Always pay in local currency
When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and it applies a poor exchange rate plus a margin. Choosing local currency lets your own bank do the conversion at a far better rate.
Cash still matters
Markets, small restaurants, rural areas, taxis and tips. Withdraw from a bank owned ATM rather than a standalone machine in a tourist area, take out a larger amount less often to reduce fixed fees, and keep some small notes for transport.
Carry two cards, stored separately
Cards get blocked, machines eat them, and some networks are not accepted everywhere. A second card from a different network, kept somewhere other than your wallet, converts a crisis into an inconvenience.
Tell your bank, or use one that does not need telling
Many banks still block foreign transactions without notice. Either set a travel notification or use an account designed for international use with low or no foreign transaction fees.
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