[Luther]

Looking for some quick advice. I'm planning to travel for a few months. Rough plan is to go to Britain first, since that is where my family originally came from, and then hop over to Europe from there.
I'll have plenty of money to travel but I've fucked my credit in the past and won't have a credit card. What's the best alternative? Especially when it comes to reservations and such.

[slowpoke]

Get a Revoult card: https://www.revolut.com/

Let's you have separate Dollar/Euro/Pound balance's which you can top-up on the mobile app with your debit card.

Free to withdraw from ATM's anywhere in the world but I think they've added a fair usage policy now, so it might be 1-2% fee for anything over a certain amount

[aeroektar]

Just bring cash, I traveled for a month last winter with nothing but cash. Keep it cleverly hidden in your room and only bring whatever amount you will need when you go out. Or open a second bank account and deposit enough money into it for your trip, then just use a debit card.

[Windom Earle]

^ cash only is asking for trouble. That and being weighed down with coins etc, stuff that for a joke.

How about Visa debit? That's what I use on my phone's wallet, so a credit card is not required.

[Suits]

I love watching tourists try to pay with a credit card when they are new in town. Accepting international credit cards is not the norm for most places of business in many countries.

It's smart to have a debit card that you can use to withdraw money so that you aren't carrying a ton on you at any time, but it's smart to have a couple days worth of US currency or local on you at all times.

I've seen stupid tourists show up in a new country at 10 PM without any spending cash end up in a tizzy because they couldn't find an ATM and needed to hand over cash at the hotel (which of course didn't accept foreign credit cards), despite believing themselves to be "experienced travelers."

Credit cards or debit cards of any sort aren't going to be very useful if there is a problem with your bank account (which often happens when you make withdraws on foreign soil and will be difficult to fix if you aren't able to access bank branches, which are only in your home country). There's a lot of more backwards transit routes in SEA where an ATM can be hard to come by.

Better to have multiple options at your disposal.

(08-10-2017 10:42 PM)Windom Earle Wrote:  

That and being weighed down with coins etc, stuff that for a joke.

If "being weighed down with coins" is a concern for you on any level, best you stay home and never go anywhere that will cause you any stress.

(08-10-2017 10:13 PM)Luther Wrote:  

I'll have plenty of money to travel but I've fucked my credit in the past and won't have a credit card. Especially when it comes to reservations and such.

Canadian ATM cards work great in most countries. I've never had a problem.

As for making reservations, some online reservation websites do not require a credit card to make a reservation for many hotels.

Get a pre-paid credit card for use on online transaction where you don't need to use a card specifically in your name.

I think there are some Canadian services as well that allow you to get a prepaid card that is in your name. Research those.

[Beyond Borders]

I also don't see why so many grown men are deathly afraid to carry cash abroad. Even if you're a skinny little pipsqueak, nobody is going to walk up and push you down, take your bag, and kick sand in your face - assuming you're not in a truly dangerous place, which is rare for most on this forum.

In most places that kind of theft is pretty uncommon. Not to mention that when you have a wad of cash in your bag, you're going to be extra vigilant about surroundings and keep a close watch on it and not do stupid shit like leave it sitting on a table in a sketchy area so someone can grab it and run. This new dynamic alone drastically brings down the risk - in fact, I feel like having something to "protect" even strengthens your masculine resolve, though some would say that's a stretch.

I often carry cash only, at home and abroad, and I like living that way for various reasons. If I'm in a hotel, I put a do not disturb sign on my door when I'm gone or take it out with me in my daypack if I want my room cleaned that day - mine is a sleek little laptop backpack, and nobody but my girlfriend gets their hands in it ever. If I'm out partying I hide it beforehand in case I take anyone home.

I wrote an in-depth post on here at some point about the best ways to hide valuables in a hotel room. A few of my favorites include under the bag in your trash can, inside "dirty" socks in a pile of laundry, up inside an unsecured ceiling panel, and in the back of a toilet.

I've spent years living in hotels in places like Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines; I've had phones snaked plenty of times but never my bankroll.

Stop by a bank and change it all to hundreds to minimize the size and inconvenience of your stack. Get a prepaid and a PayPal account for online purchases. It's pricey, but in a jam, someone can always use western union to send you more cash abroad. Or you can order a PayPal debit card and withdraw funds from atms if you want to leave a bit of loot in there as well.

Meanwhile, brush up on your situational awareness, body language, and inner game so you are perceived as less of a target everywhere you go. They'll prove invaluable in your life regardless.

