As many families plan to head towards the sun for a well deserved break this summer, it’s worth remembering that using your credit card abroad can work out extremely expensive.

The vast majority or credit, and indeed debit card providers will charge you a fee for using your card overseas, often between 2.75 and 2.99%.

On a holiday where you spend £1000, that’s an extra £30 on the bill, money you could have avoided spending by being aware of the extra costs.

Withdrawing cash aboard using a credit card will usually hit you with a further 3% fee taking the total to 6% or £60 on your £1000 spend.

Debit cards are no better, and despite being free to use in Britain, your current account provider will often charge the same usage fee of up to 3%, and a further withdrawal charge for those cash withdrawals of between £1.50 and £5.

Travellers cheques, although seeming a little old fashioned can still be effective ways of safely carrying money aboard, so long as you find somewhere to change them at a good rate, with hard cash stored securely the other alternative.

Many hotels offer safes and safety deposit boxes for a fee smaller than the withdrawal fees although check your insurance policy before you travel with large amounts of cash so you can check you’re covered should the worst happen.