Safely Carrying Money on an International Vacation

Carrying Money Safely When You Travel Is Easy When You Know How

You’ll need to carry a few important items with you when you travel that will always be at risk for theft. These items include your identification cards (usually a driver’s license and/or a passport) and the money you’ll use in your destination country.

One of the first pieces of advice many people offer when offering suggestions for successful international trips is to make sure you have a safe place to store your valuable items, whether that’s on your person or in the room where you’re staying.

It’s true that some places you might travel may have higher crime rates than other areas. However, one of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s only countries with a lot of crime where you have to be extra careful with your valuables.

In fact, petty thieves and people who take advantage of unsuspecting tourists are everywhere, from the poshest metropolitan areas to the poorest extremes of humanity.

You may find it helpful to adopt the same behaviors when you’re traveling, whether you’re walking down the street in London or taking a stroll in Cape Town, South Africa. No matter the reputation of a country or city, it’s always a good idea to remain aware of your surroundings.

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Figure Out How Locals Pay in Your Destination Country

One of the ways you may take unnecessary risks when you travel is when you have the wrong type of currency or form of payment with you.

Some countries operate almost solely with cash, but others have become virtually cashless, where every transaction is made digitally. In some countries, not only are they cashless, but you sometimes need to get a form of payment (a local debit or credit card) to buy anything.

For example, when I traveled to Colombia, the country’s money was the Colombian Peso, and they weren’t in the habit of accepting American dollars. Sometimes, we were able to pay with credit cards, but other establishments seemed to prefer cash. Throughout my travels in Colombia, I carried two credit cards and some Colombian cash and never had a problem paying anywhere.

When I went on my Icelandic road trip, on the other hand, I didn’t even get any Icelandic Krone before I left, and I didn’t need to get any cash during my time on the island either. I figured I could get some money exchanged if necessary (I had some American dollars on me), but in every corner of the country, my partner and I just used our American credit cards.

Now, if we want to take an example from the other extreme, Vietnam is a place where cash is king, even though you can pay with a card at some hotels and some venues. When I traveled to Vietnam, I exchanged about $500 in cash from American dollars to Vietnamese dong, but I left most of the cash in our room.

Costs being what they were in Vietnam versus America, I was able to carry the equivalent of about $20 in American dollars without having any trouble having enough money to pay for food and other incidentals each day.

So, before you travel, do a bit of research on the type of money used in the country you’re traveling to, as well as whether they’re cashless, hybrid, or cash society. It’ll help you plan how much money you need to take or whether you need to take any foreign currency at all.

Carrying Cash Safely Without a Purse or Bag

When I traveled to Colombia, I used this security wallet while traveling, but I didn’t always have my wallet with me. Sometimes, I left it in the room and just took some Colombian Pesos with me, stuffed in one of the pockets of my leggings.

No matter what country I’m traveling to, I often try to leave the room without a purse or backpack, utilizing the pockets on my leggings (yes, these leggings) to hold some cash and Kleenex (don’t ask me why, but everywhere I’ve traveled – tissues have been just about as important as cash each day!).

If you find it absolutely necessary to carry more than your pockets can handle, consider buying a light jacket (or a jacket for whatever sort of weather you expect to encounter) with a pocket on the inside. I have a lightweight rain jacket with inside pockets, as well as a heavier jacket for wintertime with inside pockets. Some zippered hoodies even have inside pockets, which means you can stuff your ChapStick and money in there and not worry too much about thieves.

All things considered, I feel that it’s safer to leave as much as you can at your hotel room, should your vacation include tours around the city or region or time spent walking around busy areas.

If you feel nervous about leaving valuables in your room, you usually have two options. If you’re in a traditional hotel or a B&B, you can often find a safe – in the room or with the front desk – to store your valuables. You can also hide things like your passport and money somewhere in the room. Almost anywhere but between the mattresses (too obvious) is fine.

Leaving Money & Valuables In Your Hotel Room

If you’re thinking about keeping all of your money, credit cards, and passport on you at all times, reconsider, particularly if you plan on engaging in some strenuous activities that may have you flying around a valley, summiting a glacier, or hiking to a waterfall.

If you leave as much as possible in your room, you don’t need to worry about losing those items while you’re out having fun or exploring the town. Even if you think your zippered pockets are perfect for holding your passport, it’ll probably be safer to leave it somewhere safe.

You can reduce the likelihood of hassles related to your valuables in a few ways:

1. Don’t bring valuables unless you really need them. Do you have a fancy pair of sunglasses? Leave them at home. Take a traveling pair with a similar look and a lower price tag. Wear fake jewelry and a cheap watch if you feel the need to accessorize.

2. Leave everything you can in the room. You really shouldn’t need your passport or all the money you brought when you head out for a day from your room. Just bring the bare minimum of money whether you’re just strolling through town or you’re embarking on an adventure.

3. Find a creative place to hide your stuff. Everyone chooses to leave their passports between the mattresses. Don’t do that; it’s the first place a thief would look. Instead, consider putting them INSIDE the pillowcases or under the sheets. You can also hide currency inside a Bible if there’s one in one of the drawers of the room.

Should You Carry Everything On You At All Times?

There are a few instances where you might find it necessary to carry everything on you at all times. If you’re on a backpacking trip where you’re sharing sleeping quarters with others in a hostel situation, you may want to avoid leaving anything valuable in your room.

By and large, backpackers are an adventurous and friendly lot of people, but all it takes is rooming with one nefarious person to encounter a problem with theft. In such cases, I find it’s a good idea to take as little as possible with you on the entire trip, not just during your daily excursions.

You shouldn’t need anything other than your passport and your methods of payment, and you can always carry those on your person if you wish throughout your trip. Leave the cross you wear around your neck at home, and get some cheap (but still polarized) sunglasses from the drugstore before you leave.

When you sleep at night, you may want to put your passport and money inside your pillowcase, which should reduce the likelihood of a brazen theft occurring while you’re sleeping.

You shouldn’t expect that communal traveling will lead to theft, but it’s still a good idea to remain cautious. And that goes for any type of trip. Simply remaining aware of your surroundings, keeping your valuables in check, and traveling smartly with someone else or with a group can greatly reduce your chances of having something valuable nicked on your vacation.

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