What to Take in Your Travel Wallet

There are a few tips and tricks I have when traveling abroad. Some of these are packing my suitcase and carry on. Others involve why I don’t wear my engagement ring abroad and this one about what to take in your travel wallet when traveling internationally. While many of the cards in your wallet might be essential for daily life at home, most of them are useless, space-wasters abroad. So, let’s look at what you should take in your wallet overseas and what to leave at home (in a safe place).

What’s in My Travel Wallet

As you can see, I super downsize my wallet when traveling, which means I take almost nothing with me. My Costco card is useless. The stamp card to my favorite coffee shop – equally useless. Even my AAA insurance card and my car insurance serve me no purpose when abroad.

So, obviously, you need money. I take an ATM card (to get cash) and my credit card – just one. That’s it. Only two debit/credit cards. I also bring my driver’s license. Even if we don’t plan to rent a car, I usually have it. Partly, it serves as an ID that isn’t my passport. And you just never know when you might need to rent a car. I find it useful.

And I have cash (US dollars and the currency of our destination). I don’t like to carry much of either when I’m on the plane, but it’s helpful to have each if possible.

What’s the best wallet size for travel?

I like “French wallets.” I prefer wallets with two currency areas (one for each currency) and that have a small zipper compartment for coins. Here are a few of fun ones to choose from. I like these small bifold wallets since they carry everything I actually need; they don’t draw attention; and they slide easily in and out of purses of all sizes. You could also look at any of these best slim wallets (men’s wallets)!

Best Way to Carry Money While Traveling

One of the other tricky things while traveling is the best way to carry money. I usually tag team with my husband. He pays for pretty much everything, but I have most of the cash.

How does that work? Each morning, he makes sure he has maybe $50 in his wallet plus his cards. Otherwise, I have everything else, but I never take my wallet out in public.

If you’re worried about getting your money stolen, one of the best things you can do is not show anybody where you keep your money. My husband keeps his wallet in his jeans or jacket pocket – fairly easy to access.

Mine is usually tucked into a side pocket of my purse and rarely sees the light of day. In case one of us does have our wallet stolen, then other person can take care of us for the short term.

If you’re traveling alone, then I’d encourage you to practice a similar thing. Keep a small amount of money easily accessible and keep the rest hidden (in your bag or in a body pouch).