Money is any financial instrument accepted as form of payment for good and services.
7
votes
3answers
578 views
What's a “trip kitty”?
On some organized tour operator's sites, I see tour prices listed with a +amount labelled as "kitty" or "trip kitty" like this one.
What is a "trip kitty"?
12
votes
5answers
1k views
Accidentally travelling with a large amount of cash - epic fail!
With just under a week to go until I head for Europe I made an epic faux pas.
Instead of ordering a Visa debit card with 1500 Euro added to it, I have ended up with 1500 Euro in cash.
I cannot take ...
9
votes
2answers
196 views
How to recognize fake Peruvian money?
It has happened to me at least twice in Peru, that someone gave me a fake 5 soles coin. Most shop vendors were able to spot this instantly and refused to accept it.
How can I recognize a fake/false ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Most effective way to bring money to India and Nepal
What is the most effective way to bring money for a backpacking trip to India and Nepal? Are ATMs available and reliable outside of the main cities? Do they charge commission? Or is it better to have ...
7
votes
2answers
601 views
Which ATM/debit card to use in Seoul?
I'll be going to Seoul on Saturday. Unfortunately I don't have any international money cards. I do have two cards, an E-ON card from Unionbank (VISA Electron) and a BPI Express ATM (has a Cirrus ...
8
votes
4answers
225 views
Any first-hand information on American “chip and no PIN” cards in the U.K.?
I just got a credit card from Chase with a chip -- American banks are starting to offer them. I'd like to know if anyone has used such a card in the U.K. recently and how that all worked out.
...
0
votes
0answers
62 views
Visiting the U.K. from U.S. — how do I get British money? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When traveling to a country with a different currency, how should you take your money?
I'm going to the U.K. How does the whole thing with money work? Can I use my U.S. ...
4
votes
4answers
431 views
Carrying large amounts of Cash in Japan
Is it, generally speaking, safe to carry large amounts of cash (US$4000) in Japan?
12
votes
4answers
957 views
Avoiding the traveller's 'fanny pack' / money-belt
A friend insists on wearing a moneybelt while travelling. Some prefer (shudder) 'fanny-packs' .
I can't be bothered, frankly, I used to when I was 20 (have a money belt), but these days it's a ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Should I get some Euros before I leave the US for Italy?
We will be in Italy this November. Should I get some "walking around money" before I go? I think my bank has reasonable rates.
I know I take the risk of the Euro dropping or the dollar rising. ...
9
votes
2answers
174 views
Exchanging cold hard cash internationally for the best rate
So I've just sold the car I was using in New Zealand for six months. The buyer paid in cash. So now I have a substantial sum of cash in NZD.
I will be in Canada next week starting my one-year visa. ...
3
votes
1answer
234 views
Changing yen to won in Japan vs. Korea
Is it better to change yen to won in Japan or Korea? We are about to move from Japan to Korea and just want to get the best rate.
5
votes
3answers
956 views
How important is it to obtain Swiss Francs before arriving in Switzerland?
I am going on a Topdeck European bus tour that is passing through 20 countries. During the trip, we pass through many countries that don't use the Euro, such as Poland - which uses the Zloty or the ...
3
votes
2answers
842 views
How can I get a list of which companies accept Mastercard for cash advances?
From statson.org:
Again, in France, almost any bank or cash machine (if you have a
4-digit PIN) can give you a cash advance on Visa (Carte Bleue), but
only a few banks (Credit Agricole, Credit ...
5
votes
1answer
117 views
Efficient way of travelling with a lot of coins for coin machines
What would be the most efficient way to handle traveling to a touristy place such as Disney, San Francisco, Seaworld or Knott's Berry Farms where you know you will need many rolls of coins to go ...
1
vote
0answers
59 views
Currency management when backpacking? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When traveling to a country with a different currency, how should you take your money?
I am going in a trip round Europe this summer (more info)
...
5
votes
2answers
636 views
VAT refund at Luton airport
I'm a non-EU citizen, leaving London from Luton airport. I'm trying to understand how to get a VAT refund on my way out. All I was able to find is this very sparse description at the airport website:
...
11
votes
7answers
325 views
How to document travel expenses?
I have found that many travelers write down their expenses while on a trip. I always however found it difficult personally, because there are so many situation in which I do not have enough time to ...
41
votes
8answers
2k views
How to successfully haggle / bargain in markets
While I've done quite a bit of travel now and back myself when it comes to border guards, sorting accommodation and / or transportation, one thing I still struggle to come to terms with is haggling in ...
6
votes
3answers
439 views
Is gold an acceptable means of currency exchange?
To be honest, I am not sure which is a better way to ask the question: Is gold an acceptable means of currency exchange in most travel-able countries? or which countries is gold NOT an acceptable ...
8
votes
2answers
727 views
Indian Visa-on-Arrival
Has anyone had any experience with India's (newish) Visa-On-Arrival scheme (details here)?
I'm travelling on a New Zealand passport into Chennai (and meet the other requirements), and was thinking I ...
4
votes
1answer
731 views
Can I use Australian dollars at the Kuala Lumpur airport?
I'm facing a four hour layover at Kuala Lumpur airport on my way to Australia and I was wondering if the food outlets in the airport will accept Australian dollars? I don't particularly want to face ...
4
votes
0answers
39 views
How can I find out whether I can use the ATMs in a specific country? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Which credit cards have global coverage?
When it comes to electronic bank machines, there are pretty much four categories of countries:
Countries where the majority of ...
5
votes
1answer
322 views
How much US Cash can I bring into Chile
How much US cash can I bring into Chile? How would you find the answer to this question for other countries?
10
votes
6answers
954 views
Where to buy Thai Bahts when traveling from New Zealand to Thailand?
