Apologies if this is treading over old well covered ground but I've read and searched and read and searched, and not found anything that fits my situation. I'm going to Japan in a few months and although I'll be paying for larger purchases by CC, I'll need a lot of cash on hand aswell. I've got a number of choices:
1. Travellers cheques: most secure, but apparently quite a bit of hassle and as I understand it, they're a little bit of a ripoff with commission charges etc
2. Travelex cash passport: seems to be fairly equivalent to travellers cheques, but NEW! and EXCITING! Charges are still punitive.
3. Cash: most insecure, but easiest. Apparently petty theft is unheard of in Japan, but still.
4. Preload c/c: my current c/c is a Tesco one, so this out of the question, all cash withdrawals are cash advances at 16.odd% each (plus a forex charge, presumably).
5. ATM out there: this is a goer, but I'm not 100% sure my card will work. On top of that, I'll be charged 3.5% (up to 11 quid) per transaction. If I keep the transactions high enough (c.e400 each time) I should be good, but like I say, I'm a little concerned about being able to use my card out there.
6. New preloaded c/c: I'll be stuck with the e40 stamp duty, but as long as I pick a good card, this might work out the cheapest? My only concern is that most posts here recommend that I drip feed the pre-loading cash, and I'm again not 100% sure I'll have access to my online bank account abroad. Also, I assume that if I have preloaded a card and then buy something on credit, my preload amount goes down by that figure, or is for cash withdrawals only?
I'm really not sure which way to go on this, and would appreciate any advice.