When you’re traveling to foreign countries, you’ll have to learn about their currency. There are euros, dollars, yen, pounds, franc, krone, and baht…all of these names and their values can start to get confusing and overwhelming. Luckily, we have gathered some tips and apps for you to keep track of the currency exchange while you travel.
Watch out for rates: Depending on where you go, the loss rate on your currency exchange could be quite hefty, leaving you with less money than you originally planned on having for your journey. Some banks charge an 8% loss, while some exchange booths at airports can take up to 15% of your money. Try to shop around for the best exchange rates.
Keep some home currency on you: While it is obviously very important to have the local currency on you while traveling, sometimes it is helpful and convenient to still carry the currency from your home country as well. Sometimes ATMs can break, banks go on strike, or there is simply some type of emergency. Making sure you keep some home currency on you is a safe backup and will make the trip home much easier.
Currency App: Simply called “Currency”, this app is a converter that provides current exchange rates for over 150 currencies and countries and is the most popular converter for iPhones, listing on the first 500 apps in the App Store. If you have more than just an iPhone, you can also get it on an iPad or Apple Watch. For those without iPhones, it is also available for Android.
XE Currency App: Another converter app you could download is XE Currency. This app can also calculate and convert two different types of currency. It also shows live exchange rates, historical charts, and can calculate prices. You can download it for the iPad, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, or even on your computer as an app or Firefox extension.
Travel Makers MD