In some countries, there is a better exchange rate on site at exchange offices. If you want to receive the best amount of money, you should bring your cash to the country you want to visit.
Some countries, such as South America, present a problem for the traveler due to the high crime rate.
Local thieves know of backpackers carrying foreign currency on them and with foreign currency in some countries worth a lot of money almost as much as gold, travelers become potential targets.
Find our best tips for traveling with cash:
Tip 1: Divide your money over you
Even if you ignore the other tips, you should listen carefully to these tips because they are very important:
In order not to lose all your money, you must distribute your money in at least three different hiding places.
There are many possibilities to hide money while traveling, but if you just hide all your money in one place, you can have problems.
I recommend having some money in a Anti Theft travel belt and the rest in other hidden places near your body.
Tip 2: Close-to-the-body money stashes are best
Hide your money, if you’re traveling. Avoid putting your money in your backpack, because often thieves like to search backpacks.
The hiding places of money under the clothes have been perfected, we know the pockets worn on the chest and the Waist Pack Bag. Although these classics are still the favorite objects of the travler, new options exist such as hiding places in the bra for women or underwear for men. There are also t-shirts with an integrated pocket for traveling with peace of mind.
Accessories close to the body are particularly effective
when you sleep in a place that is not safe and where you cannot hide your money and valuables.
Be careful, keeping money without a wallet is not a very good alternative. The travel belt will be stronger and safer!
You have to prepare yourself so that you don’t lose your money.
Tip 3: Always have small banknotes handy
Do not try to take out your credit card but keep small banknotes handy, as already mentioned:
In 90% of cases, when you travel the world, you are safe!
You can increase this percentage to 99.9%, if you are crafty. If you do not clearly show that you are traveling with cash.
It is advisable to make small monetary units easily accessible.
So you don’t pull out a big bill when you’re looking for a coin to buy a souvenir in a market.
So, you should not take money from your jeans hidden pocket under your clothes.
Every morning prepare a small amount of money in a small package in the pocket.
Make sure you have easy access to this pocket during your trip, to be able to buy food, souvenirs and entrance tickets to attractions.
The rest of your money will stay in your other reserves.
Put your biggest bills in your wallet under your clothes or in your travel belt pocket.
Tip 4: Use a fake wallet
If you find yourself in an aggressive situation, this will help you. Indeed, when you give something voluntarily thieves tend to leave you alone.
Get a dummy wallet and put only a few banknotes and old cards in it that you no longer use. You will be able to give this wallet to the gangsters without fear of losing all your money.
I almost always travel with a fake wallet in which I place small banknotes for everyday life and I leave my real wallet most often in my accommodation. I simply fill my dummy wallet with a few small bills which also saves me from spending too much in the shops.
A fake wallet can stop pickpockets before they get to your real wallet.
And unfortunately, in the event of a real attack, you can quickly escape by giving your fake wallet. you can try to run to safety.
Tip 5: Wear an anti-theft backpack
Some backpacks and handbags are specially designed for travel and contain reinforced handles and shoulder straps. They can also have strong straps with steel cables inside to prevent them from being cut and zippers with key closure.
Buy the new version of the anti-theft bag on Amazon
Tip 6 – Buy a special travel wallet – solid
Next to a fake wallet, you can also consider a real wallet that you reserve especially for travel. There is a simple reason for this:
If you are the type of person whose wallet contains a lot of cards, not all of these cards will be able to fit into all the solutions proposed above.
It will therefore be necessary to consider buying a solid wallet for the trip. If you have a specialized wallet for travel, your cards have solid pockets from which they cannot slip by mistake.
Normally I would advise against carrying all your papers on one item, but a few of these wallets come with some serious security features.
Some of these wallets are equipped with a metal cable with which you can connect it to your body such as your pants. There are even more technological versions that are equipped with GPS trackers.
If the potential thief collects your cards and tickets and then throws the wallet away, this option is not very viable. However, it at least gives you the chance to get your wallet and some of your belongings back.
Tip 7 – Travel without money
In busy places like subway stations or near bus routes, it is good to be able to forego cash or credit card transactions altogether and instead use a multiple-use ticket or another option to cash.
If you are in a city in which public means of transport offer, for example in London, multi-use transport cards or if you can buy ticket books like in the metro in Paris with which you will have 10 tickets unique at a reduced price. Plus it’s a hell of a discount!
This way you reduce the chances of losing your wallet, since you have to take it out and use it less often.
Tip 8 – Place your valuables in secure places
Sometimes the best solution to carrying money on you is not having it on you. Hotel rooms offer safes that are safe enough to leave your money or your valuables (telephone, jewelry, camera, etc.)
If you have an object or a quantity of money that makes you particularly nervous, consider whether the hotel has a locker behind the reception where you can leave your belongings.
If you use a safe in your hotel, always remember to remove your valuables before leaving the hotel for good.
If you leave the hotel quickly to catch your plane, for example, you could forget your belongings in your room and there,
it is a disaster if the hotel is not serious.
If you are a person who does not have a lot of memory, leave a multicolored post-it on your suitcase.
Thanks for reading