Ways to spend your travel money

Win a country where travelling is the summer pastime of sorts, the UAE's airline industry sees hordes of holiday seekers flock to popular tourist destinations each year. The demand for plane seats normally picks up at this time of the year and while the travel sector is benefiting from the boon, ordinary consumers could be hurting their pockets. Without careful planning, a dream vacation can wipe out anyone's bank account in no time. That is why the most budget-conscious of travellers always find themselves confronted with the question: what's the best way to spend travel money? Should they swipe their plastic money more, take out some cheques or should they just keep things simple and rely on good old cash? A seasoned traveller himself, Premjit Bangara is certain of one point. "I'll use my credit card at probably 55 per cent, cash 25 per cent and travellers cheques, 20 per cent. That's what I would do in most cases," Bangara, who manages a travel agency in Dubai, Sharaf Travel, confides. But when it comes to cash, choosing the right currency is crucial. For Bangara, it's not really a good idea to bring dirhams overseas. Unless you're travelling to the Eurozone, you'll get the most of your money if you bring US dollars, especially if you're heading off to highly sought after travel spots in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Australia and South America. "The cash should be of minimal value, or enough to keep you going because in some places, credit cards are not accepted. In most parts of the world, the US dollar is a favourite. It's accepted in most countries, in fact, in all countries," says Bangara. You can then change your dollar into the local currency of your destination when you arrive, but it's best to steer clear of the money changers at the airport. "In most cases, you will get a better rate in the country where you arrive. Ideally, it's best to go to the licensed exchange centres, not the fly-by-night ones, on the high street. They should be able to give slightly better rates compared to what you'll get from the airport." Exchange rate However, there are exceptions to take into account, such as when you fly to destinations where licensed bureaus de change are hard to come by. "Some countries have very few exchange houses, so it all boils down to doing a bit of homework," says Bangara. "For example, in Africa, you've got a lot of informal exchanges which I avoid. So what I do is I change a little bit of money at the airport just to keep some money with me." If you're heading down to the sunny beaches or exotic places in Asia, however, you're most likely to find a licensed money changer on every street and in busy shopping areas, so it's better to hold on to your cash until after you step out of the passenger terminal. When buying US dollars in Dubai, Bangara has a trusted money changer. "Since I'm a repeat or regular customer, he gives me the best possible rate," he says. "So, if you've got one exchange house you've been dealing with for over a period of time, you develop a relationship with them so that they will take the extra mile to give you the best possible rate in the market." For credit cards, it is wise to do a bit of research to find out which ones can work in your favour in terms of transaction and other related charges. Other travel experts recommend American Express, Diners, Visa and MasterCard. "The good thing about credit cards is that they minimise the need for cash. It's true, you can take a hit on the exchange rates, but it's not really too much," says Bangara. As to why travellers cheques are also one of his top choices, he points out that they're widely accepted in most hotels and foreign exchange centres and all you need to use for identification is your passport. "If you lose it, it's replaceable in most cases." However, withdrawing cash from the ATM machine is a definite no-no, unless an emergency calls for it, because he believes that poor exchange rates and high charges can diminish the value of his travel money. "The charge from the teller machine which you're taking from abroad, plus the low rate of exchange, is not going to work in your favour." Prepaid on the other hand, can be a good option. "The prepaid concept is slowly picking up and I've been seeing a lot of my clients using prepaid cards. In most cases they work in a similar way as credit card and it sort of makes sense because you can top it up and you know how much you can spend on it, so you can regulate your expenditure and you don't expose all your wealth at the same time," he says. From gulfnews.