The Travel Day You’re Most Likely to Mess Up

ATMs abroad — potential minefield?

If space allowed, I would add a subhead to the above headline:

“If you’re anything like me.”

Yes, as much as I’ve traveled, I often mess up on one particular day of each overseas trip — the day I arrive. I’m betting I’m not the only one.

There are excuses, of course.

Often having flown overnight to make my overseas destination, I’m tired and often a bit disoriented when I get there.

And sometimes, in the rush to get things done before a trip abroad, I forget to do the most elemental homework on my destination — such as checking the currency exchange rate.

When my wife and I arrived in St. Lucia last month for the start of a Caribbean cruise, we found the exchange window at the airport closed, so we ended up in the town of Rodney Bay with no East Caribbean… Continue reading →