International Travel - You Might Have to Carry More Cash Than You Think

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30 May 2014

International Travel – You Might Have to Carry More Cash Than You Think

There’s plenty of advice online about how to carry money — credit card versus ATM card versus traveler’s checks versus cash. That’s not what this is about.

I’m going to assume that no matter what, you’ll be carrying some cash. And if you’re going to another country, you’ll be changing at least some of that cash into the local currency.

Now, I’m someone who packs meticulously (as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now). Everything has its place — my passport, my dollar bills, my malaria pills, whatever. Places are assigned before I ever leave home, and I don’t leave home with extra space just waiting to be filled. Every bit of space is maximized and efficient. And I tend to get a little smug about it. (Who me?)

So I was totally unprepared for the Malawi Kwacha.

When I traveled to Malawi in 2010, the exchange rate was roughly 150 Kwacha to 1 U.S. Dollar. When we first arrived in the country, I wanted to change $300. I handed over three thin and crisp $100 bills, which of course had fit nicely in the slot of my money pouch — the place I’d designated for dollar bills.

What I got in return was this pile of cash.

My pathetic little money pouch was no match.

Throughout the trip I had bills stuffed in so many different pockets and zippered compartments of my luggage and day pack I could never really get a feel for how much money I had on me at any given time.

Lesson learned.

Do some exchange rate math before you leave home.
Leave some space for a pile of cash.

How do you carry money? And what do you do with a stack of bills when you’re traveling and trying NOT to look like you’re carrying a stack of bills?

2 Comments

David Carstens

Never fidget with your wad in public… to be clear, I’m talking about your travel cash and not the other. I put even amounts of money in three regions: my shoe, my shorts and my shirt.
To quote the well travelled Columbian matematician Juan Rodriguez, “Always pack half of what you think you need and twice as much cash”

30 May 2014 12:05 pm (@Twitter)
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24 Oct 2014 02:10 am (@Twitter)

30 May 2014