thursdaysd

If I'm in the US using a credit card I get FF miles. If I'm abroad using a credit I get 1% cash back and no foreign conversion fees. No reason to use cash unless I have to. (I do use cash - from an ATM - for small purchases.)

flpab

It depends if I have to pay for an apartment in cash. Last trip to France we could not get any of our atm cards to work. Bank still hasn't given an explanation. Worked fine as soon as we landed in UK. So very happy I had cash. This trip I have two different atm cards.

Germany is next trip and bringing about 200.00 euro left over from Italy trip. We are retired military so have a bank on base that we use for cash. Germans like cash.

AnuSarma

I don’t actually carry very much currency with me when I travel to a different country – perhaps a few hundred dollars’ worth of cash is enough. It is not worth carrying more because you are only going to worry about losing it and there are very few places where you won’t have convenient access to an ATM. If you are concerned about losing your credit or debit cards, taking some travelers checks along with you (stored in a separate place to your cards) is a good back-up. Choose a credit card with low foreign withdrawal/ conversion fees – Capital One seems the most popular choice. And make sure any cash and your cards are insured before you travel.

janisj

>>taking some travelers checks along with you . . . is a good back-up.<<

Travelers checks - even as a back up don't make sense in most countries. There may be some places they are OK. But in Europe for instance - even banks won't cash them

kja

@ janisj -- I'm writing re: post on flanneruk. I used the yellow triangle with a message that was as clear as I could craft. I've rarely used the triangle, but when I have, I've never seen any action except in response to flagrant advertising. Maybe if you also contact them? Thanks!

Sorry, devloff -- this is an off-post attempt to contact another Fodorite. Please forgive me for interrupting your thread!

kja

@ janisj -- OMG, the aforementioned post seems to have disappeared! Awesome!

@ devloff
Again, my apologies devloff!

If you are still looking for answers:
- I typically carry about $200 in US currency and about the same in the currency of the country I am visiting, once I have obtained it.
- I carry at least 2 different credit cards in separate locations. I once found that the magnetic strip of my ONLY CC had been inadvertently de-magnetized. I try to avoid that scenario again!
- I carry at least 2 different ATM cards in separate locations. See above.

Before you travel -
- find out if you need, and have, a chip & pin card.
- make sure your CC companies know EXACTLY when you will be away and know that they CANNOT contact you at your home phone number once you have left (or they know exactly how to contact you once you have left)
- make sure you have the telephone number to call to tell the CC company that you did, in fact, report that you would be away and that you do in fact want them to let you use your card....
- if possible, get a card that doesn't charge for currency exchange and has a low ATM fee


"my Capital One visa card - no foreign transaction fee" -- some Capital One visa cards charge no foreign transition fees. I don't believe that ALL are exempt. CHECK!

thursdaysd gave you some absolutely critical advice: "Watch out for the Dynamic Currency Conversion scam. If you use a credit card the charge should always be in the local currency"

Hope that helps!

aliced

Approximately $200 in local currency; there are loads of comments on this forum about using ATMs at destination, and we do so when they are attached to an open banking institution once arrived and settled. Two credit cards, one w/ chip/pin that's much heavier. This is our routine and we're sticking with it!

bananaman1

This really depends on you and where your traveling to. Personally I think that if you get a good credit card, its safer to just carry no more than $100 per person then take out money as you need it. When you arrive somewhere new, your going to be tired, and probably look like a tourist therefore airports are great places for pickpockets so don´t carry all your cash with you until you have settled a bit.