For business trips, companies will generally only pay for flights and accommodation. Other expenses, such as food and souvenirs, will be left up to you, so it is imperative that you have access to your finances while overseas. Otherwise you may only have the money in your wallet for the duration of your stay.
Make sure that you have as many options as possible in terms of withdrawing money. Carrying a number of credit and debit cards will increase the chances that at least one will work, as some countries, such as Japan, will not accept overseas credit cards in many of their ATMs.
If you are traveling to a developed country, or a remote area, there may not even be ATMs for you to use. In this case, make sure to bring along some traveler’s checks, as these can be exchanged for the local currency, and can be replaced if stolen.
And in the end, if all else fails, having some cold, hard cash is always a good idea, no matter where you are. US Dollars are generally accepted in banks all over the world, and can be used as a last resort if you cannot gain money from your bank cards or traveler’s checks.
Of course, as long as your international cell phone works, you should be able to call your bank, credit card company or family in case of an emergency!
Tags: cash, International Travel, money abroad
