1. Take cash money with you. When it comes to traveling locally or abroad it is always good to have money with you. In the states I prefer to have at least $60 on hand. When traveling abroad I like to have at least $300. Of course, $300 sounds like a lot but when I get off of the airplane I will look for a taxi. I guess you could say that it is a splurge but in a foreign country it is just something I prefer to do. Plus, I get to talk to the locals who drive around the city all day which is nice to get to know them and the best spots.
2. Tell your bank that you are leaving. Even if you are traveling to another state it is important to just let your bank know. Most banks will let you add a travel itinerary to your account. For example, if I was from Los Angeles, CA but I would be in Toronto, ON for five days, I would input those dates into the bank system so that they would know when using my card and not freeze it for a fraudulent charge.
3. Know the tipping policy in each state. This was something I had to double check in various countries. In Italy, I didn’t have to tip in the small city I was in. In the United States it is customary to tip a minimum of 15% for great service.
4. Keep a smaller amount in your wallet and a larger amount in your purse. I think that it is likely that someone will just ask for more tip money or more money in general if they see you have more in your wallet. Best to keep a little hidden away if you can.
5. Know your rates and fees. I like to look at the exchange rates for about a week just to see how much it tends to fluctuate and then determine when I should put in a money request. It is also super important that you know now that any ATM will take a fee if you are pulling money from your debit account. I found that the most I had to pay for a ATM fee was about $3.00, but again, it can vary.

xoxo
Tiffany