Cash

Money talks, in no uncertain terms, with no accent, in the local language, everywhere in the world. Always keep at least some of this wonderful stuff on hand. Generations of travelers have been frightened into thinking that carrying cash while traveling is something evil by years of American Express commercials. Nonsense. Carry some cash beyond your daily needs, but don’t carry too much. How much is too much? I guess the answer to that is another question: how much can you afford to lose? Changing anything much below a hundred dollars at a time, though, will force you to the bank or ATM machine endlessly, and make you spend a great deal more in commissions than you need to.

Also, a hundred-dollar bill, or the equivalent in local currency, stuck in a jacket lining or someplace else where you will not use it day-to-day can come in very handy, and not just in case of disaster. Public holidays, late arrivals, and/or incompatible ATMs can all cause inconvenience. Cash-in-hand is the universal inconvenience remover.