Currency Questions: Best Money Practices While Traveling

People often ask me what is the best form of currency to take with you when you travel- cash, debit cards, credit cards, traveler’s checks? Here are my thoughts on the currency question:

• There will always be a place to exchange CASH when traveling, but carrying large amount can be dangerous.
• DEBIT CARDS are great because you will find ATM’s most places you travel and you’ll always get the current exchange rate.
• If you can use CREDIT CARDS, do it.  Make sure you have a copy of the card at home and the emergency number to call if your card is stolen, which is fairly unlikely.  If someone steals your credit card number, (which happens in the U.S. more than anywhere else in the world,) the credit card companies will be able to remove the charges.  Yes, it is a pain, but you will not be stuck with the bill.  Just report it to them as soon as you find out and ALWAYS look over your bill the month after you have traveled.
• TRAVELER’S CHECKS are a nightmare in most places- this impractical stone-age form of commerce is dying in the digital age.  Yes, they are insured, but who cares if you can’t use them?

It is important that you know the EXCHANGE RATE in the country in which you are traveling.  Here is a great link to help you keep up with the current rates worldwide, and it allows you to convert from any currency to another (such as dollars to euro).

XE.COM  is the most up-to-date currency rate finder available.

Did you know that (as of April 2019):

$1 U.S. =

• 69 Indian Rupees
• 603 Costa Rica Colones
• 6.6 Danish Kroners
• 0.89 Euros
• 6.7 Chinese Yuan Renminbis
• 24 Honduras Lempiras
• 6.6 Croatian Kuna
• 18.8 Mexican Pesos