The last thing any traveler wants is to lose a wallet, whether it’s misplaced or taken by a pickpocket, in the middle of a vacation.
As the summer travel season approaches, it’s a good time to review the financial rules of the road. Consumers who take a few precautions before they leave home can help ensure that their cash and credit cards are safe and secure, whether their trips take them to a nearby state or overseas.
Nancy Dunnan, publisher of travelsmartnewsletter.com in New York, said the first thing people need to do is limit what they carry with them. She recommends no more than two credit cards - one for regular use and the other for backup - or one credit card and one debit card for cash withdrawals.
Ms. Dunnan also recommends that families carry traveler’s checks.
For those traveling abroad, it can be a good idea to buy in advance the equivalent of $100 in the currency of the country you are visiting.
How you carry money and credit cards around affects your security, said Sarah Schlichter, editor of the independenttraveler.com Web site, based in Pennington, N.J.
Ms. Schlichter, an ardent traveler abroad, keeps her credit cards and dollars “in a money belt under my clothes.” Then, she said, she puts the equivalent of $100 in local currency in a cheap, plastic wallet that she keeps in her pocket.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.