Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
items. Some travelers carry a third card, in case one gets demagnetized or eaten by a tem-
peramental machine.
For an emergency stash, bring several hundred dollars in hard cash in $20 bills. If you
need to exchange the bills, go to a bank; avoid using currency-exchange booths because
of their lousy rates and/or outrageous fees.
Cash is just as desirable in Britain as it is at home. Small businesses (B&Bs, mom-and-pop
cafés, shops, etc.) prefer that you pay your bills with cash. Some vendors will charge you
extra for using a credit card, and some won't take credit cards at all. Cash is the best—and
sometimes only—way to pay for cheap food, bus fare, taxis, and local guides.
Throughout Britain, ATMs are the standard way for travelers to get cash. To withdraw
money from an ATM (known as a “cashpoint”), you'll need a debit card (ideally with a
Visa or MasterCard logo for maximum usability), plus a PIN code. Know your PIN code
in numbers; there are only numbers—no letters—on European keypads. For increased se-
curity, shield the keypad when entering your PIN code, and don't use an ATM if anything
on the front of the machine looks loose or damaged (a sign that someone may have at-
tached a “skimming” device to capture account information). Try to withdraw large sums
of money to reduce the number of per-transaction bank fees you'll pay.
Stay away from “independent” ATMs such as Travelex, Euronet, Moneybox, Card-
point, and Cashzone, which charge huge commissions, have terrible exchange rates, and
may try to trick users with “dynamic currency conversion” (described at the end of “Cred-
it and Debit Cards,” next). Instead, when possible, use ATMs located outside banks—a
thief is less likely to target a cash machine near surveillance cameras, and if your card is
munched by a machine, you can go inside for help.
Although you can use a credit card for an ATM transaction, it only makes sense in
an emergency, because it's considered a cash advance (borrowed at a high interest rate)
rather than a withdrawal.
While traveling, if you want to monitor your accounts online to detect any unauthor-
Even in jolly olde England, pickpockets target tourists. To safeguard your cash, wear
a money belt—a pouch with a strap that you buckle around your waist like a belt and tuck
under your clothes. Keep your cash, credit cards, and passport secure in your money belt,
and carry only a day's spending money in your front pocket.
