# International currency when traveling: how do you get it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394 "2013-06-07T16:30:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/41 "2013-06-08T01:14:28Z")
I like to have a bit of small denomination local currency when I arrive, so we keep a stash of misfit bills and coins (euros, pounds, US dollars, pesos, etc.) from previous trips. If that’s running low I’ll supplement with cash before I go from the bank. Once at the destination, I use ATMs for cash and mostly charge things to my credit card to avoid carrying much cash. I have also converted US dollars to local currency in Africa, as other have mentioned bring new large bills for this, old bills are treated with suspicion due to rampant counterfeiting. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/42 "2013-06-08T01:15:21Z")
35 years ago travelers checks were the way to go. Now they are almost useless. I got some from work as an anniversary gift, and they were hard to use even in the US. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/43 "2013-06-08T01:20:19Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > 35 years ago travelers checks were the way to go. Now they are almost useless. I got some from work as an anniversary gift, and they were hard to use even in the US. I’ll tell you how out rotation they are-- I’m 27 and a fairly experienced travelever. . . I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how you would use a traveler’s check. I’ve always _heard_ about them, but I would be befuddled. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/44 "2013-06-08T01:34:54Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I’ll tell you how out rotation they are-- I’m 27 and a fairly experienced travelever. . . I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how you would use a traveler’s check. I’ve always _heard_ about them, but I would be befuddled. They come in predetermined denominations. You sign them when you want to use them, and the payee can deposit them in a bank just like cash. The advantage is that you could call the issuer and cancel them if they were stolen, and get replacements. They used to be as good as cash, now hardly anyone knows what they are and are unlikely to accept them. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/45 "2013-06-08T02:53:28Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > We always buy our currency before we go at a local AMA branch (Alberta Motor Association) - I guess that would AAA to you guys. We get our travel insurance there at the same time - we don’t set foot in the US without being well-insured. 🙂 If I’m doing anything more exotic than CAD to USD or pesos, I do it through CAA (which is also like AAA - guess what the C stands for 😉 ). When I went to Japan I had to special order yen from the travel agency, the bank wouldn’t order it in. I’ve only been to the US, Mexico and Japan. No worries about getting cash in the US or Mexico, but ATMs in Japan are a little iffy. The only 24hr ones are at 7-11 and I’ve heard they’ve recently restricted the cards you can use. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/46 "2013-06-08T05:16:44Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > In Japan, the only\* ATMs that take American debit cards are at the post office. Japanese bank ATMs apparently don’t have networks, or anyway they don’t include American ATM networks. For my recent 20-day trip to Japan, I bought about ¥80,000 before I went, because I’d heard that it might be hard to find ATMs that took foreign cards. In fact, about three times my Australian debit card was rejected by ATMs in convenience stores, but then I found a bank ATM that let me have ¥50,000, which was enough for the rest of my trip. > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > As for small change, the first thing you buy will get you more than you would ever want. The smallest bill in Japan is 1000 yen (currently about $10). Everything smaller is coins. You’ll want to take every opportunity to get rid of your one yen coins, they accumulate like hangers. Also, most RR ticket vending machines take larger bills and give change. Yes, one easy way to change big notes was to use a subway ticket vending machine. I bought a ¥200 ticket with a ¥10,000 note, and the machine happily gave me back nine ¥1,000 notes and ¥800 in coins. My other recent experiences are at airports in China and Korea. At Guangzhou Airport, I bought something in a shop at the airport with an Australian $10 note, and got about 60 yuan in change that I could spend on other things at the airport. At Seoul Incheon Airport I changed an American $20 note, and got about ₩40,000, which makes you feel rich until you found out how many thousand won a cup of coffee costs. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/47 "2013-06-08T08:29:20Z")
I generally get a couple of hundred dollars from the local Travelex office in the overseas currency and then use ATMs for cash while away. When I was in the US last month, I did find several ATMs around Universal Studios Hollywood and the Citywalk wouldn’t let me get money on my ANZ Bank card. They had the Cirrus logo like all the other, bank ATMs I used but just wouldn’t spit out the cash. I just tried a bank ATM the next day and had no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/48 "2013-06-08T09:30:10Z")
