Currency Exchange

Exchanging your home currency for foreign money is one of the real joys of travel. With a pocketful of different money, you'll feel like you've really arrived someplace different.

When--and how--should you exchange money? One of the best ways to exchange money is at a local ATM. You don't pay the hefty exchange fees, just your ATM fee.

You can also exchange money at a cambio or currency exchange house. You'll pay an exchange fee for each transaction so plan to make one exchange to last you through the trip.

You can also usually exchange money at your hotel's front desk. The advantage: convenience. The drawback: an exchange rate that's almost always less than you'll find elsewhere.

Make sure you don't OVER exchange; you'll wind up paying a fee to change money back into your home currency. Some destinations, such as the Dominican Republic, don't allow you to exchange their currency back into your own, so you'll find yourself with an expensive souvenir or bookmark!

Also see our online currency converter to instantly convert currency in a printable form you can take with you as you travel.