Is It Best to Pay in Local Coin or US Dollars When You Travel?

Why You Should Always Pay in Local Currency (And Not USD) When Traveling

Here’s a simple mistake most travelers make when paying abroad and so did I: Whenever asked if I wanted to pay in local currency or US dollars, I chose US$, thinking I was making a smart decision. I was so wrong.

Whenever you are using your credit card outside your home country, never choose to pay US$ and always insist on paying in local currency. The reason merchants are eager to charge US$ is because they will charge you what's called a Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee.

A DCC fee is in addition to any other foreign transaction fees that your credit card may charge you, which is usually 2.5 to 3% (See the Pro Tip below). The DCC fee can be 1% of the total transaction, but that’s not all. Merchants will always use a bizarre currency exchange rate at the point of sale to their advantage.

Your credit card networks can always negotiate better exchange rates to your advantage, so if you are letting merchants do the exchange, you are losing big time. It has been proven that you can be paying 7 to 12% more in total if you let merchants do the conversions.

So whenever you are traveling, always pay in local currency and if you are not told, ask the merchants how they are putting the transaction through.

Pro Tip: Always use a No Foreign Currency Transaction Fee credit card. Many of the so-called best travel credit card promoters are trying to sign you up to get charged a foreign currency fee (usually 1-3%). So always make sure the credit cards you are traveling with have zero foreign currency fees.

5 Carry-On Toiletry-Packing Tips (TSA Will Thank You)

Toiletry-Packing Tips for Your Carry-On

Today, I will talk about 5 simple things you can do while packing your toiletries to avoid the unwanted attention of the airport authorities. You don’t want to be that person who gets pulled out of the security line for a secondary screening.

1. Ziploc Only – Use a quart-size Ziploc bag for toiletries less than 100 ml or 3.4 oz. I used different types of TSA-approved toiletry bags you can buy on Amazon or in other stores and in many instances I got pulled out to put my toiletries in a plain Ziploc bag.

2. Not Too Many – Do not stuff too many containers in a toiletry bag, as this may draw attention and you may be pulled out for a secondary screening.

3. Tooth Brush/Razor – Do not include your toothbrush, razor, or any such items that are not liquid and do not have to be in a toiletry bag.

4. Not too Bulky – Do not use overly bulky or big containers, even though they are under 100 ml. Using slim and smaller size containers will make your journey easier and these do not draw attention like big, bulky containers.

5. Damaged Ziploc Bag – Do not use damaged or overused Ziploc bags. If your toiletry bag is difficult to see what’s inside or looks too damaged, it might raise a red flag for secondary screening. I keep extra sets of Ziploc bags, so if one gets damaged, I can always use another fresh one to save everyone some trouble.

To view this article in video format, please visit the link below:

5 Best Carry-On Packing Tips

Avoid Travel Scams - Don’t Call Airlines or Hotels from Search Results

Don’t Call Airlines or Hotels from Google Search

Scammers are always looking for innovative strategies to scam travellers. Using Google to make innocent tourists pay has to be one of their most ingenious ways to make people lose money.

Here’s how it works: Scam websites are paying Google to rank on top search results for airlines or hotels. When someone is searching for these hotels or airlines, they are directed to the scam sites instead of the real hotel or airline sites.

Once you make contact, their fake customer support try to trick you into believing that they can book, change, or cancel existing booking. Once you give your credit card information, they charge the card. As you would imagine, this will not do anything to your real bookings.

Customers losing money like this have two problems. The scammer is getting their money and then their real bookings are not being taken care of. There are many horror stories if you look in the news: Travelers finding out later that their bookings were not canceled, they didn’t buy that airline ticket they thought they were buying, or nothing was modified as they intended. Hundreds to thousands of dollars are lost in this type of scam.

The best way to not fall for this scam is to call the airline or hotel directly from their websites. Do not call any places you get from your search results. Go to the contact page of your airline or hotel and call the contact numbers listed there.

Also, always be vigilant and use your best judgement. Make sure you are talking to the right people before handing over your personal and credit card information.

10 Items You Should Never Pack in A Checked Bag for International Flights

Items Not to Pack in Your Checked Luggage

There are many items you should avoid packing in your checked bag or luggage. Today I will go over some of the most common items you should avoid.

1. Anything Containing a Lithium-Ion Battery – Laptops, cameras, phone, and Kindles are just a few to mention. Lithium-Ion batteries are prone to cause fire. Should a fire happen in the cargo section on an airplane, it will be much more difficult to put out than in the cabin.

2. Matches, Lighters, & Any Flammable Solids or Liquids

3. Jewelry & Valuable Items – Luggage also gets lost or stolen. Avoid putting something valuable in your luggage that you could easily carry or wear.

4. Credit Cards, Bank Cards, or Cash – Another common mistake many travelers make. These should be carried with you at all times.

5. Strong Alcohol – Alcoholic drinks containing more than 70% or over 140 proof alcohol are not allowed to be checked.

6. Prescription Medications – If you lose your luggage, you will be out of your meds and you don’t want that.

7. Electronics – Laptops, cameras, or anything else. These are expensive and you don’t want to put them in luggage as they could get damaged, lost, or stolen. They also pose a fire hazard as mentioned in #1.

8. Breakable Items – Any items that can break due to luggage handling should not be checked.

9. Food & Drinks – These are not allowed to carry in checked bags.

10. Passport, IDs, Travel Documents – Yes, people do it. Self-explanatory.

There are many other items that are not allowed to be checked. The best advice is to check with the proper transportation security authority from the airport you are flying out of. For example, in the USA or Canada, you should consult the TSA or CATSA website.

If you are flying from other countries, check their transportation security websites. You may be able to contact them via email, phone, or social media if you are not sure about something.

Best & Fastest Way to Find Airport Terminal and Gate Number

How to Find Your Flight’s Terminal & Gate Number (Fastest & Easiest Way)

In the past, I used several methods (looking it up in an app, checking the airport information monitor, boarding pass, and many others) to check my flight’s gate and terminal number. These methods are frustrating and not always efficient.

Today, I will show you the best and easiest way to find your flight’s terminal and gate number when you travel. This process can be done in 10 seconds.

Open up a browser on your mobile phone or tablet and go to Google search. You need to know your flight number to use this method. For example, let’s say your flight is Air Canada AC 718. Type in Flight AC 718 in the search box and hit search.

That’s all you have to do. You will see your flight’s terminal number, gate number and some other useful information about your flight. I was shocked to find out how easy this is and I was checking my Terminal and Gate number in much more difficult ways in the past.

The information shown here is up to date and is always being updated. So I recommend you check this a few times before approaching your gate, as there may be a change of gate – which always happens.

One drawback is that you need to have an Internet connection on your phone. But I always manage to have the Internet available even when I am in foreign countries. I use eSIM, Mobile Hotspot, or free lounge access to access the Internet.

I have a video on this which can be viewed here: How to Find Airport Gate