Last time I was an idiot, it was travelers checks that almost did me in. As I grew up and got smarter and more with the times, I stopped carrying traveler's checks and almost exclusively used my ATM card. A lot of countries take credit cards now, but there are still some countries where having cash is a necessary thing and sometime the rate is better through the ATM (unless you get charged ATM fees, but we can talk about how to avoid that in a different post). So I always take an ATM card and a credit card with me when I travel, no matter where I am going.
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| Gratuitous Slovenian mountain scene. |
Last year I went to Slovenia. The plan was that I was going to be in a city probably four or five of the fourteen days and would be hiking a point to point hike for the other ten days. This meant that I would not be able to leave things somewhere to pick up; I would have to carry everything I needed for the entire fourteen days on my back. Needless to say, I wanted to pack light. So I carried a lot of items that I could use for both trail and city and I pared down a lot of things, like my toiletries and my wallet, so that I would not be carrying extra stuff. I got rid of my work badge, my extra credit card, my AAA card. I brought bar shampoo. I brought my multi adapter charging station. I was ready and I was excited and I took my pack to work the day before so I could ride my bike to work the next day without the huge pack on my back. I was prepared!
Then I left the office, got on the BART to the airport, and realized that in paring down my wallet, I had taken out my ATM card. I had only wanted to carry one credit card and I do not think I screwed my head on all the way when I visualized what this meant. I always use a list but this time it was a bit of a hybrid backpacking/city exploring and I did not think about both of them fully.
You may think that I was headed to Europe, which is not a third world country; why would I even need cash? Well, mon ami, I was going to be backpacking in the remote Alps and there are huts where you can sleep but in my prior experience those huts only took cash. Many of them had no online reservation system, so I could not even reserve them in advance with my credit card. You may think that I could just get out cash with my credit card. That would be true if I knew my pin, which I don't because I have never ever used my credit card to get cash.
So I sat on the BART as it hurtled towards SFO, wondering how I was going to solve this issue. I did not have time to go home and get the card; I had my emergency $20 with me, but that would not get me far. I knew there were solutions, but what would be the best one, given I was going to be on a plane for twelve hours and then out of the country soon!? I noodled for a minute while sweating slightly due to my own stupidity.
The solution ended up being the following: luckily (or stupidly, you choose) I had taken a photo of my ATM card, which I kept in a travel folder on the cloud. I would like to say that it was a protected folder, but it wasn't. However, I did use this photo to get the number off of the card, which I then typed into Google wallet. Then, when I got to the airport, I used the tap to pay from Google wallet to get money out of the ATM! Can you believe the technology today? Sometimes when I am wishing that we did not spend so much time on our phones, I think of hacks like this and am so glad that our phones are so dang handy.
But wait, the story is not to the happily ever after stage yet! I arrived in Amsterdam and went straight to the money exchange counter. A slight side note, I like to cram as much as I can into my vacations, so had booked a flight to Vienna with a layover in Amsterdam. Once arriving in Vienna, I would need to get on the first train out to get to my destination. However, my flight into Vienna was kind of late at night and if I missed the first train, I only had one other option, so I probably would not have time to get money out there. I love to live on the edge, people.
I work in finance so I know what the exchange rates are and let me tell you, the kiosk at the airport in Amsterdam was NOT a good rate. Of course, what options did I have, given I would be basically going straight up into the mountains as soon as I got to Slovenia. So I got completely ripped off and my dollars barely got me enough to pay for my estimated cost for ten nights at a hut in the mountains. So I knew I was going to have to be frugal.
Fast forward to day ten of my fourteen day vacation and you will find me at the end of my hike, ensconced in a small guesthouse in the hills near lake Bohinj, one that I booked using Booking.com. Little did I realize, since I booked it from the one spot that had cell service on my way down the mountain, that I did NOT read the fine print and this place...you guessed it...only took cash! Luckily, some of the mountain huts had taken credit cards and I had taken advantage of that to use my card instead, just in case I needed the cash later. However, I had used most of my cash and I literally had to pay the last lady with all of my pocket change, leaving me with about 2 euros to my name. I hoped that when I was in Lublijana I would not need ANY cash or I would be screwed!
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| Literally the last of my cash! |
Luckily I did not need cash, but this experience made me realize that we have become way too dependent on our phones, upon being able to get things easily at any time and to having the convenience of tap to pay pretty much everywhere in the US (even the street vendors sometimes have a credit card pay option!) As I may have mentioned, my trail name is Prepper because I am generally overprepared, but even I have my moments. So, bottom line is, make a list and always have an emergency stash of cash!!
Do you use cash when you travel? If so, what is your procedure for getting it? If not, have you ever run into any issues due to not having cash?
