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Our family ( 2 adults & 3 children ) is planning a 5 month tour of europe this summer going to France,Italy,Slovenia,Austria,Germany,Denmark,Sweden,Norway,Holland,Belguim,Blighty.

We don't want to pay expensive banking fees to either change money or draw money from cash machines. Does anybody have a recommendation as to a british or european bank with low fees. Hopefully some of you live in Britain & europe and have encountered this issue yourselves.

Whilst on the subject does anyone have a recommendation as to a cheap mobile phone provider. Is it cheapest with local sim cards or a single network? 

Thanks in anticipation

for fone calls try:    http://www.0044.co.uk

Another vote for Nationwide credit and debit card - use them in France. With the debit card you can withdraw cash at the hole in the wall with NO FEE. Purchases are also NO FEE with both cards.

As for phone calls, get whoever you ring to register with www.call1899.co.uk and they can ring you. Or you could even add their phone number to your 1899 account so you pay for them to ring you. This is what I do with parents and in-laws - a LOT cheaper than me ringing them from France. I ring them from a call box anf then they ring me back. The calls cost me 1pence per minute!