and easy currency management.

Wise: Best if international transfers and moving money between currencies are particularly important to you.

Monzo: Best if you’re already a Monzo customer and want to keep your money in one place.

Choosing the right app is only half the story. How you use it matters too. Here are some of the mistakes I try to avoid when travelling.

Don’t exchange money at the airport

Airport currency exchange desks are convenient, but convenience doesn’t necessarily mean a good deal. If you need cash, it’s usually worth planning ahead rather than waiting until you’re standing next to the departure gate.

Always choose the local currency

This is one of the most important tips. When paying by card abroad, you may sometimes be asked whether you want to pay in pounds or the local currency.

Choose the local currency.

The same applies when withdrawing cash from an ATM. If you’re in Japan and the ATM asks whether you want to be charged in GBP or Japanese yen, choose yen. Choosing GBP can mean accepting the ATM’s own conversion rate rather than allowing your card provider to handle the currency conversion.

Be careful when exchanging money at the weekend

This is one to keep an eye on with Revolut. Depending on your plan, additional exchange fees can apply at weekends, so if you know you’re going to need a significant amount of another currency, it can make sense to exchange it during the week. The exact fees and allowances depend on your current plan, so check the latest pricing in the app before you travel.

Check your exchange allowance

Don’t assume that every currency exchange is completely fee-free. Some providers have monthly exchange allowances or fair-use limits, particularly on their entry-level plans. If you’re planning a long trip or spending a significant amount abroad, check your plan before you go so you don’t get caught out halfway through your holiday.

Check your ATM allowance

Cash withdrawals are another area where fees can creep in. If you know you’ll need cash, check how much you can withdraw without additional fees on your particular plan. And remember that the ATM itself may also charge a fee, which is separate from anything your card provider charges.

Don’t withdraw loads of cash “just in case”

I prefer to carry a small amount of local currency and use my card for most purchases where possible.

That way, I’m not left with a huge amount of foreign currency at the end of the trip.

For the way I travel, Revolut is my favourite. I like knowing that my holiday money is separate from my everyday spending and that I can convert money into the currency I’m going to use. Before a trip, I’ll work out roughly how much I want to spend and move that money into my holiday budget. Then, if I’m travelling somewhere like the US, I can convert the amount I need into dollars. I also like having our shared holiday spending separate from our individual money. It makes it much easier to see what we’ve actually budgeted for the trip.

It’s one less thing to think about once I’m away. And that’s really what I want from a travel money app. I don’t want to spend my holiday worrying about exchange rates, calculating how much I’ve spent or wondering whether I’m being charged unnecessary fees. I want to pay for my dinner, tap my card and carry on enjoying my trip.

That said, Revolut isn’t automatically the best option for everyone.

If you’re primarily moving money internationally, I’d look at Wise.
If you already bank with Monzo and mainly want an easy way to spend abroad, Monzo may be all you need.

Whichever you choose, the biggest thing is to check the fees and limits before you travel and always choose the local currency when paying or withdrawing cash. A few small decisions can make a surprisingly big difference over the course of a trip.

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