We always take SOME cash with us when we travel internationally, but rely heavily on CC and our debit cards. I will say that since I almost always travel with my husband we have redundancies since both of us carry debit and credit cards...but I feel like you were just trying to minimize packing because of the nature of your vacation and in this situation (i.e. where I couldn't just toss my wallet into my bag as-is), I could very easily have done the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI would have been STRESSED about the limited cash situation, so gold stars for figuring out workarounds (even if the exchange rate was horrible) and I love the gratuitous mountain shot <3
I usually just throw my wallet and passport in my bag and don't think about it as much and in that case I would have had my card, but I was trying to be organized and I got in my own way. In my defense, I can count the number of times I have used my ATM in the US in the last year on one finger, and that was only because I parked my car at someone's house when I biked in WA and he asked for a donation, and I only had a spare $20 and I did not think that was enough. But otherwise, I have a stash of cash that I rarely, rarely use.
DeleteIt is nice to have two people so that you have a built in backup! I guess that is one con of traveling solo! It is also one reason I like traveling solo, as I have to figure things out myself, but it can sometimes be both a pro and a con (all at once?!)
Oh my word! First, I'm not sure I could live out of a back pack for 14 days. I'm admittedly high maintenace. When I travel for work I pare it down but I still have to check my bag. I love the convenience of technology but also recognize the down sides to it too! It's amazing how much convenience can cost!!! I also appreciate how it all worked out! I generally apply this principal to my life, somehow it all works out!
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% right. I could have changed my plans and only gone to places that I had confirmed definitely took cards. I probably could have somehow used a credit card to get cash, even without a pin, I could have wired myself money to Western Union or something....I would have figured it out no matter what, but I am glad that I did not have to change all of my plans around because I did something silly!
DeleteYou may be high maintenance but you will always be better dressed (and put together) than I am! I am admittedly simple and do not mind going without makeup or jeans if it means I can travel lighter, cheaper, or further. I like getting dirty! :)
Oh my goodness reading this stressed me out! I am so glad it worked out for you. You are clearly a much savvier and level-headed traveler than I am.
ReplyDeleteI definitely had a moment where I sat on the train, sweating a bit, wondering what the heck I was going to do! But it worked out, and if I had not been able to get cash, I would have figured out an alternative! I have definitely had some uh-oh moments while traveling and have had to figure things out, but that has made me realize that most things can be solved or alternative plans can be made!
DeleteI usually travel with my ATM and one other card. I made a mistake during my trip to Canada in August, though. I brought my ATM card and my AMEX. There were times when NEITHER card would work which is very odd because the ATM card should basically be a credit card, but it would sometimes get declined and then they wouldn't take AMEX. I should have traveled with 3 cards, I guess, but was trying to simplify things. Luckily Amber could pay when my cards wouldn't work and then I just venmo'd her at the end. I've never ever had issues with credit cards in the past like I did on this trip!
ReplyDeleteI always bring my Visa, as I have seen that many places don't take AMEX. Even in the US, as I believe that they charge the business more per transaction (for example, Costco only takes Visa and their branded card is a Visa). However, my AMEX is actually a hotel credit card, so that is kind of strange, and I would hope that if you use it at that hotel anywhere in the world, they would take it!
DeleteIt is nice in that case to have a buddy so that you can have a built in backup plan! When I travel with friends, normally I just pay for everything and then bill each of them afterward so that we are not always trying to keep track of who paid for what. We just split it all evenly after everything is said and done. Having said that, of course if multiple people pay, it is me who figures it all out in the end and then my friends just pay who and how much I tell them to. :)
This could have been me! I don't carry my ATM card in my wallet (as a safety in case I ever lose my wallet but not my purse), and I've switched to a smaller purse so now I don't carry my ATM card with me. I also never use cash if I can help it, which means that I always assume that I have the cash that I got on my last ATM visit, which is sometimes a year ago. The problem with that is my assumption isn't always correct. Yep, I can totally see doing this.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? We have gotten used to not needing our ATM and/or cash and sometimes it can bite us! I always have an emergency $20 in case we go for a burrito at a taco truck or something, but even those kinds of places are starting to have the ability to take a card! As a side note, I have a lot of change and have been trying to use it to buy coffee and things like that, but I felt kind of strange counting out my dimes the last time I got a coffee! The lady at the gas station didn't even blink though, so maybe there are still more people paying in cash than we realize!
DeleteIt depends on a country. Iceland- never used it once, an entirely cashless society. Denmark- same. Poland, much less. Russia - well, no foreign cards will now work in Russia so if anyone IS traveling there, it's back to the 1990s- bring a wad of cash in your underware and exchange for rubles on black markets. When I travel I carry both debit and credit cards. I like to withdraw SOME cash to have on hand and if it's stolen, oh well, someone needed it more than me. Plus, paper money and coins can be a history lesson for the kids.
ReplyDeleteYes! I had my friend's daughter A help me sort through my coins from other countries and then she could keep whichever ones she wanted. She chose Thai Baht because she liked the look of them AND I told her that the two of us could go there someday together. By the time we do go, who knows if it will still be valid, but it is fun to learn and to dream!
