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If you are planning a trip overseas or out of the country, there are some things you need to know about how to carry your money. Currency exchanges being what they are, you need to be aware of your options so you can make informed decisions on how to safely deal with your money when traveling.
 

Credit Cards:
These generally are the safest and most recognized money vehicles world wide. They are great for your airline tickets, hotels, car rentals and large purchases. There will be a currency exchange fee on them by the issuing company and the retailer, so your deal that you found, may not be such a great deal when you get home. Ask about exchange fees before your trip.
 

Credit cards are safe to travel with as you can usually get a replacement pretty quick and if it is lost or stolen, you are not liable for unauthorized charges. Some banks will allow you to take cash from local ATM if you have the pin number set up on your credit card. Be aware of extra fees for cash advances on your own card.
 

One issue many be that there are some retailers in Europe, Asia and South America that require a special chipped card that requires a pin that you put in at the time of purchase. The US issuers have not instituted that yet overall. Be prepared with funds from an additional source in any case. Some banks are coming up with Traveler cards that will help overcome this.
 

Debit Cards:
While these are good to get cash, they may not be your best bet for purchases such as hotels, airlines and larger items. Holds can be placed on your funds to cover entire purchases. Make sure it has the PLUS or Cirrus network symbols.
 

Travelers Checks
These are pretty much defunct except for American Express. It may not be a bad idea to carry some with you in case of emergency as American Express offices located around the world will cash them for you. Worth checking out.
 

Cash:
It is always good to carry some cash with you. While exchanging it can be a pain sometimes, you can access it easily. You need it for incidentals, food taxi’s and many more things on your trip. Losing it can be bad as it will not be replaced, but thankfully most places have ATM’s in the cities that you can access more cash in local currency.