Do you ever use Traveler's Checks???

[Thea]

We too uses a combination of Travellers Cheques and credit/debit cards.

We have another reason for wanting to use TC's. The dollar/kr (Denmark do not use the Euro, although the kr is linked to the Euro. If it goes down, so does our currency) exchange rate fluctuates a bit, which can increase/decrease the cost of a trip with up to $500. We usually follows the exchange rates, and if it looks like the price of $ is going up, we buy TC's sometimes months in advance.

For this trip we have bought 2K $ at the kr/$ exchange rate of 5.53. At present the exchange rate is 6.29. Because we bought a lot of TC's just after christmas we're saving a bundle.


It is a little like a gamble. We usually take the exchange rate at the time when we made the reservations, and then if the rate starts to go up, we buy TC's. During the last 10 years it has saved us big 9 times, and we lost a little once. We know when we leave home the total price of our vacation and I like that.

Thea

 

[jjarman]

WDW is one place I never had trouble using my travelers checks. We just returned from a trip to St. Louis and I took travelers checks for most of our money. I have always done this on long trips where I had lots of money. Well, most of the gas stations we stopped at on the way to St. Louis didn’t take them. At the hotel we stayed at on the way the front desk didn’t have $100 in cash for me to cash one of the checks. I ended up having to get them cashed at the restaurant at the hotel. Also, several restaurants we ate at on the trip acted like they didn’t know what travelers checks were. I will probably use them again for WDW but no where else.

 

[PattnFmly]

I always use travelers checks when I go to WDW. I have a set amount of $ per day that I determine ahead of time and it helps me stay on budget. The credit cards are for back up (or if I do a few hundred dollar shopping trip at Downtown! ). Never had a problem cashing anywhere - gas stations/Dunkin Donuts/McDonalds or even at our local grocery store if I have money leftover from my trip! At my credit union they are free and I start getting them a few months before our trip and put them in our safe.

 

[mog]

We use travelers checks, too. I budget how much we need per day for food and souvenirs. I put each day's "allowance" in an envelope marked for that day. Each morning I pull that envelope out and put the TC's in my wallet. That way I don't go over budget and if there is any left over each day, I keep it in my wallet to add to the next day in case we need a little more! At the end of the trip - everything is all paid for and I don't have to dread getting those credit card bills when I get home!

 

[CarolA]

I am SO over Travelers' Checks.

One of the chaperones on my Girl Scout trip lost $7,000 worth of traveler's checks on a recent trip. TRUST ME, getting them back was HORRID! Yes, we did get them back, but as she puts it.... it wasn't like the commercials. Plan to spend a day dealing with it!

 

[bytheblood]

We did. We used credit cards, travllers cheques, disney dollars and cash. We never had any issues using any type of currency.

 

[Troy08]

I have always used travelers checks in the past but for this July's trip, I will take 400.00 cash and put 600.00 in my checking account and use that money with my debit card. I will also put the remaining hotel balance on my debit card-(separate from the above) I will NOT be taking a regualr credit card with me-by only using cash and my debit card(with only a certain amount in the account)it helps me avoid "expensive impulse buys" .

 

[Laurajean1014]

In the past 40 or so trips that I've been on, my DH and I do not use traveler checks. From what I remember, they we're a pain.

 

[FAD]

I love getting a cash back at the end of the year on my Discover Card so I charge as much as possible.

And Budget Traveler's Magazine had an article/letter-to-the-editor (I don't remember which month) about problems getting a refund on lost traveler's checks. Seems the company deemed that "reasonable care" was not taken.

 

[Jen D]

I always charge everything to my room card and when I need extra cash we just use resort ATMs.

However, our next trip is offsite and I am considering using the traveler's checks to keep me on budget. Our last trip was our tenth anniversary and my dd's 7th birthday and the spending got a little wild. This time I might try bringing traveler's checks and spending a certain amount per day. I don't really think it as convenient as using the ATM but for our particular needs it might be a good idea.

 

[doombuggy]

I have used traveler's checks for years. Whether it's going to Bermuda, the Carribbean, Disney or San Francisco, I take around $200 worth. If I end up bringing any home, I use it at the grocery store or just deposit it back in my checking account.

