Finance
Money is the part of a trip that goes wrong quietly: foreign transaction fees, poor exchange rates, a card that stops working abroad, or a budget that runs out halfway through. A little planning before you leave avoids most of it.
Before travelling, check your bank's app for travel settings and carry two cards from different providers in case one is blocked or lost. Use cards without foreign transaction fees where you can. When a card machine or cash machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in the local currency, which usually gives a better rate. Keep some cash for places that do not take cards.
To plan a budget, Budget Your Trip's average daily travel costs are based on what other travellers spent, broken down by accommodation, food and transport. When travelling with friends or family, Splitwise tracks shared expenses and works out who owes whom, which saves an awkward conversation at the end of the trip.
US citizens living abroad still have to file US tax returns, and Taxes for Expats specialises in exactly that.
