When it comes to spending money on vacation you have three main choices. Credit cards, cash, or traveler’s checks.
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for your vacation. If they are stolen you have limited liability and they are easily replaced. The ability to dispute the charges with the credit card company give you protection against poor merchandise or service.
Many transactions such as hotel reservations and car rentals are impossible without a credit card. When traveling overseas you can usually get the best exchange rates using your plastic but beware. The credit card companies have been charging high fees for the privilege and usually don’t tell you ahead of time.
The downside to credit cards is they can be unreliable, especially overseas. You can be in for a real hassle if your card is declined by the merchant or a foreign ATM machine. The chances of this happening are real and increase dramatically when traveling to second and third world countries.
When you use your credit card, don’t let it out of your sight even if it means following your waiter to the register. Before you put the card back in your wallet make sure that it belongs to you.
Cash is the most reliable way to carry money but of course, it is the least safe. American cash is accepted everywhere and you can often haggle for better prices with cash.
But there are many dangers when carrying cash. The most obvious is that it makes you a target for thieves. Don’t flash it around.
Resources for
