Cash or Card Abroad? Avoid These Travel Money Mistakes
Bonaire CountryCambodia CountryJapan CountryPapua New Guinea CountrySingapore CountrySouth Korea CountryVietnam Country
Cash or card abroad? Should you buy foreign currency before you leave home? After traveling to about 100 countries each, we've developed a practical approach to paying overseas—and it changes depending on where we're going. In this Tuesday Travel Tips video, we share how we use credit cards, bank ATMs, and local cash on cruises and international trips. We cover currency-exchange costs, airport exchange counters, ATM conversion screens, foreign transaction fees, and why carrying the right small bills can matter more than carrying a lot of cash. We also explain how our approach changes across Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, plus what to consider before visiting remote cruise ports. One example from our travels: buying €200 at an airport rate of $1.44 per euro instead of a mid-market rate of $1.16 would cost $56 more. The video includes an on-screen correction to our original spoken estimate. CHAPTERS 00:00 Should you buy foreign currency before traveling? 00:37 Ordering currency from your bank: costs and fees 02:12 Airport currency-exchange counters 02:49 Choosing a bank ATM 04:04 ATM conversion: dollars or local currency? 04:46 Small bills, coins, and public restrooms 05:44 Paying by card in Europe 07:24 Pickpockets and what we carry ashore 08:15 Foreign transaction fees and card acceptance 09:16 Paying in the Caribbean 10:25 Paying in South America 10:42 Japan and South Korea 11:37 Southeast Asia: Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos 13:17 Planning for remote cruise ports 14:38 Our travel money strategy 15:04 Passport tips: what to watch next How do you handle money overseas—cards, local cash, or a combination? Share what has worked for you in the comments. We're Jan and Tracey, sharing cruise reviews, destination experiences, and practical travel tips from our own adventures. Subscribe for more, and keep on traveling! Rates shown are examples from our travels, not current quotes. Fees, card acceptance, and access to cash vary by bank and destination. #TravelTips #TravelMoney #JanAndTraceyTravels Our Recommended Cruise Gear OREI American to European Plug Adapters—Many cruise ships are equipped with 220 European plugs, which are useless unless you have the correct adapter. These are the essentials we pack in our bags every time we cruise or travel to Europe. They come in an affordable six-pack which you can find at this link: https://amzn.to/44ixS0U Strongman Tools Strong Magnetic Hooks—A couple of these 6-pack sets of hooks are always with us when we cruise. Each individual hook can hold up to 30 lbs of weight and is ideal for hanging coats, hats, and the shelves described below. Get your set of these useful magnetic hooks at this link: https://amzn.to/3UDrVbJ Whitmor 5 Section Closet Organizer—Unfortunately, drawer and shelf space are sometimes limited in some cruise cabins. That’s why we always bring at least one of these inexpensive closet organizers, which gives us plenty of room for our folded clothes. We typically use a couple of magnetic hooks, as described above, to hang these from the ceiling in the corner of our room. Here’s the link where you can get yours: https://amzn.to/3w3GvQn Our Recommended Camera Gear DJI Osmo Pocket 3--You’ll usually see Tracey using this in almost all of our videos. Love this wonderful, small, and versatile camera. Basic Camera: https://amzn.to/3UDJJDF Creators Combo: https://amzn.to/4beP6OP GoPro Hero12—This is the best action camera we’ve ever used. Whether taking videos on the Zodiacs in Antarctica, snorkeling in Papua New Guinea, or scuba diving in Bonaire, this camera is always in our hands. Find the link to get yours here: https://amzn.to/3UkTcy1 Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap—If you still carry a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, as Jan does, this is the perfect strap to use. What's great is that this fully adjustable strap can be configured to be worn across your body, distributing the weight of your camera across your back rather than your neck. Additionally, it provides a bit more security when traveling through high-risk pickpocket areas. Get your Slide Lite Strap here: https://amzn.to/3xW6pWR As Amazon Affiliates, we earn from qualifying purchases.