When traveling from New Zealand to Thailand, where can I buy Thai Bahts and get better exchange rate and lower commissions?
It's only for the first 10K THB (Thai Baht) for the first days. The rest I ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Which foreign currencies can be used to exchange for INR in India?
Is there a preferred foreign currency to bring to India to exchange for the Indian Rupee? I understand that USD is the preferred currency in most countries, but is it OK to bring CAD?
Will cab ...
11
votes
5answers
583 views
Can I spend Renminbi in Hong Kong?
While travelling in Hong Kong, I noticed signs at several vendors advertising prices with the 元 character, which from my visit to Shanghai I recognized as the symbol for Yuán.
Since Hong Kong has its ...
10
votes
2answers
412 views
Exchanging Albanian money into euros outside Albania
I found a small amount of Albanian lekë (can you say "leks" in English?) in my wallet from last summer's visit there. Is there any place in Helsinki where I can change those back into euros? Forex, at ...
10
votes
4answers
938 views
Do Canadian ATMs charge extra fees for cash withdrawals on foreign cards?
Having recently been caught out by most American ATMs charging extra fees on cash withdrawls on cards from different banks (which'll affect all foreign cards), I'm wondering if something similar will ...
6
votes
3answers
243 views
Is it possible to exchange Australian dollars in New Zealand?
We're flying from Australia to New Zealand and have a few hundreds of AUD left. Is it possible to exchange them to NZ dollars in New Zealand or we need to this from Australia?
17
votes
5answers
2k views
Do all American ATMs charge an extra fee for cash withdrawls on a foreign card?
I've just gone to take some cash out of an ATM (Cash Machine) in Seattle. I visited about half a dozen in the end, and every single one wanted to charge me an extra fee (typically about $3) for the ...
10
votes
1answer
3k views
How much money can you take into Canada?
I'll be travelling to Canada from the UK in the near future. Is there a limit to how much money I can carry with me? Ideally I'd like to take 5,000 CAD in order to sort out some legitimate family ...
11
votes
1answer
814 views
Is it really forbidden to cross the Indian border with Indian rupee?
Last week I tried to exchange some Swiss Francs into Indian rupees. For that I visited a big bank and they told me that they have rupees but I'm not allowed to import any into India. Is this really ...
6
votes
2answers
256 views
Can I withdraw Euros from ATMs in the Republic of Macedonia?
In some countries in Europe which do not use the Euro the ATMs still offer a choice of the local currency or Euro.
Since I'm seeking to minimize ATM fees for withdrawing small amounts when moving ...
0
votes
1answer
126 views
Exchanging Canadian dollars for Pound Sterling [closed]
Could you tell me how many pounds sterling I would receive from you for 1,680 CA dollars?
11
votes
2answers
235 views
Can Serbian dinars be exchanged in the Republic of Macedonia?
I just crossed the border from Serbia to the Republic of Macedonia and was surprised that the currency exchange booth on the Macedonian side accepted Euros but not Serbian dinar.
Generally I've ...
16
votes
4answers
2k views
Can I use USD in Canada?
I will go to Canada for the first time from the United States. I will use credit card as much as possible but I guess I need cash for small shops and cafes anyway. To avoid exchange money back and ...
19
votes
5answers
3k views
Should I change most of my money in my home country or in the destination country?
Where can I get more favourable exchange rate, in general?
15
votes
7answers
4k views
How do I get my money back for my foreign coins?
Tonight I just cleaned my room and while doing this I found some money. I counted it and I found out that there are a lot of coins from 25 different countries.
I know that normally banks don't ...
12
votes
6answers
1k views
Changing unusual foreign currencies in London
I've just returned from several unusual countries in Asia, and annoyingly despite being told I'd have no problem, I'm unable to find anyone in London to change back to pounds.
I've tried Travelex in ...
6
votes
2answers
396 views
Which Australian bank/account incurs lowest fees using an ATM card overseas?
As per this question about US banks, I would like to know if any Australian bank offers an account with an ATM card (or Visa/Mastercard debit card) with no or low fees for travellers using them in ...
7
votes
3answers
321 views
US Dollar (USD) to Nicaraguan Córdoba (NIO) exchange rate
I have heard that the exchange rate of Nicaragua's currency is "pegged" to the US dollar, and varies at a fixed, predicable rate rather than varying naturally with the markets. What is the rate ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Are there any issues with using credit cards in Germany?
On my last trip to Germany my credit cards (chip-based Visa and MasterCard) were declined more than usual. I've been there like 10 times and haven't noticed this before but on this trip train ticket ...
13
votes
7answers
641 views
Which credit cards have global coverage?
While traveling I ran into two situations where my credit card was not accepted. I mainly use MasterCard. In China (although 10 years ago) Visa was accepted in most stores, but MasterCard was not. In ...
7
votes
1answer
629 views
What's the cheapest way to convert British Pounds into other currency?
I'm travelling around Europe and want to convert some money to Euros. What's the most cost-effective way of doing this? Should I convert as much as I think I'm going to need in one go, or withdraw ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I pay for my Turkish visa on arrival at the airport in Euros?
I'm Australian, flying into Istanbul Turkey tomorrow (Ataturk airport) and I know from last year's trip that I must pay a visa fee upon entry. But last year I crossed by land from Bulgaria and this ...
18
votes
8answers
5k views
What is the best method for exchanging dollars for Euros?
I'm traveling from the US to Europe in a few weeks. What's the best method of exchanging dollars for Euros?
I imagine there's options like:
at the airport when you arrive in Europe
at a bank in ...
65
votes
17answers
2k views
When traveling to a country with a different currency, how should you take your money?
Recently my wife and I traveled to Italy and before we left we got about 85% of our money in travelers checks and the other 15% we carried on in cash. When we arrived there, no one would take our ...
