Travel Budget: Speak to your bank before you travel!
In the modern era of internet banking and ATMs there are fewer bank branches open and some people prefer to rely on Google for advice than asking their own bank!
The best travel funding advice offered by Holiday Destinations is to make an appointment and speak with your bank or credit union weeks before you travel.
Bank options are changing all the time, so here are a few tips that we follow:
The best travel funding advice offered by Holiday Destinations is to make an appointment and speak with your bank or credit union weeks before you travel.
Bank options are changing all the time, so here are a few tips that we follow:
- Tell your bank where and when you are going - the last thing you want is to have your credit card suspended because the bank saw charges from another country.
- Organise a Debit Card or Travel Card - it still lets you access your money but does not let a thief have massive amounts of credit and usually requires a PIN on all occasions (i.e. no-one can just swipe multiple amounts of $99.00).
- Don't have everything on the same account - if traveling with a partner and one person's card is compromised or stolen (and therefore cancelled by the bank), you will still have access to funds until another card arrives.
- Do your research on the best places to exchange currency in each country, including any fees that are involved.
- When traveling don't carry all your money in one place - put some in a money belt, some in a pocket. If there are two of you make sure each of you carry some money
