Now, at the risk of sounding like I was giving you a sleazy sales pitch here, just imagine this: What if there was a way to avoid all the hassle of exchanging money in a language you don’t understand and instead get a one-size-fits-all solution?

The #1 tip to save money when traveling

Such a solution does exist and it is easier than you would ever think. Here is the one advice that will let you save money every time and anywhere you travel: Get a free credit card that has:

no annual fee

no transaction fee

no foreign withdrawal fee.

Tatá! It’s that simple. As soon as this one item became part of my personal travel-toolbox my travel expierience changed so much for the better. Namely, I was freed from some of the most repelling tasks one can be burdened with when traveling.

Here are just three of the annoyances that are now gone forever:

1. No more currency exchange whatsoever

With your credit card being part of either the VISA or MasterCard network all you need to do is walk up to the nearest ATM to get cash in the local currency. The exchange rate will be set by Mastercard/Visa who are using the official exchange rate as set by the National Bank of the country you are in.

2. No more “self-tipping” by stores or restaurants

In certain parts of the world In Eastern and Southern Europe you will often come across situations where stores and sometimes even large supermarkets will not give you back your exact change or sometimes no change at all. Especially in Southern Europe you might as well face a pack of gum or some candy being presented as your “change”.

While tipping is a nice gesture that I indulge in any kind of “self-tipping”, and be it for a penny, gets me furious. A fee-less credit card eliminates any kind of “self-tipping” as you can now pay entirely hassle-free by card every time.



3. Less weight to carry

Once you have a credit card that you can make use of without fearing for hefty transaction fees you are less dependent on carrying foreign curreny with you. You can make all your payings by card and just keep a small amount of cash for the few occasions where cards are not accepted. As if that wasn’t enough, many cards also come with extra features on the side that can be extremely helpful themselves:

Free extra bonuses

Some Credit cards come with extra goodies such as a free health insurance, frequent flyer miles for every purchase you make abroad or sometimes even a free checking account. Have a look at the list below to see what bank offers which freebies with your card.