Although a prepaid card can be a good idea, there are also some reasons why money is still the best way to travel. Firstly, there are a lot of fees with the prepaid card, including ATM withdrawal fees, charges for topping up the card, charges for not using the card, and even charges for withdrawing money while abroad. While some cards won't charge for use while you are on holiday, the majority do. There are also several different methods of topping up a prepaid card, and some card companies will use some of those methods, while another company will use a completely different method. For example, you may be able to top up in stores or banks with one service, but another will ask that you top up online, or on the phone. Both of these methods can be inconvenient if you are abroad.
Perhaps the biggest drawback to the prepaid credit card is what happens if you don't use the card for some time. If you don't spend all of your money while on holiday, and want to spend it again next time, you can't just leave the card in limbo. Instead, you might be charged a fee for not using the card, or even have the card suspended. When you go to use the card, it won't work. In addition, if you decide that you want to take the money off of the card before it becomes inactive, you will have to pay a fee for doing this. Some card companies even charge as much as £5 to do this, so it can be costly either way.