subject: What Are Your Options For Travel Cash Abroad? [print this page] What Are Your Options For Travel Cash Abroad?
Going on vacation is an exciting time and something to look forward to. You will need to plan well in advance though and one vital thing for you to think about is travel cash and what you will do about that overseas because from the minute you step on the place you will need to use a different currency for your purchases. So add this to the 'to do' list and let's consider the options that you have.When you take foreign currency abroad you have a number of choices of obtaining it. One way to do this is to go to the bank. You will need to first of all find a bank that offers this service and then you place an order for the amount you would like and in which currency. A definite disadvantage of this is that banks usually have charges for this service and you could end up paying for simply getting money in a different currency and this service is usually higher at the airport since they count on last minute travelers changing cash here.A major downside of this is also that you end up carrying around large amount of cash making you extremely attractive to thieves and especially since tourists stand out with their accents and where they are staying. You want to use your money for treats and you want to be sure that you can enjoy your hard earned vacation.Even if you don't carry it around and leave it in your hotel room, this could still be a potential area for theft and who wants to go to the trouble of having hotel staff lock and unlock the hotel security safe every time you want to buy a drink or a gift for relatives.Credit cards are the next option, but you need to think about whether this is going to work for your budget. They are still vulnerable to theft and your signature can be forged. Also the companies usually charge a high interest rate on purchases and fees can be astronomical when you get back to reality.What might work best for you is to opt for a prepaid currency card. This is usable in all countries and in different currencies. What you need to do is load the card with your holiday purchase cash and then that is all you will need to carry abroad, freeing up more room in your purse for a good book and some candy. You can put any amount on the card and this does not work in conjunction with our bank account so you can keep things separate.It works as most top up cards do. You will be able to select a pin number and key this in each time so that you can use the ATM machines when you are overseas. You are also able to register online and see how much money you have on the card and you can also add more funds if you are running low. It gives you greater control over your finances.This is a very useful idea for those who travel. It can be topped up in any currency and is reloadable and flexible. It works in ATMs in other countries in the same way that your regular card does. It is the best option for vacationers and business travelers. If the card is lost then it can be automatically cancelled and replaced so you don't have to worry about theft.