[Putin Closes]

(08-10-2017 11:34 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

I also don't see why so many grown men are deathly afraid to carry cash abroad. Even if you're a skinny little pipsqueak, nobody is going to walk up and push you down, take your bag, and kick sand in your face - assuming you're not in a truly dangerous place, which is rare for most on this forum.

In most places that kind of theft is pretty uncommon. Not to mention that when you have a wad of cash in your bag, you're going to be extra vigilant about surroundings and keep a close watch on it and not do stupid shit like leave it sitting on a table in a sketchy area so someone can grab it and run. This new dynamic alone drastically brings down the risk.

I often carry cash only, at home and abroad, and I like living that way for various reasons. If I'm in a hotel, I put a do not disturb sign on my door when I'm gone or take it out with me in my daypack if I want my room cleaned that day. If I'm out partying I hide it beforehand in case I take anyone home.

I wrote an in-depth post on here at some point about the best ways to hide valuables in a hotel room. A few of my favorites include under the bag in your trash can, inside "dirty" socks in a pile of laundry, up inside an unsecured ceiling panel, and in the back of a toilet.

I've spent years living in hotels in places like Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines; I've had phones snaked plenty of times but never my bankroll.

Stop by a bank and change it all to hundreds to minimize the size and inconvenience of your stack. Get a prepaid and a PayPal account for online purchases. It's pricey, but in a jam, someone can always use western union to send you more cash abroad. Or you can order a PayPal debit card and withdraw funds from atms if you want to leave a bit of loot in there as well.

Meanwhile, brush up on your situational awareness, body language, and inner game so you are perceived as less of a target everywhere you go. They'll prove invaluable in your life regardless.

Or just get a Charles Schwab debit card and withdraw money for $0 in fees. Just because you never got robbed doesn't mean in the future some guy will do a hold up and take your cash.

Also not to mention the $$$$ from credit card points that you're missing out. Nothing like free travel.

[Beyond Borders]

^ If the OP's credit is so bad he can't get a credit card, he won't qualify for a Charles Schwab account. I also assumed his situation is a tad more complicated than he's letting on, given that a normal debit card from any modern bank would handle the problem of booking hotels.

Anyhow, all that's beside the point. I'm not saying your way doesn't have its benefits. Of course it does. There are plenty of reasons to carry cash - there are plenty of reasons to carry plastic. Easy enough to do both for most people.

All I'm saying is I think it's funny when grown men act like the big bad wolves are going to smell a bankroll on a guy if he goes overseas with it.

If you're in a situation where you need or want to bring cash, whatever your situation may be, just bring it. If you're particularly worried about it, the above advice in my post above should come in handy.

[Windom Earle]

(08-10-2017 11:17 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 10:42 PM)Windom Earle Wrote:  

That and being weighed down with coins etc, stuff that for a joke.

If "being weighed down with coins" is a concern for you on any level, best you stay home and never go anywhere that will cause you any stress.

Yeah, right.

OP has problem with credit. I don't. As pointed out, you don't even need credit to utilise a "credit" type facility - debit works fine.

If I want cash, I'm seasoned enough to have the foresight to have a contingency in place, which includes alerting my bank to my impending travel, allowing transactions to occur unfettered in a foreign country.

[Suits]

(08-11-2017 04:20 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

^ If the OP's credit is so bad he can't get a credit card, he won't qualify for a Charles Schwab account. I also assumed his situation is a tad more complicated than he's letting on, given that a normal debit card from any modern bank would handle the problem of booking hotels.

The Canadian debit system has traditionally been different than some other countries, especially the US. The debit cards from Canadian banks cannot be used for online transaction (generally), although that is starting to change.

I have a TD debit card that can be used for online transactions, but that was a new feature that just began to become available a few years ago. Perhaps OP isn't aware of that option or can't get even a normal bank account for some reason.

[RichieP]

Don't you have prepaid credit cards there?

E.g. a Mastercard that you load cash onto from your debit account. No credit involved - you're spending your own money - but gives you the convenience/protection of a credit card.

The good ones are tailored for travel and give better rates on transfers/ATM withdrawals than most debit or credit cards too.

[godzilla]

(08-10-2017 11:34 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

I also don't see why so many grown men are deathly afraid to carry cash abroad. Even if you're a skinny little pipsqueak, nobody is going to walk up and push you down, take your bag, and kick sand in your face - assuming you're not in a truly dangerous place, which is rare for most on this forum.

