Going on holiday soon? You might already be worried about what your next getaway’s going to cost, and you’d be right to when it’s hard enough keeping your household budget in check – but there are worries beyond the cost of flights, hotels and other travel essentials. What if your money itself is at risk?
It’s no secret that popular tourist destinations are a magnet for criminal activity; people in new and unfamiliar environments are much more likely to get scammed or even outright stolen from. Where travel money is carried in cash, this is a huge risk to the sanctity of your holiday. So, what can you do to ensure your cash is safe while you’re traveling?
Avoid Exchanging Money At Airports Or With Unofficial Vendors
First things first: where are you getting your cash from in the first place? Often, the real robbery happens before you even leave the airport – thanks to last-minute currency exchanges with vendors incentivised to charge above the odds. Worse yet, some vendors can even be scam risks, particularly if they’re unofficial street vendors you can’t readily distinguish from the real deal.
The only effective way to avoid this risk is to sort your foreign cash well in advance, with a broker you trust. By ordering ahead of time from a travel money exchange service, and collecting before you set off on your journey proper, you can ensure you’re getting the right value for money.
Use A Money Belt Or Travel Wallet
One of the worst things you can do as a tourist carrying cash is to be predictable. Pickpockets know exactly where wallets are usually stashed, and have all manner of special ways to access those spots. But if you wear a dedicated fanny pack or money belt close to your person, they’re much less likely to figure out where your money is kept, let alone get to it.
Dedicated travel wallets can also be a good choice here, as thieves are no longer confined to sleight-of-hand. A common scam is to use contactless card readers to scalp money from unsuspecting tourists with debit cards in range; a specialised travel wallet with RFID-blocking can protect against electronic theft.
Split Your Money Across Different Secure Locations
Of course, these measures alone aren’t enough to keep you completely safe. There’s still the chance that someone notices you putting your money somewhere unusual and takes advantage of a distracted moment. This is why it’s important to divide your cash and cards between multiple places, so you can reduce the risk of losing everything if robbed or misplaced.
Use Prepaid Travel Money Cards As A Cashless Backup
In an ideal world, you would not be carrying a great deal of cash with you each day – if any. Where possible, you should try to use prepaid travel money cards over cash, simply for the fact that they’re safer to carry around. These cards can be topped up as needed, and also disabled via an app if they are lost or stolen, providing added control.
