Originally Posted by darthbimmer

I've never liked having a large value of cash "stranded" in a foreign currency. Even when I know I'll return to a country within a few months I prefer not to hold more than about $20US worth of its money. This is because 1) plans change-- that next trip may not happen, 2) it's a PITA to change foreign currencies back in the US without getting raked, and 3) it's rarely hard to get cash upon arrival. I've been to very few places so far where I haven't been able to locate a fee-free or low-fee ATM at/near the airport with a bit of advanced research.