Revolut for Travel: My Honest Take After Using It Abroad

I still remember standing at a currency exchange booth in Prague, watching the guy behind the counter skim almost 8% off my exchange. That was the trip that made me finally look into fintech options for travel. I’d heard about Revolut for a while but figured it was one of those things that sounds good on paper. Turns out, it mostly delivers. Let me walk you through what Revolut actually offers travelers and where it falls short.

Multi-Currency Accounts

This is the feature that hooked me. You can hold and exchange up to 28 different currencies at interbank rates. That means no more airport exchange desks taking their cut. You just swap currencies in the app with a few taps.

If you’re hopping between countries — say, a Europe trip hitting three or four nations — this is genuinely useful. You can see exactly how much you have in each currency, convert what you need, and keep the rest. Traditional banks charge you for international transactions on top of giving you a worse exchange rate. Revolut mostly eliminates that. I say “mostly” because there is a weekend markup, which I’ll get to.

Interbank Exchange Rates

Probably should have led with this because it’s the main selling point. Revolut gives you the interbank rate for currency conversion during the week. That’s the rate banks use when they trade with each other — basically the cheapest rate that exists. Regular banks and exchange services add their own markup on top of that rate, which is how they make money off you.

The catch: on weekends, Revolut adds a small markup because the forex markets are closed and they need to protect against Monday morning fluctuations. It’s not huge, but if you’re exchanging a large amount, maybe wait until Monday. I learned this the hard way swapping about 500 euros on a Saturday.

ATM Withdrawals Around the World

Your Revolut card works at ATMs pretty much everywhere. No direct fees from Revolut for withdrawals, but there’s a monthly limit depending on your plan. Go over that limit and you’ll pay a small percentage fee. The standard plan limit is reasonable for a short trip but might not cut it for longer stays.

One thing to watch: some ATMs charge their own fees regardless of what card you use. Those fees are on the ATM operator, not Revolut. I’ve been hit with surprise ATM fees in Thailand and parts of Eastern Europe, so just check the screen before you confirm.

Security That Actually Reassures You

When you’re traveling, worrying about your card getting skimmed or stolen is the last thing you need. Revolut lets you freeze and unfreeze your card instantly from the app. You can also set spending limits and get real-time notifications for every transaction.

There’s a location-based security feature too — it matches your card transactions with your phone’s location. So if someone tries to use your card details in a country you’re not in, it flags it. I’ve never had to use this in an emergency, thankfully, but knowing it’s there is reassuring.

The app itself is clean and easy to navigate. Even my dad figured it out when I set him up before his trip to Spain, and he’s not exactly a digital native.

Travel Insurance You Only Pay For When Traveling

This one surprised me. Revolut offers pay-per-day travel insurance that activates when you leave your home country and turns off when you get back. It covers medical expenses, trip delays, and lost luggage. You can add winter sports coverage or other activity add-ons too.

The per-day model is genuinely smart for people who take several short trips a year. Traditional annual policies make sense for frequent travelers, but if you take three or four trips, the pay-per-day option can save you real money. I haven’t had to make a claim yet — knock on wood — so I can’t speak to how smooth that process is.

Rewards and Cashback

Through Revolut Rewards, you get access to discounts and cashback at various retailers, online and in person. These change regularly, so it’s worth checking before big purchases. On my last trip, I got cashback on a car rental through one of their partner deals, which was a nice bonus I wasn’t expecting.

The savings aren’t life-changing, but they add up. That’s what makes Revolut endearing to budget travelers — the little savings compound over time.

Spending Analytics

The app tracks your spending and lets you categorize it. You can set budgets for food, transport, shopping, whatever categories make sense for you. When I’m traveling, I tend to lose track of spending because everything feels like “vacation money.” Having a clear breakdown at the end of each day keeps me honest.

You can also set savings goals — like saving up for your next trip while you’re still on the current one. Pretty motivating, actually.

Splitting Bills With Friends

If you’ve ever traveled in a group and tried to keep track of who owes what, you know it can get messy fast. Revolut’s bill-splitting feature handles this neatly. Split restaurant bills, hotel costs, or taxi rides with other Revolut users. The app tracks outstanding balances and sends reminders. It won’t save your friendships entirely, but it removes one source of friction.

Crypto, If That’s Your Thing

You can buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrency through the app. I’ll be honest, I don’t use this feature much when traveling, but some people like having their crypto portfolio accessible alongside their regular accounts. It’s there if you want it, not pushed on you if you don’t.

Customer Support

24/7 support through the app. When I had an issue with a declined transaction in Lisbon — turned out I’d accidentally left my card frozen from the night before — I got it sorted through the in-app chat in about ten minutes. Premium and Metal users get faster response times, which might matter if you’re the type who needs immediate help.

Works Pretty Much Everywhere

The Revolut card is accepted at millions of locations worldwide. It’s contactless, so payments are quick. I’ve used it across Europe, in Southeast Asia, and in the US without issues. I did hit one small hiccup at a tiny restaurant in rural Portugal that only took local debit cards, but that’s the exception, not the rule.

Premium and Metal Plans

Revolut has tiered plans. The free plan covers most of what you need. Premium adds higher ATM limits and priority support. Metal gets you cashback on purchases plus a nice-looking metal card, if that matters to you. For frequent travelers doing more than a few trips a year, the Premium plan probably pays for itself in ATM fee savings alone. I’m on Premium and it’s been worth it for me.

Where Revolut Falls Short

No tool is perfect. A few things to keep in mind:

The weekend exchange rate markup can catch you off guard if you’re not aware of it. Card acceptance is very good but not universal — I’ve seen a few reports of issues in parts of Africa and South America, though I haven’t experienced this personally. And if you’re on the free plan, the ATM withdrawal limit might be tight for longer trips. Worth considering before you leave.

Also, Revolut isn’t a traditional bank in every country, which means deposit protection varies by region. Do your homework on that front if you’re planning to keep large sums in the account.

Getting Started

Signing up takes about five minutes. Download the app, register with your phone number, verify your identity, and you’re in. You can start using a virtual card for online stuff immediately while waiting for the physical card to arrive. The whole process is about as straightforward as it gets.

Bottom line: Revolut isn’t the only travel fintech out there, but it’s one of the most polished. For anyone who travels internationally even a couple times a year, it’s worth having in your toolkit alongside your regular bank. Just keep that weekend markup in mind.