How much cash do you carry in different countries?
Apr 18, 2016, 11:39 am
#19
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Depends: out and about in the US - seldom more than $50.
UK: £40-60 - usually to cover the pub bill, as running a credit card repeatedly is annoying for the barman and myself.
NZ/AU: $100, helpful on tour in remote when only eftpos/cash is fairly common.
Hong Kong: $2000. I never know when I'll "need" something or decide on a banquet.
Thailand: Depends on my itinerary, but unless I am doing a more cash only activity (intense shopping, long car ride), I found B3000 overkill most days. I found my main concern having a couple B100 notes on hand rather than how many thousands.
UK: £40-60 - usually to cover the pub bill, as running a credit card repeatedly is annoying for the barman and myself.
NZ/AU: $100, helpful on tour in remote when only eftpos/cash is fairly common.
Hong Kong: $2000. I never know when I'll "need" something or decide on a banquet.
Thailand: Depends on my itinerary, but unless I am doing a more cash only activity (intense shopping, long car ride), I found B3000 overkill most days. I found my main concern having a couple B100 notes on hand rather than how many thousands.
Apr 18, 2016, 11:57 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2007
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What's appropriate varies from trip to trip. Mostly in business/tourist centers? Easy to rely on credit card acceptance, so I'll withdraw $100US equivalent to pay for transit, small meals, and incidentals where it's simply easier to use cash. Even then that's more than I've almost ever needed. Out in smaller cities and towns? I'll carry double as credit card machines and suitable ATMs are less common. Planning to shop a lot at bazaars and street markets? I may carry significantly more cash just because cash is king when bargaining.
Apr 18, 2016, 12:41 pm
#21
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I try not to carry a lot of cash in the USA because of the high crime rates.
But what do you mean by carry? As in how much do I carry between the airport and the hotel, or how much do I carry around, or how much do I carry around heading out to a bar? Because those figures are very different.
But what do you mean by carry? As in how much do I carry between the airport and the hotel, or how much do I carry around, or how much do I carry around heading out to a bar? Because those figures are very different.
Apr 18, 2016, 2:56 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Apr 18, 2016, 3:05 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: East Coast, USA
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Apr 18, 2016, 6:24 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Nevada
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I travel a lot in countries with no ATMs.
In Iran I carried about $6,000, Yemen $4,000, Sudan $4,000, D.R. Congo $3,000 (don't really remember) and Somaliland $2,000.
Transnistria (only there for one day) about $300.
In Iran I carried about $6,000, Yemen $4,000, Sudan $4,000, D.R. Congo $3,000 (don't really remember) and Somaliland $2,000.
Transnistria (only there for one day) about $300.
Apr 19, 2016, 8:14 am
#25
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
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That's brilliant! @:-) For at least 50% of my travel, I'm basically just checking out of a hotel and heading straight to the airport to leave the country. As long as I set aside enough to get me to the airport, I can just use the rest to pay down my hotel bill. ^
Apr 19, 2016, 8:19 am
#26
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Apr 19, 2016, 9:02 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Staffordshire UK
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Yes, if you want to go trekking in the highlands or sailing from village to village, a good cash store is required, but in the tourist areas, ATM's are easily accessible.
If going to a business centre I tend to have about £200 worth of local currency. If going off the beaten track I may double that and have a couple of hundred dollars and or a couple of hundred euros, which may come in handy.
Apr 19, 2016, 12:35 pm
#28
Join Date: May 2000
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At a bare minimum, I like to have US$100 equivalent in local currently. I like knowing that I can buy lunch, take a cab, buy a drink, or what not without worrying about whether or not the merchant takes credit cards. Like others have suggested, on my last day in country, I pay down the hotel bill with all remaining local currency and change, except for maybe US$20 equivalent and what I need to get to the airport.
Apr 19, 2016, 12:43 pm
#29
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http://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-...e/Total-crimes
And since we are talking about carrying cash
18th highest robbery rate (per 100k) in the world:
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-...rime/Robberies
Apr 19, 2016, 1:33 pm
#30
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Outside of known large needs, $200USD equivalent is typically what I also carry. I figure there will be at least a few items to pay for in cash, and I can spend the rest at the airport on the way home on gifts.
It also depends on the duration of the trip and access to ATMs.
It also depends on the duration of the trip and access to ATMs.