I used to always by them from AAA. About three yrs ago, they stopped accepting checks for payment of the TCs. I used my debit card as a CREDIT CARD (meaning, I did not give them my pin), and ended up being charged a $1 fee. AAA said it was Wachovia's fault, WAchovia said it was AAA's fault. So watch that. And AAA doesn't use American Express checks anymore.

last June I bought TCs at a bank. The company i used to work for was bought out by a bank, which then merged with another. We got TCs at no charge, so I got them there. I highly recommend them, but please, don't come into my shop at 10am, make a $10 purchase and hand me a $100 TC.

 

[jann1033]

we've used both debit and traveler's checks...last trips took about ahundred incash( for incidentals on the way) and debited everything else...either were fine but this way we can both spend without one having to sign or what ever. and no expense for them.

the only problem i have ever had with aaa was they must see the deposit in your account. learned this the hard way when i made a deposit late on the day before we left...teller had switched her machine to the next day's date already and since it hadn't posted yet and the slip showing deposit was dated for the next day it meant a fast last min. dash to the bank or no trip since AAA wouldn't budge (they could have simply called my bank who said they would have varified the deposit but OHHH NOOO!) ( moral...don't wait till the last min. if you plan on going to AAA! unless the branch by us are just extra crabby!)

 

[whithouston]

Nope...we normally just use our room key, and take some Disney Dollars for places that don't take the card.

 

[Disneylovers]

We always take TC's with us. It's DH's way of keeping a handle on our spending (yea, right!) Usually, we get the $50 checks for 2, so he'll take two with us per day. We use that for food, and other little purchases. We usually have a shopping spree at WOD where we load up on our souveniers. FOr that, we use our one credit card that we bring with (used to be GM Card, now it's Disney, gotta earn those points!). On our trip last summer, we used our Disney rewards for a nice dinner at ALfredo's, but otherwise, it's TC's all the way! If we come home with any TC's I use them to pay for the rolls of film that need to be developed (we're almost completely digital now, but DD or DH usually manages to shoot a few rolls of film too.)

 

[Liz]

We used travelers checks a lot on our last trip (just returned a week ago). I found the $100 denominations worked best because it gave us some change back and we weren't always having to write another check. But no problems whatsoever!

Usually we just charge back to the room but since there were two rooms under my name (two families) I was worried about our charges getting mixed up and wanted to avoid that trouble.

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

I was wondering if anyone evey uses Traveler's Checks while on Vacation. I have never used them so I was wondering how easy and convenient they are to use. I don't want to take alot of cash on our trip. I am afraid of it being lost or stolen so I thought I would ask about using Traveler's Checks. Are Traveler's Checks accepted everywhere? Like Gas Stations and gift shops etc. I would appreciate any info or thoughts and suggestions. I do not want to use a credit card so I thought this might be a better alternative?????

Thats a big 10-4 good buddy........TC's are easy to use and safe.

 

[jenelope]

I usually use traveller's checks for some part of my WDW trips. For instance, on this trip, I've been saving for dining out on my trip by not dining out as much at home. Every time I save $200, I go to AAA and buy more traveller's checks. I have $600 so far, and expect to make another trip to AAA before I leave. I really wish that I'd thought about making fewer trips to AAA and buying larger denominations, though. I don't relish signing 40 traveller's checks!

 

[C.Ann]

Always.. I carry a mix of cash, TC's and my debit card..

 

[CalvaryMike]

I am SO over Travelers' Checks.

One of the chaperones on my Girl Scout trip lost $7,000 worth of traveler's checks on a recent trip. TRUST ME, getting them back was HORRID! Yes, we did get them back, but as she puts it.... it wasn't like the commercials. Plan to spend a day dealing with it!

YES! It sounds like no one here has ever had their TC's lost or stolen. As Carol said, it's not easy to get them replaced and especially while you're on vacation. Make sure you have the serial numbers of the TC's in a different place and you also need to know which ones were lost or stolen.

I strictly use plastic. Much easier to have charges stopped and new cards reissued. I don't keep all my plastic together either in case one is stolen, I have a back-up to not ruin or slow down my vacation.

 

[Jimdamedic]

We use both the Debit card and travelers checks. For the trip down and back I budget for expenses and use the debit card. While at Disney World we use TC's. Before we leave home, each day's budget goes in an envelope. Pull out the envelope at the beginning of the day and that's the spending money. It would be tough for us to continually total receipts to stay within budget.