Daughter has flights booked but no accommodation any ideas ,

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reddanmm

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Hello guys my daughter and her friend have booked flights in October for a month. Her itinerary shannon to heathrow then on to Bangkok she is there for 11 days so would like any info on what island to go to and what accommodation is available . On a reasonable budget .
She is then on to Melbourne where they will stay with friends .
She then flies to cairns for a few days so any info on cairns and accommodation Appreciated . Then on to Sydney for 2 days i understand Sydney is very expensive so what hotels do people recommend . She is not the backpacker type so would not fancy a dorm type situation but is not a high maintenance person either.
Also what type of card should she bring as i dont think visa debit will work there and she does not want to carry a lot of cash either
any advice for her is appreciated
 
I'm sure that my Visa Debit card worked in Oz when we were there someyears ago.
 
If she has a Cr Card then preloading it is the cheapest way to go to get cash from ATM's. All the countries are outside the Euro zone so Visa Debit though it will work will be costly at approx 3.5% charges per transaction.
 
Thanks for the replies but def would not encourage her to get a credit card she is debt free so dont want her going down that road it would be too tempting for her and i have visions of her racking up thousands of euros in debt .
 
reddanmm said:
Thanks for the replies but def would not encourage her to get a credit card she is debt free so dont want her going down that road it would be too tempting for her and i have visions of her racking up thousands of euros in debt .
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I went to Australia many years ago and did just that. Took me a couple of years to get my Credit Card debt paid off.
 
reddanmm said:
Sydney is very expensive so what hotels do people recommend . She is not the backpacker type so would not fancy a dorm type situation but is not a high maintenance person either.
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I wouldn't rule out hostels. The ones in Australia in general tend to be well run with decent facilities. They are also a great place to socialise & meet new people.
 
reddanmm said:
Thanks for the replies but def would not encourage her to get a credit card she is debt free so dont want her going down that road it would be too tempting for her and i have visions of her racking up thousands of euros in debt .
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How old is your daughter?
 
She is 23 gone from home since she was 18, i know old enough to look after herself but its her first real long holiday and i dont want her having a credit card she would max the card and spend her savings . She has just paid off her car loan so she is debt free .
 
It is possible to get a Cr Card with a small limit. I was suggesting Pre-loading it so effectively she's only spending her own savings. She'll probably cost herself at least €100 in a month of using Visa Debit :- ATM usage costs 3.5% of transaction value. Minimum €3.17, Maximum €11.43 per transaction.

If at any stage on her holidays she wants to rent a car most companies will only do so on a Cr Card basis.

I understand your fears but I would be terrified to let my daughter out of the country without a few options for getting cash abroad. Most people are responsible. She's paid off her loan and saved for this holiday so she doesn't seem like the type to go mad. I must also add that these days (unlike during the Celtic Tiger) a bank would not give her a Cr Card unless she has a good record with them...At the end of the day I suppose you know your own daughter.

Also I agree that hostels in Australia are much better than what's on offer here. It's possible to get ensuite rooms for 2 a lot more reasonably than hotels.
 
Hi perplexed will def look in to preloaded cc . If she gets a small credit limit of say 1000 should she then load 3000 more in to it thereby only spending her own money . Also we did look at the hostel and you are right they were very impressive . Thanks for the suggestions
 
Just be aware that if the credit card is stolen and it has been pre-loaded then you're only going to be covered for the non pre-loaded amount.

She'll have a great time, so jealous. It's years since I went on a similar trip so my info is well out of date but she should probably only spend a couple of days in bangkok and then head down to koh samui or phangnan(?).

As others have said the hostels are the way to go, especially if they can get a room for however many of them are together.
 
Thanks dereko69. She is going to one of the islands as we have heard Bangkok is a bit boring . She booked through usit and they were very helpful . think she would be better off to go back in and have another chat with them.
The main priority was the flights and she got a great deal with them .
 
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That's exactly what I meant about the C Card. You can get a limit of about €500 if you like and then it's hard to let it get out of control.

It is important to take good care of your CC especially abroad. Always bring the emergency contact number with you and notify immediately if it's lost or stolen. They have 24hr phone lines. Remember also to have the card number written somewhere.

Get her to set up her banking online if she hasn't done so already. What I would recommend - and what I do myself - is to not load the C Card with all the money upfront but to drip feed in from C/A online as needs be. Most smartphones have Apps now that you can do your banking on.

Another thing to warn about is iPhones/Androids abroad. They can cost a fortune! I do what my provider suggested and phone Customer Care night before I leave the country and get mine blocked. I can still txt and make phonecalls but only get internet access where there's wifi, which most hotels/restaurants provide free nowadays.

Always wise too to let your phone co and Cr Card company know where you're going. Otherwise you can find yourself blocked ...they might think your phone/cards have been stolen.

A few days in Bangkok is definitely enough. It's nice to see the Temples & Palace but after that it's really a bit seedy and not somewhere you want to hang around too long. It's great for cheap shopping though....tell them to leave room in their cases :)
 
reddanmm said:
Thanks dereko69. She is going to one of the islands as we have heard Bangkok is a bit boring . She booked through usit and they were very helpful . think she would be better off to go back in and have another chat with them.
The main priority was the flights and she got a great deal with them .
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Bangkok boring :confused: I've spent almost three weeks there over the past 5 years and can't wait to go back. So much to do and see.

The islands on the other hand have nice beaches but to me that is boring. Hua Hin is only a couple of hours from Bangkok if she wanted mainland beaches, it's where the Royal Summer Palace is. Lots to do around there too.
 
Thanks shesells and perplexed very valuable info . She will def take all this advice on board .
 
Day trip to pipi where the beach was filmed I have never swam in nicer sea water, clear blue warm beautiful.
 
Never stayed here, but it's in a great spot - only 20 mins in the bus to center of Sydney - and right on Coogee beach [broken link removed]. Had food there tho & it was reasonable & very good.
 
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