In most places that kind of theft is pretty uncommon. Not to mention that when you have a wad of cash in your bag, you're going to be extra vigilant about surroundings and keep a close watch on it and not do stupid shit like leave it sitting on a table in a sketchy area so someone can grab it and run. This new dynamic alone drastically brings down the risk - in fact, I feel like having something to "protect" even strengthens your masculine resolve, though some would say that's a stretch.

I often carry cash only, at home and abroad, and I like living that way for various reasons. If I'm in a hotel, I put a do not disturb sign on my door when I'm gone or take it out with me in my daypack if I want my room cleaned that day - mine is a sleek little laptop backpack, and nobody but my girlfriend gets their hands in it ever. If I'm out partying I hide it beforehand in case I take anyone home.

I wrote an in-depth post on here at some point about the best ways to hide valuables in a hotel room. A few of my favorites include under the bag in your trash can, inside "dirty" socks in a pile of laundry, up inside an unsecured ceiling panel, and in the back of a toilet.

I've spent years living in hotels in places like Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines; I've had phones snaked plenty of times but never my bankroll.

Stop by a bank and change it all to hundreds to minimize the size and inconvenience of your stack. Get a prepaid and a PayPal account for online purchases. It's pricey, but in a jam, someone can always use western union to send you more cash abroad. Or you can order a PayPal debit card and withdraw funds from atms if you want to leave a bit of loot in there as well.

Meanwhile, brush up on your situational awareness, body language, and inner game so you are perceived as less of a target everywhere you go. They'll prove invaluable in your life regardless.

I don't see how anyone commenting is deathly afraid to carry cash. Just because you've never had your bankroll stolen doesn't mean what you doing is actually smart.

Carrying cash is dumb because if someone steals your cash, you've just lost it all. If someone steals your card, you can call the bank and possibly prevent transactions and usually get your money refunded. Credit cards are especially good for the latter.

Also, FYI, do not disturb signs do not prevent hotel staff from entering your room.

At the same time, carrying a lot cash is not big deal over in Europe. I heard of the occasional pickpocket but nothing more.

You should carry some cash anyway as every once a while I still run into a problem with my US debit card. (Ryanair only accepts European cards for example).

Im not too familiar with Canadian banking laws. However, I'm positive you can open a US banking account as a Canadian citizen with some banks.

In the US, we have something called Chexsystems. Its basically a list of people who can't open accounts. A lot of people were on this list because were overdrawn on their bank accounts and didn't pay it back or going through some kind of legal issue. However, there are a few US banks who don't use it. (just in case someone your credit problems are visible to a US bank)

I second the Schwab account, if you can open one that is.

[Beyond Borders]

Okay, you got me - I may have laid it on a little thick and wasn't directing that specifically at anyone. This just seems like one of those issues where I've seen the risk getting overblown a lot whenever it comes up.

Some of us are naturally going to be a lot more risk-averse than others - I do shit all the time that a careful guy would call "dumb" - and I certainly don't want to be responsible for someone getting a few grand or more swiped off of them.

Of course a variety of financial input is going to be invaluable to all of us on this topic, so I'll just rest my case on this one.

[Stallion]

Don't be afraid to carry cash, but leaving it in your room is asking for trouble in some countries.

It's not just the hotel staff you should be worried about (although they are the first suspects).

Hotel rooms with key cards are incredibly easy to hack into (any petty thief has access to masterkeys to open all of them. Same goes for hotel safes, the master password is 6 or 8 zeros in an alarming number of cases.

[yaku]

I don't like carrying much cash because it's an unneeded complication. I'm much more comfortable with my bitcoin debit card that can be loaded in minutes if needed.

You can also look into secured credit cards if you want to go that route. I have one just in case I want to rent a car...it saves me from buying the rental car's insurance.

[Suits]

(08-11-2017 12:16 PM)yaku Wrote:  

I don't like carrying much cash because it's an unneeded complication. I'm much more comfortable with my bitcoin debit card that can be loaded in minutes if needed.

You can also look into secured credit cards if you want to go that route. I have one just in case I want to rent a car...it saves me from buying the rental car's insurance.

You have no travel experience.

[Jetset]

(08-11-2017 12:16 PM)yaku Wrote:  

I don't like carrying much cash because it's an unneeded complication.

In much of the world, cash is king and is either the only way to pay at many local businesses or will get you steep discounts.

Even in relatively popular Greek Islands you'll run into this, and it may be the case that the only ATM nearby will literally have no money in it.

Card acceptance is even a crapshoot in Manhattan once you get out of the tourist traps.

[yaku]

So how is the OP going to make advanced reservations, which was his primary concern, with cash?

