First Direct - ATM used abroad ripoff?

Nearly all. Foreign ATM charges and exchange rate markups are a sneaky way for banks to charge you for doing bugger all.

Nationwide are an exception (I think they're the only exception amongst major high street banks/building societies). They don't charge anything, no fee and no exchange rate markup for Flex account ATM withdrawals. Also there's no exchange rate markup for purchases on their credit card (there is a fee for credit card ATM withdrawals).

Yes. They expect you to compare the rate with the high street selling rate for foreign currency notes - which is probably similar. The big difference is that the costs involved in handling and storing foreign currency is far greater than the cost involved in the bank's computer doing a simple division and elecronically transferring the money to VISA/Cirrus or whoever.

That's right. HSBC make the same charges on my card. You need to compare cards carefully before picking one to use overseas. Nationwide are probably the best value for that.

Indeed, having had a NW visa for the last 4 years I've only just discovered, and judging by this ng I'm one of the last to know, that they're unbeatable on the cash stakes - certainly on euros anyway and I would guess on other currencies (dollar?? does anyone know?). On both shopping e.g. petrol/restaurants/supermarkets and ATM cash they seem, after examining my statements, to be giving within a whisker of the interbank rate and zero fixed fee. Amazing.

The best trick is to open a nationwide flex account. and a N/W visa account. Put cash into the flex account before you go away and use the cashcard to draw currency whenever you want. use the visa card for purchases. You can transfer more money from FD into the flexaccount if you spend more than you expected by phone whilst away. The other option is to front load the visa card but you might find yourself drawing cash when you have exhausted your 'credit' balance so end up paying interest on the cash advances.