Travelling without credit cards?

**MissSeetonFan** · 12-06-2011, 10:58 AM

When I saw the title of this thread and before I'd read any of the posts, what came to my mind immediately was a trip we took as a family a looong time ago. Texas to the middle of Alberta, Canada and back. My dad owned his own business and had this habit of taking payment in cash. The bills would go into the register but the coins would be tossed into an old ammo box. (Bad business practice, but that's what he did).

Most of the time when we travel, we are able to stay with relatives at various points along the way. Huge, scattered family helps with that.

Anyway, when we got to Canada, around the Edmonton area, our Chevy Suburban had its transmission go out on it. We spent the night in a hotel, checked out, walked to the auto place to find out that it would take another day to get all the parts, went back to the hotel and got our rooms back before they had been cleaned by housekeeping.

Anyway, when we got to my Aunt's house a few days later, we were short on cash for the rest of the trip. My dad had thrown in the ammo boxes with change so we spent quite a bit of time sorting and rolling over $300 in change to take to a bank and have it changed to Canadian dollars. What wasn't changed or what wasn't needed in Canada helped us for the rest of the trip.

**frugalfranny** · 12-07-2011, 01:07 AM

Have never tried no credit cards at all....and don't think I would
want to..........CC and cash for me.

With the CC, if an unexpected emergency came up I could cover it.

**PrairieGirl** · 12-09-2011, 05:35 PM

agreed. had an incident in amsterdam with a bag getting stolen and a few unexpected charges had to be made; we didnt have enough cash so it all got charged on the card and we didnt have to worry about it. made for a much more enjoyable trip (hard to have fun when all your cash is spent).

its good backup....you just never know now adays.

and if you dont use it, good on 'ya! no harm done