[quote=briansd1]If you travel overseas to some countries, you’d know that cash is still king. The money changers charge you more for travelers’ cheques, ATM or CC. You have to pay transaction fees, conversion fees and commissions if you don’t use cash.

When I travel I always take crisp 100 dollar bills with me.[/quote]

This doesn’t help you. You generally can’t spend your Benjamins abroad, and the moneychangers charge exorbitant rates to convert that to local currency.

By FAR the best bet is to use an ATM card, and withdraw as much local currency per transaction as your bank allows. You get the overnight exchange rate, plus a flat fee – generally 5 or 6 bucks – which when amortized over the 300 or 400 you withdraw, is a FAR lower vig than what you’d pay trying to change a $100 at Thomas Cook.