How to Manage Money While Travelling

Money mistakes abroad are expensive and stressful — a blocked card, a bad exchange rate, a lost wallet with everything in it. A little setup before you go protects you from all three.

Before you leave

• Tell your bank you're travelling so they don't freeze your card for “suspicious” foreign spending.
• Get a card with low or no foreign-transaction fees — they add up fast.
• Carry two cards from different accounts, stored separately, plus some local cash.
• Note your bank's international number in case a card is lost or stolen.

While you're there

• Always pay in the local currency, not your home currency — “dynamic currency conversion” gives you a worse rate.
• Use bank ATMs over currency-exchange kiosks, which hide poor rates in “no fee” offers.
• Keep a rough daily budget so a good trip doesn't quietly bankrupt you.
• Split cash and cards across pockets and bag so one loss isn't a disaster.