And he's going to Great Britain and Europe, not the part of the world where ATMs are scarce. He doesn't need to bring cash over when he can get all the local currency he needs at better exchange rates through an ATM there.

[aeroektar]

I'm going to assume OP has a bank account and a debit card which can be used for online purchases like airbnb, flights, booking hotels in advance etc.

[godzilla]

(08-11-2017 09:29 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

Okay, you got me - I may have laid it on a little thick and wasn't directing that specifically at anyone. This just seems like one of those issues where I've seen the risk getting overblown a lot whenever it comes up.

Some of us are naturally going to be a lot more risk-averse than others - I do shit all the time that a careful guy would call "dumb" - and I certainly don't want to be responsible for someone getting a few grand or more swiped off of them.

Of course a variety of financial input is going to be invaluable to all of us on this topic, so I'll just rest my case on this one.

Haha I remember you writing posts about going to small villages in Thailand so from your perspective carrying around cash is probably good idea. I totally agree with your post though that there isn't anything to be afraid of carrying around cash in Europe or Asia.

@jetset Mykonos is and exception, probably it due to being island, in almost all of Europe ATMs are available just about everywhere and in the wealthier Northern European countries, you could probably go months without seeing any cash.

[Jetset]

(08-11-2017 06:49 PM)godzilla Wrote:  

@jetset Mykonos is and exception, probably it due to being island, in almost all of Europe ATMs are available just about everywhere and in the wealthier Northern European countries, you could probably go months without seeing any cash.

Not just Mykonos, of course. In fact, I hit two empty ATMs in a row in Athens last month, routinely found restaurants that didn't or didn't want to take them in the main cities of Crete, and was quietly offered a 15% discount on my hotel in the Cyclades at check-in if I was willing to pay cash. (The Greek tradition of tax evasion is surely one of the most enduring.)

I'm just saying that unless you're traveling exclusively to certain kinds of places, having enough cash on you to rely on it in a pinch is wise and even a must. At the very least, asking for the cash price is a haggling tool.

[Luther]

Thanks for all the replies Gents. Glad I could spark a convo.

(08-11-2017 05:04 AM)Suits Wrote:  

(08-11-2017 04:20 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

^ If the OP's credit is so bad he can't get a credit card, he won't qualify for a Charles Schwab account. I also assumed his situation is a tad more complicated than he's letting on, given that a normal debit card from any modern bank would handle the problem of booking hotels.

The Canadian debit system has traditionally been different than some other countries, especially the US. The debit cards from Canadian banks cannot be used for online transaction (generally), although that is starting to change.

I have a TD debit card that can be used for online transactions, but that was a new feature that just began to become available a few years ago. Perhaps OP isn't aware of that option or can't get even a normal bank account for some reason.

Quite right. Especially if you bank at a small credit union like I do.

I know I can preload a credit card. My concern was that if I put several grand on a card and it gets skimmed or whatever I could get drained quick. I know credit cards have good insurance. Theyre probable a safe bet.

I have no problem carrying cash. The last extended trip I went to was Thailand and I only took a few travellers cheques, totalling about ten grand. I'd cash one out and carry the cash until I needed to cash another. But that was a few years ago. Travellers cheques are pretty much extinct now I think.

Right now I'm thinking my best bet is to preload a few different credit cards for a couple grand each. Plus open a debit account at a major bank and carry the debit card for back up.

I know I could also carry one pre laodable credit card and reload it from a debit account online but I don't like that idea much. I don't want to have to rely on an online connection. My phone could get stolen. My card could get stolen, hard to get a replacement without a mailing address. I'd be using unsecure connections to access my online banking info... maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I was just looking for ideas from those more seasoned than me, and I've got them. Thanks again.

[Drazen]

I was surprised when I went to Europe for the first time and saw a german family paying for their accomodations with cash upon check-in. A lot of mom and pop hotels are like that I guess.

[bumborass]

(08-11-2017 03:03 PM)Jetset Wrote:  

(08-11-2017 12:16 PM)yaku Wrote:  

I don't like carrying much cash because it's an unneeded complication.

In much of the world, cash is king and is either the only way to pay at many local businesses or will get you steep discounts.

Even in relatively popular Greek Islands you'll run into this, and it may be the case that the only ATM nearby will literally have no money in it.

Card acceptance is even a crapshoot in Manhattan once you get out of the tourist traps.

This, I'm from Queens, and most places usually have a 10-20 dollar minimum on credit cards, if they even accept credit cards.

Southern Italy from what I've noticed also doesn't really accept credit cards, with the exception of most larger shops/stores and restaurants.