Spending Money on Tour
We recommend planning on approximately $60 per day for spending money. This should cover lunches, beverages, souvenirs, free time activities, and additional excursions. (It’s also customary to tip your Tour Director, bus driver, and local guides, but many Group Leaders collect that money from travelers in advance. Check out our “Tipping” article for suggested amounts.)
At the start of the tour, travelers should bring the equivalent of $60 in the first destination's currency. After that, ATMs are the most convenient way to withdraw cash since they accept a wide variety of bank and credit cards.
Before you travel, you should familiarize yourself with the current exchange rates for the U.S. dollar to the destinations' local currency on your tour. We strongly advise against traveler’s checks since they can be difficult to cash.
Be sure to alert your bank and your credit card company to let them know that you will be traveling abroad and make sure your cards will work. You should also find out if there are any fees associated with using your cards abroad.