Planning
Money While Travelling: Cards, Cash and Avoiding Fees
The dull topic that quietly costs travellers hundreds of euros per trip. Fix it in an afternoon.
By Lucas Tremblay · 5 May 2026 · 6 min read
Foreign transaction fees, ATM charges and bad exchange rates can quietly take 3 to 5% of your total trip budget. On a year abroad, that is a flight. The fix is boringly simple and you only have to do it once.
Open a multi-currency account before you leave. Wise and Revolut both convert at near-interbank rates and give you a debit card that works almost everywhere. Pair it with one no-foreign-fee credit card (most challenger banks in Europe offer one) as a backup.
Never accept the 'pay in your home currency' option at terminals or ATMs. This is called dynamic currency conversion and the markup is routinely 5 to 8%. Always choose the local currency.
Carry a small emergency stash of clean US dollars — 200 in twenties, hidden separately from your main wallet. They are accepted at borders, by tuk-tuk drivers in a pinch, and by every black-market exchange on earth.
