While credit and debit cards have made things a lot easier, there’s always a need for travellers to have cash — and getting the right amount can be a nightmare.
For starters, changing money is always fraught. You can be assured that you’re going to lose on the deal. Even those exchange booths that promise “no commission” are paying their way (and then some) somehow, and that’s by charging you an unfavourable rate.
While things aren’t as bad as they used to be — on my pre-euro first grand tour of Europe, I had to change currencies at least five times — it remains a hassle that requires to some planning to sort through.
The biggest problem I find is with the denominations. For example, when I exchanged United Arab Emirates dirhams (AED) to Thai baht (THB) recently, the smallest note they could give me was a THB1,000. That may only be US$28, but it’s a lot of money to people in Thailand — and some taxi drivers aren’t able to change it (or say they can’t, which is entirely another matter).
Even with the euro — one of the world’s most common currencies — it’s a difficult job getting anything under a €50 note, which isn’t very welcome when you’re buying a newspaper or a Kit-Kat at a small shop.
The upshot of it all is that I leave for my destination with large notes and return from my trip with a pocket full of small notes and coins, which are useless, unless I remember to take them the next time I’m going that way.
The answer?
While you are still travelling, try not to break the big notes — which can be converted back to your own currency — until you’re sure you really need the change.
If you do get home with a lot of “shrapnel”, find a place to keep your notes and coins in different denominations, so you can grab them and go next time.
Or, if you’re pretty sure you’re not going back, you can donate them to charity. Many airports and airlines have collection bins or bags that will accept any amount of any currency. You may have lost some money, but it is probably going to be better spent by the charity than the bank that runs the bureau de change.
