Carrying too much cash means paying for expensive insurance and becoming a target in a robbery. Carrying too little forces you into an airport ATM with terrible rates. This guide answers the question country by country, with daily cash amount, preferred currency, whether cards actually work, and where to exchange — before or after boarding.
Carrying too much cash means paying for expensive insurance and becoming a target in a robbery. Carrying too little forces you into an airport ATM with terrible rates. This guide answers the question country by country, with daily cash amount, preferred currency, whether cards actually work, and where to exchange — before or after boarding.
US, Canada, and Western Europe: cards dominate. Cash only for emergencies, tips, and small markets. USD 100-200 or EUR 100-200 covers 7-10 days.
Tokyo is the inverted myth: it looks modern but 70-80% of small restaurants only accept cash. JPY 30k-50k a day in hand is the minimum.
Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar): cash is king. Clean, unfolded USD works almost everywhere. Cards only at branded hotels.
Argentina runs on the parallel dollar. Bringing physical USD and exchanging at the "blue" rate yields 30-50% more than card. The MEP card improved in 2026 but still loses to cash.
Cuba is cash-mandatory. US cards don't work, foreign cards work poorly. Bring EUR (better than USD due to the Cuban government's penalty on dollars).
Carrying too much cash means paying for expensive insurance and becoming a target in a robbery. Carrying too little forces you into an airport ATM with terrible rates. This guide answers the question country by country, with daily cash amount, preferred currency, whether cards actually work, and where to exchange — before or after boarding.
