[Noisebridge-discuss] Best strategy and currency for foreign travel..

[Jacob Appelbaum]

Martin Bogomolni wrote:
> So, to summarize the thread a bit:
> 
> In countries with a highly developed banking system--
>    * Cash in the local currency enough for a day
>    * Travelers Checks enough to cover a major expense
>    * 2 Credit Card w/ ATM access across different networks
> 

Having local currency is usually a useful starting point. Depending on
the country and why you're there, it's very good to carry Euros or
Dollars to nearly all places you'll visit. It is very rare to find a
place where you cannot exchange straight up cash. If you find such a
place, I suspect you'll also have trouble with Travelers checks.
Travelers checks are sometimes a pain in the neck to cash and I've found
they're often more trouble than they're worth.

Debit cards usally work equally as well as credit cards. Sometimes they
work better. Sometimes they're worse. I'd suggest both a credit card and
a debit card. Some debit cards have a money back policy for all ATM fees
and all international currency changing fees. That's a really useful
thing that is hard to find without having a high credit AMEX account.

> In countries with a less developed banking system--
>   * Cash in the local currency for needed expenses on the trip
>   * Backup Cash in US or Euro to cover a major expense
>   * Traveler's Checks as a final backup
>   * Credit Card, but don't count on ATM access
> 

Leave some money with a friend or find a friend willing to send you
money in a pinch. Perhaps this is the same friend that has a copy of
your passport. Setup a dial back service (perhaps like dialstation.com )
to call your friends in an emergency. If they get a call, they can
hopefully wire transfer you some money. Western Union may work. Other
bank transfers may work. In some parts of the world, you may be able to
use a Hawala transfer system. It depends on the local and often global
anti-terror laws. Good luck with that one. Sometimes your backup plan
(depending on the amount transfered) will lock accounts or get you
questioned. It depends entirely on your situation. Traveling in Asia
isn't the same as traveling in central America or in the Middle East.

Be aware that while many banks have local branches, it's mostly for
global brand recognition value rather than actual customer convenience.
It doesn't  matter if that bank is in Canada or in Argentina. Each
national branch treats the other like an external, non-friendly bank.
There are some exceptions (like calling your national bank for you) but
largely it's as if they're not the same bank at all. This is because
they're not.

> In countries without easy bank access--
>   * Cash in the local currency, enough for all needs
>   * Backup Cash in US or Euro for a couple major expenses
>   * Traveler's Checks as the only backup
> 

Be very cautious of carrying large amounts of money unless you are able
to fit in with the locals. In Europe, it's easy to fit in if you're
white, it's a lot less so if you're in Africa. If you don't speak any of
the local languages or know any of the local dialects, you'll stick out
like a sore thumb. Generally speaking, you're a tourist. Don't be
flashy, don't be loud, don't draw more attention than you already draw
simply by existing. Don't keep stuff in the outside pockets of your
bags. Keep a fake wallet with some toss down money in it. Toss it down
if you get robbed. That's a good place for your travelers checks.

I would make an additional technical suggestion that may be helpful.

Make backup copies of your bank cards with something like libmsr or the
MAKStripe. Carry copies of the magstripe data (and the software) on your
laptop or on a(n encrypted) USB stick. Don't forget the hardware to
re-write the data, obviously. If your cards are _lost_; you can make
fresh copies, withdraw money and then cancel your cards before they're
_used_ by someone else. In some countries, it's possible to get blank
magnetic cards without too much trouble (much like you can get a safeway
card for free). You can also carry some throw away cards of your own but
be aware that carrying really blank (white plastic) cards is suspicious.
You probably want to carry cards where the magnetic stripe itself is
blank, rather than the face of the card.

If you're going to be gone for quite some time and you have complex
border crossing plans, I suggest a second passport. Normal US Citizens
are permitted two passports that are valid at the same time. One will be
valid for ten years, the other for two years. If you need help with
this, let me know. If you happen to be a citizen of the Federal Republic
of Germany, it's possible to have up to four passports at one time.
Sometimes having more than one passport is a serious problem, other
times it's a really good idea.

I've currently been on the road for about two months (Greetings from
Reykjavik, Iceland) and I use many of these techniques to keep myself
funded. My backup plans have backup plans and so on. Your milage may
vary but I think you'll be pretty good if you follow some of this advice.

Best,
Jake

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