I keep small amounts of lots of currencies on hand when there is a chance I will go back to the country in question or if the currency there is stable. So I always have Swiss Francs, UK Pounds, Euros, Czech Crowns, UAE Dirhams, and maybe 6 or 7 others. For new countries (such as Moldova and Transnistria a month ago) I will use an ATM for a few hundred USD equivalent or about $40 equivalent from an airport/train station/border currency exchange kiosk. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/49 "2013-06-08T09:31:02Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > … I do it through CAA (which is also like AAA - guess what the C stands for 😉 ). The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) has, for some unknown reason, decided to designate itself apart from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), though it is a part of the CAA. The CAA is affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA). As a result, they are all the same thing: as an AMA member, I can access CAA/AAA resources anywhere in the US and Canada. ETA to answer the OP: I usually get about $100 in the equivalent of the destination country’s currency before I go, so I can take care of cab fare, bus fare, tips, and other small expenses that arise when I get off the plane. Later, I’ll find an ATM, but this way, I don’t have to line up at an airport ATM. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/50 "2013-06-08T10:11:33Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Perhaps this is more of a great debate, since anyone I’ve talked to about this has had a surprisingly strong opinion :p. > > Let’s say you’re going out of the country for vacation and would like to bring some local destination currency with you. How do you acquire said currency? Why? > > Personally, I’ve done it each way. In Peru, I changed my money at the airport in Lima. In Fiji, I ordered currency from Bank of America ahead of time and took it with me. For Belize, I changed my money at LAX on the way there. And for Egypt this summer, Schwab advised me to just use the ATMs there, since they refund all ATM fees and offer no international transaction fees on my checking account with them. It’s interesting, because I often hear conflicting advice— don’t change at the airport, they have the worst rates! No, change at the airport! They have the best rates! Don’t change in the US banks, they’ll screw you over! No, foreign banks will REALLY screw you! > > So, what do you do and why? In Egypt, you’ll want to do both. You’ll want to have small change on you at all times. Trust me on this. If you go to an ATM, you’ll have all the big Egyptian Pound notes you’ll need for big purchases. However, they’re no good when you need to buy something small like entrance to a public bathroom. Egypt is not as bad about it, but in India, dealing with a ripped note almost became a joke as we had a bill that we could almost never get rid of. The rip was about a 1/4" tear on the side with the whole bill intact. [I’m](http://grrrltraveler.com/countries/asia/india-asia/tip-hotels-india/a-torn-rupee/) [not](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&ved=0CGsQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.frommers.com%2Fdestinations%2Findia%2F3475020005.html&ei=UQGzUYiQF6ndyAHG64CoAg&usg=AFQjCNFR_JYFh4_d-0qn-TeEz__6VUAQrQ&sig2=N8qCMekY_4dbX1QfDj5M3w&bvm=bv.47534661,d.aWc) [alone.](http://www.indiamike.com/india/scams-and-annoyances-in-india-f8/indias-clean-rupee-fetish-no-dirty-bills-t12120/) Turkey though, that’s the place to use ATMs as they are all fee-free. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/51 "2013-06-08T11:53:30Z")
I wouldn’t call the OP a twit but I do something else. My case may be unusual because for me, foreign travel is driving to Canada. The Canadian government has information and currency exchange offices along the routes I usually travel in on. They are convenient and offer a good rate so I use them. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/52 "2013-06-08T13:25:16Z")
My Wife and I are going to Germany for 3 weeks in Sept. We live in the USA. When you folks say ‘Bank Card’, do you mean a card that withdraws right from your checking account? Or do you mean a credit card. I had stopped using my bank card that withdraws from my checking account mostly for fraud protection. And my CC gives me points that air travel is now essentially free for us. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/53 "2013-06-08T14:17:42Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > My Wife and I are going to Germany for 3 weeks in Sept. We live in the USA. > > When you folks say ‘Bank Card’, do you mean a card that withdraws right from your checking account? Or do you mean a credit card. > > I had stopped using my bank card that withdraws from my checking account mostly for fraud protection. And my CC gives me points that air travel is now essentially free for us. I think most folks meant a debit card that withdraws money straight from your account. If you CC is Visa or Mastercard you could use it to get cash from ATMs in Germany I would think, but isn’t there normally a fee for doing this since it counts as a cash advance? You could also use it for purchases, of course. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/54 "2013-06-08T21:45:01Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > If I’m doing anything more exotic than CAD to USD or pesos, I do it through CAA (which is also like AAA - guess what the C stands for 😉 ). When I went to Japan I had to special order yen from the travel agency, the bank wouldn’t order it in. That’s one thing that’s handy about working in downtown Toronto: I’ve never had problems getting foreign currency from a bank at the spur of the moment (U.S. dollars, euros, British pounds, Chinese yuan, Hong Kong dollars, Dominican pesos, Mexican pesos, etc.). I guess that’s not quite true; one time I was looking for Chinese yuan and they had just run out. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394/55 "2013-06-09T19:07:47Z")
If I know I will need a large amount of cash–for example, if I’ll be staying at a bed and breakfast that won’t take credit cards–I’ll get it from my bank before I leave this country. If I’m mostly going to be using a credit card while I travel and just want some pocket money for postcards, stamps, and other little things, I’ll change money at the airport. Or pop into a local bank while traveling if I find I need a little more. I’ve been leary of using ATMs or getting a cash advance on a card since I’ve had unpleasant experiences and run into surprise fees with both. I’d only resort to them in an emergency. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-currency-when-traveling-how-do-you-get-it/660394.md?page=2)