Miscellaneous: Currency and Internet Access
Currency
It used to be that if you were going to a foreign country, you would have to get (a) traveler’s checks and (b) some of the foreign currency at a bad exchange rate in your home country. Today, however, you are likely to get better exchange rates by using either your bank card to withdraw cash from an automated banking machine or from using your credit card to pay for a transaction. Usually you will get a better exchange rate under these options. For both the bank and the credit cards, a surcharge can be assessed for any transaction that involves a different currency. Check with your bank/credit card company to find out when (if ever) a surcharge will be imposed. Getting some traveler’s checks is not a bad idea, even with ATMs. You could end up in a small town that does not have an ATM or the local ATM may not take your card. Also, if the traveler’s check is stolen, you will get your money back. Generally, most people like to carry traveler’s checks that are in a U.S. dollar denomination.
When you get into the foreign country for the first time on your trip (e.g. airport or train station), look for an ATM. Most airports and train stations (at least the ones to which we have traveled) have ATMs today. We usually get a better exchange rate using the ATM machine than we do if we go to the foreign exchange counter at the airport.
Internet Access
There are basically three ways to get internet access while traveling. Option 1: do not carry a computer and rely on an internet café or the business center of your hotel. If they exist, usually the internet cafes are the cheaper option. In some places, internet cafes can be difficult to find. While we had no problem finding them in Australia, Paris, etc. We did have a difficult time finding a café in Athens (but not in smaller towns in Greece).
Option 2: Carry a computer and rely on the internet accessibility from your hotel (via Ethernet or modem). Some hotels are wired for Ethernet and provide the service at a reasonable price.
Option 3: Carry a computer and rely on your computer’s wireless access card. These days you can get wireless access through a card or though a usb port. If you have wireless access you usually have to purchase your time through a local carrier. Often you will have the option of purchasing by the minute/hour or pre-paying for a fixed amount of time. Some countries (e.g. Australia) are quite good at offering wireless access in cafes and other public places. Others are not so good. You have to be careful when deciding which option you use for your wireless access. Some cafes will offer access under only one company – if you purchased time from another company you are out of luck.
Sometimes you can buy time from a “reseller” of a company’s wireless access service. The best reseller we have come across is Boingo, www.boingo.com. You can purchase daily access ($9.95 U.S.) or monthly access ($21.95 U.S.) – this gives you unlimited access for the period of your purchase (day or month). Boingo has teamed up with a number of providers across the world. There are lots of Boingo hotspots as a result. So if you are traveling a lot, this is a pretty good option. The website has a good search engine that allows you to see the number of hotspots in a given locale.
It used to be that if you were going to a foreign country, you would have to get (a) traveler’s checks and (b) some of the foreign currency at a bad exchange rate in your home country. Today, however, you are likely to get better exchange rates by using either your bank card to withdraw cash from an automated banking machine or from using your credit card to pay for a transaction. Usually you will get a better exchange rate under these options. For both the bank and the credit cards, a surcharge can be assessed for any transaction that involves a different currency. Check with your bank/credit card company to find out when (if ever) a surcharge will be imposed. Getting some traveler’s checks is not a bad idea, even with ATMs. You could end up in a small town that does not have an ATM or the local ATM may not take your card. Also, if the traveler’s check is stolen, you will get your money back. Generally, most people like to carry traveler’s checks that are in a U.S. dollar denomination.
When you get into the foreign country for the first time on your trip (e.g. airport or train station), look for an ATM. Most airports and train stations (at least the ones to which we have traveled) have ATMs today. We usually get a better exchange rate using the ATM machine than we do if we go to the foreign exchange counter at the airport.
Internet Access
There are basically three ways to get internet access while traveling. Option 1: do not carry a computer and rely on an internet café or the business center of your hotel. If they exist, usually the internet cafes are the cheaper option. In some places, internet cafes can be difficult to find. While we had no problem finding them in Australia, Paris, etc. We did have a difficult time finding a café in Athens (but not in smaller towns in Greece).
Option 2: Carry a computer and rely on the internet accessibility from your hotel (via Ethernet or modem). Some hotels are wired for Ethernet and provide the service at a reasonable price.
Option 3: Carry a computer and rely on your computer’s wireless access card. These days you can get wireless access through a card or though a usb port. If you have wireless access you usually have to purchase your time through a local carrier. Often you will have the option of purchasing by the minute/hour or pre-paying for a fixed amount of time. Some countries (e.g. Australia) are quite good at offering wireless access in cafes and other public places. Others are not so good. You have to be careful when deciding which option you use for your wireless access. Some cafes will offer access under only one company – if you purchased time from another company you are out of luck.
Sometimes you can buy time from a “reseller” of a company’s wireless access service. The best reseller we have come across is Boingo, www.boingo.com. You can purchase daily access ($9.95 U.S.) or monthly access ($21.95 U.S.) – this gives you unlimited access for the period of your purchase (day or month). Boingo has teamed up with a number of providers across the world. There are lots of Boingo hotspots as a result. So if you are traveling a lot, this is a pretty good option. The website has a good search engine that allows you to see the number of hotspots in a given locale.
posted by A & K | 9:32 AM
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