IT’S two days into your holiday, and that optimistic £100 that was going to fund your entire trip has vanished on lazy lunches, cold beers and comedy fridge magnets. Oh well, you think, you’ll just get more money out.

But tackling an ATM abroad can be an ordeal. You entrust your card to the machine, frown at the foreign words on the screen, and jab some buttons half at random. If luck is on your side, you’ll get your cash and card back, minus a hefty transaction fee of up to £5 and a less-thanfavourable exchange rate. But in the worst-case scenario, the card could be swallowed up by the machine, leaving you cash-less and card-less.

Finance abroad is a minefield: cards get blocked, overdrafts overspent, and wallets nicked. Fortunately, nowadays there are more ways than ever to safely access your money when travelling. To avoid walking around with a wallet-full of cash, try a prepaid currency card.

This won’t charge you for card transactions or (usually) ATMs – but look out for hidden ‘‘start-up’’ and ‘‘inactivity’’ fees if you wish to use it again for your next holiday.

On the plus side, prepaid cards are not linked to your main account, so are safer in case of theft.

You can apply for an overseas credit card (debit cards often charge £1.50 per transaction). However, a loading fee of around 2.75-3 per cent will usually apply, and you will need to pay the full amount off by the end of the month to avoid interest rates.

Be wary of card protection policies (CPP): card-holders are already legally entitled to protection in case of fraud.

Travellers’ cheques are accepted in most tourist destinations and cities, although if you’re heading somewhere off the beaten track, they will be difficult to exchange.

Commission charges of 2-3 per cent are also the norm, but if you study the exchange rates ahead of time you can usually get a good deal.

Make a note of serial numbers, too.

If you somehow end up walletless and someone back at home is able to help, they can wire you emergency money. Money transfer companies such as Moneygram offer this service within ten minutes to most countries in the world (there is no charge to pick up). Otherwise your benefactor back home can use Paypal, sending money as a ‘‘gift’’.

Make sure you tell your bank in advance that you are going abroad, specifying dates and places: if they see unusual transactions they may be suspicious and block your card.

Where there is an option to be charged in pounds or local currency, always choose the local currency – this trick is known as dynamic currency conversion (DCC) and hidden fees abound.

Finally, to minimise the risk of your card being eaten by an ATM, make sure you only use machines