re carrying cash. I was caught when there was a nationwide blackout in Italy in a small town on the Amalfi Coast. Several of us were trying to check out of our hotel, and, since there was no power, noone's credit card would work. The ATMs also didn't work for several hours. Thankfully, someone I knew fronted me the cash to pay my bill, and I was able to get a bus to Rome in time to make my flight home! It's an unusual circumstance of course, but since then, I try to carry more EUROS than I used to.. Lots of folks got stuck without enough cash that day!

Re: jsmith


The amounts I buy are bought at tourist rates, I never buy hundreds of thousands of EUR for my trips so have to make do with the tourist rate which is, as we all know, far lower than the floating market exchange rates. As for interest earned on the funds, on 5000GBP on its own I would earn virtually nothing after having to pay a 40% tax on the income. The cash in my safe is a sunk cost, not to provide me with income.

On a related money matter... after my experience on a trip to France in June, I would caution everyone to carry TWO credit cards and a separate ATM card with them when traveling. At one of our hotels, we learned that our Master Card acct. had been cancelled due to a theft of credit card receipts at a business in our hometown the day after we'd left on our trip. My backup card was an American Express card, which was not accepted in many places. Thank heavens for my ATM card, as I used more cash because of not having a Master Card available for the remainder of the trip.

We keep approx. $60. for getting home, 200E in cash, and the balance is supplied by the ATM. We always ask, and quite often receive, a 10 percent discount by paying cash at hotels.

I am so happy I found this board! I am taking my first trip abroad next week (solo). It looks like I actually had the right idea about what funds to take with me, but it is wonderful to be reassured.
My plan is to take $200EU, 2 debit cards from separate accounts (I opened a backup acct. just for the trip), and 1 credit card just for the hotel stay.

For big ticket items like hotels, I always use credit cards so that I get the travel miles! As for travel cash, I generally carry 1000 euros and 1000 dollars, plus an ATM card. Smaller, family style, restaurants don't take credit cards, nor do some artists. Also, in Greece at least, you can get a better price for many things if you pay cash rather than credit.

Quite a few mindless replys, imho.
Some pay fees for everything, some sound like drug dealers with nothing but cash assets, and others have simply no clue.
M

Would it be a good idea to bring that thousand dollars and thousand euro in "Ones" for tipping?

platzman - yes, but make sure you put it in your checked luggage, otherwise your carry-on could be overweight and over-sized.

Oh, and don't forget to keep a few notes on you for tipping the pilot :-)

I take $200 in 20's, leftover euros, an ATM card, a Visa check card for backup, 2 credit cards, (Am. Express & MC). I also take a few personal checks if in case of emergency I could get one cashed at the american express Office for cash. However, a couple of years ago in Provence, I tried to get a couple of $100 bills exchanged to make purchases at the markets. I tried several towns from St. Remy to Isle sur la Sorque, Banks and Post Offices with no luck. I had some $20's that they exchanged with no problem but nobody would take the $100. That is why I always carry the 20's now. I also haven't used travelers checks in years.

It seems as though banks throughout Europe got together a few years ago and decided they were no longer accepting large USD bills (ie 50s or larger) for exchange. And if those 20 dollar bills are frayed, old or torn, they likely won't accept those, either.
Also, I'm hearing reports that banks are much more reluctant to exchange traveler's checks and are advising customers to use the ATM outside.

ok, i'll bite
some people seem to think it is ridiculous that I bring 1000 dollars and 1000 euros
here's why i do
for those who bring 100 dollars, leftover euros, and their ATM card, this approach is fine IF EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT
but i like to plan for everything going wrong
i have had a car break down at night in rural italy. i was lucky i had the cash to get the car towed and fixed so that i could continue on to make a necessary connection. a credit card or atm was useless that night.
i have had the only atm in the small town i was staying on a holiday weekend go on the fritz -- had i not had cash i would have had to forego the dinner reservations at the local restaurant and would have had to stay one more night at the farmhouse where we were staying
then there was the hotel that supposedly accepted credit cards and didn't -- the car rental place that told me when it came time to pay that they would give me a 20% discount if i paid cash -- the large piece of art i discovered at the artist's studio where cash was the only payment option, etc. etc. etc.
sometimes i do not touch the cash i carry, and other times i end up needing a lot of it
if you plan for the unexpected, then you are less likely to have logistics -- or lack of cash -- get in the way of having the trip you really wanted

For Elanie~ Everything you says makes good sense to me (& I'm glad someone carries more cash than I do!). I just can't imagine getting on a plane for Europe with $50-100 in my pocket. Now that's scary!

Eleni, are you the reason someone invented Murphy's Law? ((a)) ((b))

I've never brought more than $100 cash in my native currency with me on an international trip, even long before ATMs existed. I don't think Elaine posted on here, and think Suze probably meant she couldn't imagine taking more than $50-100 in cash, and responses are to Eleni.

If you want to get a 20 pct discount for paying cash at a hotel, you can get it at local ATMs, you don't have to bring it from home.

I don't think that position makes any sense at all. I wouldn't carry around $1000 in me at home or abroad. All of those problems are avoidable in other ways, I'd say. I don't drive around rural areas alone at night, I'll admit, which is another story, and then I'd carry around local currency after having gotten it upon arrival -- I wouldn't immediately set out in a rental car in a rural area abroad with no local currency. There is no need for that. You don't need 100 euros in local currency with you, anyway. ATMS do break down or not work at times which is why you shouldn't ever let yourself get down to no money, that's the solution to that. Also, stay in reputable hotels that don't claim they take credit cards and then don't, or get reliable information on them.

Take a 1 day suppy in local currency (euro, etc), and a 1 day supply in dollars. Use the ATM daily or almost daily - read up on availability.
I found it interesting that my bank charges me $2 to use the ATM in Michigan on a snowmobile trip, but it was free all over Italy.

Maybe you're right about Murphy's Law Budman!!! I think it's more that I travel a lot, so have had lots of opportunity for things to go wrong. I've had many trips where everything has gone right -- and even if there are problems, I never let it get to me!
It's all part of the grand adverture!

For Christina~ Sorry I mixed up the names (yes I meant Eleni), but no I can't imagine going anywhere with so little cash as people here are talking about, $50 bucks is just not *enough* for me to feel comfortable leaving the country with! $300-400 cash in US or Euro would be my absolute minimum to start an overseas trip (backed up by an ATM, credit card, etc.)