Money management during a RTW trip

It’s great – and necessary – to think about how you’re going to save for a long-term trip, but what about planning for how you’re going to manage your money while you’re away from home? One BootsnAll member who’s leaving in December has been trying to determine the best ways to do that, and asked for input from the boards:

I am leaving in December for a six-month RTW trip, and will be visiting Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda. I am trying to figure our the best way to manage my money while traveling.

She’s listed the options she knows about, including debit/ATM cards, credit cards, traveler’s checks and good old fashioned cash money – and she’s hoping experienced RTW travelers will be able to steer her in the right direction. Is traveling with all Visa logos enough, or will she run into an all-Mastercard town? Are traveler’s checks outdated or still a good idea in some places? How much American cash should she carry? And what the heck is a Travel Money Card?

She’s raised some good questions, and generated some good answers. Stop by to see if you agree with the opinions already expressed, and add your – um – two cents.