Show me the Money!
Trip Start
Mar 23, 2007
1
112
137
Trip End
Sep 15, 2008
Athens, Attica, Greece
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Rules about your cash card:
1. Make sure it's backed by Visa - with the visa logo. This means you have a debit card, not just an ATM.
2. Make sure your cash card is from a major bank. National bank. Local banks and credit unions might be great at home - but typically they cause a lot of problems trying to make a withdrawal in Cairo, or Rome or Lilongwe, Malawi.
3. Make sure your cash card is Plus or Cirrus.
4. It's best to have 2 cash cards - maybe even 3 (depending on how long you travel) from at least 2 different banks, that way if one card isn't working or worse gets lost/stolen - you have an immediate plan B. You don't have to wire home for funds.
When your ATM fails to work and you've tried multiple cash machines it is time to call the bank. Likely they have put a security block on the card. Even if they told you they didn't - chances are they did. We have run into this multiple times now and again it happened when my parents hit the road. There was no block, but then mysteriously after calling the bank the card began to work within 24 hours. Even if you call in advance to let them know you will be out of the country (which is a good practice) you will probably still encounter a security block at some point.
If you need cash quick though this is where your Credit Card comes in handy because with a Visa you can walk into most major banks in the world and make a cash advance. Buy money from the bank and walk out stress free to resume your travels. One tip - know your cash advance limits before you leave.
After a whirlwind 3 days in Cairo we were off on a god-awful 2:45am flight to Athens. Who books us at 2:45 am? I had my mom, dad and Ben all looking at me as we were in the airport using toothpicks to keep our eyes open. When we finally boarded the flight Ben and I fell fast into a head-bobbling state resembling sleep. I awoke with a start as the waitress in the sky was poking - actually poking me asking me what I wanted for breakfast. For the love of god woman? Sleep. It would have been devastating really had I woken up as we were landing in Athens at 6am and I realized I missed out on airline eggs and cold instant coffee.
The end of the sarcasm finds the Grizwolds in Athens, Greece at 6am. We checked into our hotel, they even had a room ready for us and we all fell into sleep.
We woke up a few hours later, showered, bought some money at the bank and were ready to hit Athens in style. We passed a dozen cafes and bakeries with mouth-watering fresh breads and proper espresso as we made our way through the city and to the Parthenon and Acropolis. The ruins were fantastic and we got very geared up for our upcoming Greece roadtrip.
We ended our day with a magnificent dinner with wine and olives and all the Mediterranean favorites and a drink watching the sun set and finally the lights hitting the Acropolis high over modern day Athens in the distance.
It was a good day. Lesson #2 - in the bag.
Must have been those eggs.
