Money and costs
Cards that travel well, the fees that hide in ATMs and card machines, and the cash, tips and taxes that still come up.
Paying abroad costs least when you use a card with a low conversion fee, choose the local currency every time a machine offers your own, and carry only the cash the country still runs on. Before you leave, read three lines of your card's fee schedule: the conversion fee, the free ATM allowance per month and any weekend markup. At the ATM, expect a second fee from the machine's owner, shown on screen before you confirm. At a shop's card machine, decline conversion into your home currency, as Visa and Mastercard both advise. Then size your cash: Japan was 58% cashless by value in 2025, about half of payments in Germany were still made in cash in 2023, and €10,000 or more must be declared at an EU border. The guides here also cover tipping by country, city tourist taxes and the VAT refund you can claim when you leave.
Guides
RulesTourist taxes in Europe: what you pay city by city in 2026
Data storyWhat 60 European tourist taxes cost for a four-night stay
Head to headMulti-currency cards for travel: fees, limits and the weekend markup
How toTipping guide by country: what is expected, what is polite, what is wastedHow toDynamic currency conversion: why you should always pay in local currencyRulesHow much cash to carry: Japan, Germany, Türkiye, Morocco, Thailand
RulesVAT refunds: Europe vs Japan, who qualifies and what it really savesQuestions people ask
Should I pay in local currency or my home currency abroad?
Local currency. When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, it applies its own rate (dynamic currency conversion), and Visa and Mastercard both tell cardholders to decline it. Declining does not block the payment: your own bank converts instead. In the EU the screen must show the markup as a percentage before you pay.
How do I avoid ATM fees abroad?
Two fees can apply: your card provider's and the ATM owner's. Your provider's fee schedule sets a free allowance per month, counted by amount or by number of withdrawals, and a charge beyond it. The ATM owner's fee usually appears on the screen before you confirm, so you can cancel. Decline the machine's offer to convert into your home currency.
Which card is best to use abroad?
The one whose fee schedule costs least for the way you pay. Compare three lines: the conversion fee on each purchase, the free ATM allowance per month, and any markup on exchanges made on the weekend, when the currency market is closed. Schedules differ by country and plan. In the UK, the deposit protection scheme does not cover e-money institutions.
How much cash should I carry when traveling?
It depends on how much of the country still runs on cash. Japan's government put cashless payments at 58% of consumer spending in 2025, and Germany's central bank found 51% of payments were still made in cash in 2023. Morocco's central bank reports that most card operations there are cash withdrawals. Even in Japan, small purchases and rural places vary.
Do I have to declare cash at the border?
Above a set amount, yes. Entering or leaving the EU, each person carrying €10,000 or more in cash or its equivalent must file a cash declaration, and a family cannot pool the limit. Japan asks for a declaration above ¥1,000,000, and Türkiye for more than €10,000 in foreign currency on the way out. Undeclared cash can be detained.