Used the exchange counter at Zurich airport once and immediately regretted it - they gave me a worse rate and charged 6 CHF commission. When I later w...

Switzerland is expensive, even if you’re going basic. I averaged 90-110 CHF/day doing hostels, Coop meals, and 2nd-class trains. A sandwich at a train...

Most taxis I used in Lucerne and Interlaken were cash-preferred. One even gave me a dirty look when I asked about paying by card. A few had terminals,...

That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). The ATM is offering to convert the amount into your home currency (like USD or EUR) - but with a terrible ex...

Almost all budget hostels I stayed at asked for cash on arrival. Even when I booked online through a site that let me “pay now,” they still wanted XPF...

Don’t rely on Amex in Tahiti. I tried using it at Le Retro in Papeete and a few snack bars - no luck. Visa and Mastercard were accepted, but my Amex g...

My debit card got eaten by a Credit Agricole ATM in Papeete - no error, just swallowed. I reported it at the branch straight away with my passport. Th...

Public transport is strictly cash-only here. On Tahiti you’ll find local buses connecting Papeete to outer suburbs - they require exact XPF when you h...

I arrived in Papeete this spring and my UK debit card was rejected at three ATMs - in Pioneer Cash and large banks like Banque de Tahiti - before one ...