Sunday, July 13, 2025
New travel warnings have been issued for Spain, USA, Turkey, Greece, France, and Austria due to growing concerns over traveler safety, civil unrest, and widespread cash-only payment scenarios that are catching tourists off guard. These popular destinations are increasingly seeing protests, anti-tourism sentiment, and card payment failures, prompting officials to advise visitors to carry local currency and remain alert. The warnings serve as a crucial reminder for holidaymakers to plan ahead, avoid high-risk areas, and prepare for limited digital payment access in many tourist zones.
Tourists Notified, Making Card Payments in Spain, Greece, and Turkey Can Leave You Stuck Without Means of Payment

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Tour travel professionals are warning travelers bound for major tourist spots like Spain, Greece, and Turkey to reconsider relying exclusively on debit or credit cards once they visit. Results of recent research indicate that travelers may run the risk of being unable to pay the costs of necessities like taxi rides, food, and in-country mementos because of cash-only rules that prevail in many areas.
The recent canvass of 3,000 UK travelers included their foreign spending experience and future trips. According to the results, the most common holiday destinations like Spain, the United States, Turkey, Greece, and France often catch the British holidaymakers off guard when they won’t take cards.

The study emphasized that nearly one in twenty British travelers—approximately 38%—had faced situations abroad in which they did not have adequate money on them. Such an inability to be equipped made them incapable of undertaking transactions with reference to regular items or services. The most common destination of the incidents mentioned was Spain, followed by the USA, Turkey, Greece, and France.
The book stresses the importance of bringing along adequate amounts of regional money during travel, especially to locations that won’t automatically take digital money or infrastructure is limited. From rural cafes and small mom-and-pop stores to transportation services, card machines are often absent or inconsistent.
While contactless payments are second nature to the UK, the unexpected number of British travelers—almost 38%—have gone without adequate cash during their foreign trips. Such unexpected moments usually take place at the most inopportune moments and offer a resounding reminder that it pays to plan financially ahead of the trip and eliminate unnecessary traveling stress.
The study revealed that only one in three British holidaymakers took the trouble to check how reliant their destination was on physical cash. This is shortsightedness that leaves most of them poorly equipped, especially in countries where the availability of cards is far less commonplace than at home.
From lunching at a bustling Spanish food market to browsing handmade items in an idyllic Greek town, or traveling in an Istanbul taxi, so much foreign travel still revolves around making use of foreign currency. Having cash is still the essence of hassle-free foreign travel, regardless of how global the world is.
Most Popular Holiday Resorts Where the British Tourists Are Most Likely to Run Out of Money
The most usual locations that UK holidaymakers have encountered running out of money are the following, according to the recent research, which has been conducted by Money Services and Tesco Insurance:
Spain
United States
Turkey
Greece
France
Austria
Although online paying systems have gained popularity, the study verifies that physical cash is still an optimal and, at times, essential form of paying during travels overseas. Most travelers prefer to have physical money with them as it makes them feel less stressed and more flexible, especially in places with limited or inconsistent card validity.
The survey finds that more than half of the British holidaymakers (57%) pay in cash to tip and taxi fares, and nearly half (48%) confirm that they merely favor the money convenience over having to endure the card machines or digital transaction issues.
For one out of three travelers (33%), carrying cash is an essential backup plan during emergencies—so that they won’t get stuck if the card is lost, denied, or compromised. For 21% of the respondents, the reason they prioritize cash over cards is avoiding foreign card fees or having an experience with cash-only business establishments.
Whether it’s dining in local restaurants, shopping in city markets, or negotiating with taxi drivers in foreign towns, money still plays an important role in the holiday procedure among the majority of Brits abroad.
Plan Ahead Before You Travel to Keep Holiday Money Expenses Low
It is one of the most costly errors that travelers make to change money at the airport. Airport foreign exchange booths have terrible rates and foreign exchange offices overseas often come with massive fees attached. If you plan the holiday money in advance, chances are that the rate that you receive will be better, and the risk of being faced with an alien country and having neither cash, nor the facility of an ATM that is accessible.
Having money readily accessible on hand also spares you unwanted fees with foreign ATMs and avoids the most inconvenient moments, such as paying transportation, food, or minuscule neighborhood services, from making you cash-less and frantic.
Know the Local Currency Before You Travel
It is something that might be considered an obvious tip, but always confirm which currency is in use at the travel destination. This is especially true in areas where multiple currencies are used or in traveling to several countries on the same trip. It takes a few minutes to confirm this beforehand, which will save on confusion and delay in the process of making purchases or paying for services.
Carry Several Denominations of Notes
While on the move, it is preferred to have combinations of smaller and larger denomination currency notes. Small shops, taxi operators, and street vendors hardly have change to provide if large bills are offered to them. Smaller denomination notes become useful in smoothing the transaction, tipping, and avoiding uncomfortable situations wherein the transaction cannot be settled. Ordering travel money beforehand, being aware of the money etiquette of the country, and possessing the appropriate number of denominations with you are all simple precautions that go miles in making it a smooth trip.

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Tags: anti-tourism protests Europe, card payment issues abroad, France holiday advisory, Greece travel safety, Spain tourism alert, Summer Travel 2025, travel disruption alerts, Turkey visitor tips, UK tourist tips

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