International Travel

[sseelhoff]

Yes, guilty as charged, look at the words instead of read them but I have seen foreign currency offered in any number of places.

No worries! And by cash, that also applies to local currency. If you can figure it out. I still don't understand pounds, pence and such. . But I do love your country anyway. Mind the gap!

 

[dragoneggs]

I travel for business regularly in both Asia and Europe and have visited numerous countries. Lots of good advice here. Might be helpful if you let us know the country(s) you plan to visit and maybe we can give some more specific advice as well. For instance, Spain/Italy... theft is rampant on public transportation. Don't take your whole wallet. Maybe a thin flat one and carry only what you need in your front pocket. Leave your expensive watch and jewelry at home. It's a dead giveaway you are an American and probably have money.

Travel light. You will probably be negotiating a lot more stairs and steps than you are used to. Have fun and take tons of pictures. You can always delete them but you will remember many things and lot more that you didn't notice all the details and beauty of the scene.

 

[bunyip]

My Mother had her bag stolen in Thailand, she was warned to hang on tight and she clutched the strap like her life depended on it and when she got back to her hotel the strap was all she had, they had cut the bag off.
Fortunately it only contained a small amount of cash and everything else was in the hotel safe.
I had my wallet lifted from my back pocket in Melbourne in about 1970, it contained quite a bit of cash, I have never carried a lot of cash since then.
Was in Sydney with $40K cash and couldn't get to a bank quick enough to get rid of it, that was only a couple of years ago.
Was in the Vietnam conflict and you watched your back constantly but generally they just gave you dud goods like my 2 Omega Seamasters which stopped when the bamboo spring dried out, I paid $10 each for those from an honest street vendor, well, he told me he was honest.

 

[ultrarunner]

The metro areas of many places of Europe remind of what I tell my Euro visitors spending time in San Francisco and they really love San Francisco the precautions are just the same... simply looking like a tourist increases the odds of you being a target... happens a lot to Germans with their backpacks in the city...

I have never had a single problem yet anywhere... but I travel light and am aware... also not small in stature for what it is worth...

Co-workers went on their own to Paris and lost the bag with everything in it... happened at the car rental counter... that quick...

My brother and his friends traveled everywhere as college kids... Turkey, Istanbul, Spain, Greece, etc... never any problem except for a shake down of the local police looking for a pay off... they turned their pockets inside out and said they didn't have any money... poor college kids sleeping on the train because they had no money... it worked.

 

[Creamer]

20 years ago I traveled all over Europe and we just used the credit card at an ATM for a cash advance - it was much cheaper than exchanging cash. Whenever we got to a new country we stopped at an ATM to get some of the local currency but most places accepted cards. When we got to Russia it was totally different - in 1999 only four banks accepted Visa or MC in Moscow - otherwise you needed cash. Haven't been back there since so I do not know how much it has changed.

I have traveled to a lot of places and most accept cards but I would carry some amount of cash - like $500 - to have if you get in a pinch.

 

[erda]

I’ve had friends who have encounter fraud when using ATMs in Eastern Europe and South America. Their advice is to only use an ATM that is inside a bank.

Only problem I’ve encountered was back in 2009 in Vienna, when my new chip MC wouldn’t work, as most of the cc readers were still analogue. Fortunately, the wife’s card was older, so it still worked. Once back in Germany, no problems with my card.

 

[3Ts]

Thanks.

I will be overseas for 2 months. The travel route includes:
Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Qatar, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe.

 

[Industrial Toys]

When I went to Europe in 85, I had only a VISA Card. It was very rare to find a merchant taking VISA, but Mastercard was everywhere. Things have probably changed.

I can't see the appeal to traveling these days. You would have to pay me a lot of money for the hassle. OR pick me up in a helicopter outside my door and take me to a private aircraft and the same at the other end. That's not likely to happen though.

The aircraft would have to have a bathroom, unlike the Cessna Crusader belonging to a friend that I flew in on that same 85 trip.

No Sir! Definitely a home body now. I see all I need (or want) to see on my TV.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks.

I will be overseas for 2 months. The travel route includes:
Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Qatar, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe.

That's quite a trip and collection of countries for your first adventure! NZ, Australia will be a piece of cake. The Thai people are some of the nicest in the world and very helpful... I can't help you on your Africa portion. Went to Ethiopia 30 years ago... back when the Russians controlled the airport and the government was corrupt. Needed an escort pretty much everywhere. I've heard good things about Botswana.

Should be an amazing trip. Again... pack light. You will be on the move so wear the same clothes and thin ones so you can bring more and they wash and dry easier... no one will notice except your travel partner . You can always buy cheap clothes locally and not stick out like a sore thumb as much.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thanks.

I will be overseas for 2 months. The travel route includes:
Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Qatar, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe.

Got it... please disregard my posts regarding Europe!