Me and my girlfriend are off around the world next month and we are wondering what people would recommend when it comes to taking money - travelers cheques or cashcards.

I dont know if this affects what we should take but we are going to South Africa, Thiland, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Figi and USA.

Ta

In my experience, ATMs are the most convenient and cost-efficient way of getting cash in local currency. You get the best, bank-to-bank exchange rates, but check with your bank first about the fees they may charge you for foreign transactions and non-bank ATM withdrawals. Check with your bank's affiliated network on ATMs available where you're going before you go. Try to pick up an extra card or two in other networks to hedge your bets (NYCE, Cirrus, Plus, etc.). Take along the local phone numbers or international collect numbers for the network in case you have trouble locating a participating ATM. Carry a few hundred dollars in traveller's cheques and/or cash for times you can't find a machine.

Airports are the best place to find ATMs that work in international bank networks.