DeleteRe black market rubles, when I was in Africa, as soon as you crossed the border in some places, you would be accosted by all kinds of people trying to sell you money, not just because they are opportunists, but in some countries like Zimbabwe, their local currency was basically worth nothing so they wanted USD!!
Oh goodness, it sounds like you handled it as well as you could, but ACK!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Europe twice in the last 5 years. For some reason in 2018 we decided to pay for everything on our cards, and did not get any cash. I probably didn't even bring my ATM card, and like you, I don't know if I have a PIN for my credit card. It was mostly OK, but we did have to rely on the kindness of a friend there to help us do laundry at the laundromat, because the machines only took credit cards with a tap feature, and we didn't have any with us. Only chip cards.
When I went back in 2022, I decided that I didn't like the prior experience, so I brought my ATM and got cash there. I paid ATM fees, but it wasn't too bad, and I liked having Euros to leave a tip or once in awhile if someone didn't take cards.
I always like to have a little cash; you never know when you may need it. In many of the less developed countries you can't live without it, and as Daria said, you even have to get it from the black market. When I was in Africa, as soon as you cross the border in some countries, you are swarmed with people trying to sell you money.
DeleteI remember going to Europe in....2014 maybe, and they already had chip cards but we were still not quite there yet and they would bring their machine to the table so that you could pay and my card did not work in some of the machines. Once again, another reason to have cash just in case! I am not sure why we are always one step behind them with the credit card functions. I am so glad that we have tap to pay now (and my Google wallet has saved me a few times too!)
Well done in finding a work around. That would have been stressful. I normally use my card in my apple wallet because I rarely take my wallet with me but I was at the dentist and had my wallet because of needing my health insurance card. since I had my cc there I tapped the card and then it wanted a PIN. I had to think a bit and was relieved when I got it right. I'm going overseas at the end of the month and now at least I know that I know my PIN for when I want to withdraw cash at the ATM. (our cc is linked to our everyday account as well).
ReplyDeleteI know my ATM pin, but the pins for my credit cards are set up by the company and I have no idea what they are! I guess I could have called them and reset the pin or something (?) in order to get out cash, but I am so glad that I did not have to resort to that!
DeleteTechnology is a wonder! Yes, when you think about the days of traveller's cheques, I mean, how far have we come! You really dodged a bullet there, this is a great story. It's also a great cautionary tale to always have cash.
ReplyDeleteYes, it really is much simpler to be able to have everything in one place (the phone) and not have to worry about remembering things! I used to travel with a copy of all my documents too and once I even had to use the copy to get home (I guess that is the subject for another post though!) Now I just have my phone and I don't bring my printed itinerary or maps or...well, you know...the list goes on!
DeleteOmg, reading this post made me anxious! I'm impressed with how you managed though. I always have cash on hand, because I get paid a lot of cash tips. If I know I have a trip coming up, I'll hoard my cash for a while ahead of time so I have plenty. It's been a long time since I've traveled out of the country though!
ReplyDeleteSo, do you use cash to pay for things on a regular basis? And if so, are people still used to taking it, or have they started to give you a "look" as if you are the lady paying with a check in the grocery store? I actually have some coins I want to use up but it seems like paying for a $10 item at Target would be kind of embarrassing, so I have been using them to (slowly) buy coffee when I am on the road. It is going to take me a while to use them up though!
DeleteThis was so stressful! I feel like you could write a book about all your travel experiences. I would read it!
ReplyDeleteI usually try to carry a bit of cash with me when I'm traveling just in case I'm somewhere and can't use my card. But I'm also the person who almost NEVER carries cash on her person in regular life, and I really need to get better about that.
Maybe someday I will write a book! Maybe you can be one of my advanced readers or my editor!?
DeleteI find having an emergency $20 is a good idea. I have one in my regular wallet and one in my running vest, just in case. You never know when you are going to twist your ankle and find your phone has died and you need to get a bus home. However, those days are getting fewer and further between, but I feel like it's the day that you don't have it that you will need it. Also, a lot of the taco trucks or pop up fruit sellers in my neighborhood are cash only, and you never know when you are going to need an emergency taco!!
I try to always care some cash, although I do mostly pay with ATM/credit cards when I am out and about. It's just easier and so convenient - most times. I have encountered places where cash was the only option. When I go to Germany, I usually get some cash from my bank (where I still have an account) and then I also keep some that I keep carrying back and forth when I travel (and Euros obviously work in other European countries). I haven't traveled anywhere where I needed a different currency recently, but I would probably figure out where I could get some cash first thing upon arrival.
ReplyDeleteWe've come a long way since traveler's checks, but we're not quite a cashless society yet.
You are lucky to have a bank account still in Europe; do you usually transfer money into it, or do you just keep a balance in there and use it as you use it? I imagine if it is the latter, you are probably not being advantaged by the current exchange rate so it may make more sense to exchange dollars now and/or use your US cards since the rates are so much better than they were 10 years ago.
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