I am off travelling on 15th. I am going for a year and we have discussed the idea of traveller's cheques as they are easy to stop if they get stolen, lost etc. Can anyone recommend an amount that I should take with me? I am going to singapore, bangkok, HK,China, Japan, Oz, NZ, fiji, North America and Canada, all depending on the progression of the SARS virus! Any advice on the travellers cheques or just tips on travelling would be gratefully received.

[This message was edited by sam26 on May 21, 2003 at 10:11 AM.]

Hi Sam26,

I recommend you get your travellers cheques in US dollars in denominations of $20 and $50. American Express seems to be the most widely recognised brand.

You're going to get through quite a large amount of money in your year of travelling, so I suggest you take only a relatively small amount of it in travellers cheques - apart from anything else, it would be a substantial wad of paper! Make sure you take an ATM card and at least one credit card - and make sure you know what to do if these are lost or stolen. A small amount of cash in US dollars would also be useful. It's also a good idea to get a trusted friend or relative back home to deal with your bank account and check your credit card statements whilst you're away, and get a web-based e-mail address (eg with hotmail or yahoo) to keep in touch with friends whilst you're travelling.

Have an excellent trip!

Pete

Thanks for your advice. It was sort of what I was thinking anyway but it's good to get it confirmed