subject: Before Leaving Abroad, Compare Holiday Money To Get Best Tourist Exchange Rates [print this page] Traveling to other countries brings with it many different preparations including shopping for new outfits, comfortable walking shoes and a nice hat to shield you from the sun; however, the first thing a traveler needs to look into would be to compare holiday money for a currency exchange rate to your destination. The foremost thing an individual should do once they have chosen their intended vacation spot is to check the price of that countries currency. A quick call to their bank or a look through the Internet will garner several helpful currency conversion calculations. The main thing a traveler needs to establish for themselves is if they are going to exchange money before they travel, after they arrive at their vacation locale and in what form are they going to have their funds available to them: cash, credit cards or prepaid currency cards. A traveler might save money by waiting to exchange their currency into that of their destination when they arrive at the vacation spot instead of at their local bank. The exchange rates are pretty much the same; however, the fees charged to exchange the money vary widely from banks to exchange companies. The percentage or amount charged might be smaller once an individual arrives at their destination and exchanges their money in another country but the exchange rate would be the same no matter where they exchange their currency. The rate is the amount set by the government or financial governing body of the country but also has to do with the current supply and demand for products and services in that country. The Federal Reserve Bank along with other countries across the world have input into the United States exchange rate. Other considerations for an exchange rate include the current state of the economy of the trading countries. Another option for currency exchange would be to take along a credit card for all purchases in a different country, although, a traveler should look closely at the fine print on their credit cards because many of them charge extra fees for charges made in other countries and these fees can add up rather quickly. One of the best options would be a prepaid currency card which is almost like a debit card in that it contains a certain amount only in the country you are visiting currency. The exchange rate would be the same but the fees to use a prepaid card are extremely low compared to actual cash or a credit card. Moreover, these cards are more secure to be carrying around and are easier to replace if lost or stolen. When an individual or family is going to be traveling abroad, they should first check the currency exchange rate for the country they are visiting and compare holiday money so that they can obtain the best possible price for exchanging their current cash into the cash of the country they are visiting without spending all their vacation funds on currency fees. Compare the prepaid currency cards to all the other options and one will find them to be the best for their money.