My cousin in Perth has just got engaged to another Australian, and they’re planning their big day. Their dream honeymoon is a trip around Europe, which is a repeat of their first holiday together. But however much they loved that holiday, and each other, there’s one lingering doubt — and it’s not the jetlag.

Perth to London is long, but it’s the easy bit. The hard part starts, for them, once they start crossing country frontiers, and the currency changes.

“We like to travel light, to stay in small places, to explore beyond the usual big cities, and venture into countries our friends have never been around Europe, also touching into Africa and Asia. But every time we cross a boundary, and have our passports stamped, we start worrying about the currency. We look at restaurant menus, not for the food, but for the prices — can we afford this? Is this good value? At hotels we ask if they take Travellers cheques, or how much commission is charged to change money, or to pay on our domestic bank cards. We wistfully look at some countries and have been told ‘oh no, that’s really expensive’ by friends at home, so we take the train straight through, without stopping. It’s hard to plan a big trip around currency differences. It’s not the most romantic consideration”

Global travel, budget airlines, more runways at airports, and new suburban airports, have expanded our vistas. But let’s not let currency issues get in our way. GLOBCOIN wants to make the process of holding, and exchanging currency easier, with a “safe store” of cryptocurrency in our wallet too, so we can hold our money in that cryptocurrency, until we really need to spend it. Like for that big trip.

Written by: Linda Leaney — Globcoin CFO

Suggested reads:

Saving money while travelling… is it even possible?

The Story of a Global Nomad

Your next family holiday: More fun, less stress