Accessing funds on the road
 

Please help. We are getting ready to set off on a RTW trip (1st Sept) and as yet have not solved the problem of access to funds. Obviously we will be able to take US$ and some travellers cheques with us for the first part of the journey, but then we would need to be able to access money for the remainder of the trip.

Please could you let us know of the best bank accounts to open or indeed any other means of receiving money whilst travelling that you have found to be ok?

We are travelling across Europe, Northern Asia, Thailand, Canada, States, Central America, South America.

All suggestions gratefully received.

Merv & Ruth

Visa Travel money is, in my opinion the best way to carry money. ( as a supplement rather than replacement for travellers cheques and credit cards)

The cards are not tied into a bank account. You can top up the cards etc. They can only be used at cash machines though- which are getting more and more penetration around the world.

Check it out ;
http://www.visa.com/pd/trav/main.html

We are leaving in a few days and have arranged our funds as follows:
A few thousand in pound and US travellers cheques. A few hundred in the currency of the first 8 countries we are travelling through, and two visa credit cards. The credit cards will be used to draw local currency when we need it. [Two in case we loss one] We pay the credit cards through our UK bank account[direct debit], and top that up from our savings account with Egg, we can assess this acount from anywhere via the internet and transfer funds as and when necessary. E mail us if you want any additional info.