Money and Communication on Tour

While traveling in a foreign country it can be hard to stay in touch with the home front, though it is getting much easier than it used to be. Keep in mind that you may not be as connected as you are used to, but that can be a good thing. Remember to be in the moment and don’t worry so much about sharing the moment. You can share when you get home.

That being said it is important to have a connection to your families at home. There are a few ways to do that. The old school but tried and true method is to use calling cards. It usually involves you calling a 1-800 number and then calling your home phone. They are usually pretty inexpensive and work from most local phones in country. I usually have one with me as a back-up just in case my next method doesn’t work.

My personally preferred method is to use my smartphone and communicate over wifi. The advantage is that it’s usually free (some wifi hotspots are pay-to-play). The disadvantage is that it only works when you are near a wifi hotspot. There are multiple apps that allow this type of communication. Most require both callers to have the same app for communication to be free. Talkatone, Tango, Line and Text+ are all good options to explore that allow calling and text. In the past I have used the MajicJack app. It allows you to call but not text. I leave my phone on airplane mode to avoid roaming charges and just call in whenever I get to a wifi hotspot (usually the hotel at night).

Another good option for wifi communication is good old Facebook. Most people already use it and are familiar with it. The new messenger app even allows for voice communications via phone and/or computer.

The last, most expensive options are to talk with your phone provider and purchase an international roaming plan (usually you can just buy access for 1 month), or get an unlocked, international phone or sim card. This allows you to make and receive calls whenever you want but, that convenience comes at a pretty steep cost. Ekit and Mobal have some good options and there are others.

Try out a few different communication options before you leave home and always have a backup plan.

Now, on to money. There are some important preparations to make prior to the tour regarding your money. In the past travelers checks were a pretty safe way to travel but nowadays they are pretty cumbersome. Digital money is a great option but there are a few precautions that need to be taken.

For most high school students credit cards are not an option but debit cards with credit company logos are. They are an excellent option for travel. There are a few major networks for these type of cards that make them useable all over the world at ATM’s with matching logos and at shops and restaurants. It does need to be said though that while in foreign countries your bank and credit companies will charge foreign transaction fees (usually 2-3% of the purchase price). That means that if you use your card to purchase every little thing you will be paying some high fees. You can avoid this by using it at an ATM periodically and carrying a small amount of cash. You will still have to pay some fees but they should be lower. Having some cash also helps when you want to purchase things from small shops and street vendors.

A few words of caution with using cards; first, you have to contact your bank and credit companies and make sure they know you are traveling. If not they may shut down your cards while abroad.

Second, there are many people out there looking to get their hands on your money. Using cards offers you some protections. Most credit and debit cards have fraudulent purchase protection. Make sure you talk with your bank about your card. Checking your balance and dealing with the credit companies while on tour can be difficult or even risky. There are such things as fake Wifi hotspots designed to gather your personal information, the fewer times you need to enter your bank account information into a website while on tour the better. A good thing to do is make sure someone responsible at home has access to and permissions regarding your accounts, and periodically check in with them. If they notice anything out of the ordinary they can step in and help out. If you are using a debit card it can be a good idea to only keep a few hundred dollars there at a time. Your responsible designee at home can keep adding cash as you need it.

These precautions will help, but if you lose your card, there isn’t much you can do right away. It is a good idea to travel with a few options. I like to stash a few bills in various locations in my stuff (hidden pockets, shoes, different bags, etc.) I also travel with a few different credit and debit cards just in case one doesn’t work at a location or one is compromised in some way.

A great travel tip regarding money that has been very beneficial to me over the years is to contact your bank before leaving and have them convert a few hundred dollars into the currency of your destination. The bank will give you the best exchange rate available (unlike money changers on the street) though they may have a fee for the transaction, and you will have cash ready to use as soon as you land. This has saved my bacon many times and I highly suggest it.

With a bit of planning and preparations before your leave, you can ensure you have the funds you need and that you keep the lines of communication open.

If you have suggestions or tips to add please comment below.