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Traveling Overseas: Preparing for Money Issues

June 27, 2017 Travel Cents, Travel Smarter

Traveling Overseas

If you’re planning to travel overseas, be sure to educate yourself on how to prepare for money issues before you go. This may seem like a no-brainer, but not all countries work the same way as your own! You don’t want to be stuck with no money and no way to fix it, so read these tips before you travel overseas:

Standard Pre-Travel Preparation:

1) Don’t assume the ATMs overseas will accept your ATM card

girl at atm

This is a hit or miss in some countries, some will and some won’t. Don’t get stuck in a situation where you have zero cash and a piece of plastic that is completely useless. Bring cash! Even if you’re almost positive that you will be able to use the overseas ATM, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

2) Call Your Bank!

Before you leave, be sure to call your bank and let them know you will be traveling overseas. The last thing you need is for the bank to put a hold on your credit card due to suspicious activity! This is a pain to get lifted and results in overseas phone calls.

Panic Mode Backup Options:

traveler panic

1) Phone a Friend

women on phone pulling hair

Say you’re in a situation where you have no access to your funds and you still need to book a hotel. Call in a lifeline! Your savior can give the hotel his/her credit card to secure your reservation, and keeping you from having to sleep on the street. Pay them back as soon as possible and you’re good to go!

2) Charge Your Hotel Bill

If you’re in a situation where you cannot access your cash, put as many amenities on the room bill as possible. Have breakfast in the hotel restaurant instead of in town, book your airport shuttle through the hotel, hop online and try figuring out your next move!

Next time you travel overseas, make sure to bring cash, options for obtaining more cash, and a credit card! As long as you’re prepared, you won’t have to worry.

J.C. Lightcap, Travel Safer | June 27, 2017

JC Lightcap is a travel safety consultant, author of The Travel Safety Handbook, and serial traveler. He provides business travelers, study abroad students and families with the tools to focus on their travel goals, raise their awareness overseas and come home safely. JC has been quoted in the Washington Post, featured in the Liberty Project and is a member of the International Ecotourism Society. He currently lives with his well-traveled wife and two dogs in Denver, Colorado where he snowboards, camps and hikes 14ers.