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27th March 2018
Going on holiday is something we all look forward to – relaxing on the beach, eating delicious food and seeing the world from a different perspective.
However, a precursor to this relaxing break is weeks of stress ensuring everything is ready to go. For some people one of the biggest stresses is purchasing your foreign currency (it doesn’t have to be). Here at Travel Money NZ our aim is to make this process as easy as possible for you, which is why we let you order online 24/7 from the comfort of your own home (and pyjamas) whilst waiting for your takeaway to be delivered.
Not sold on how easy it is? We’ve compiled a list of 24 things we’ve all experienced (and survived) on holiday that are harder than buying cash online.
1. That awkward shuffle from the window seat to the aisle past 2 sleeping strangers, after 3 hours of telling yourself you don’t need the bathroom in an attempt to avoid this exact situation.
2. Planning out the perfect sleeping/ movie watching/ snack eating ratio to ensure you arrive at your destination fresh as a filtered-airplane-air daisy.
3. Telling your taxi driver where your Airbnb is in (VERY) broken French, before clinging for dear life as he swerves through traffic like he’s the next Speed Racer.
4. Trying to fit in a 5th course at the little pasta place you found in Venice. So full, but have you tasted this lasagne?! Pile up the plate and undo the top button on your jeans friends, tonight we have a date in carb city.
5. Deciding if 3 scoops of gelato are too much after said 5 course Italian meal. I mean 1 scoop would be fine, but life is short and so is your time in Italy. Hell, make it 4 scoops Roberto, I can sleep it off.
6. Lining up the perfect shot with the leaning tower of Pisa. Do you want the classic pose, or perhaps try something new age like the ice cream cone or top pinch?
7. Navigating the London Tube for the first time after 1 too many pints at the local pub.
8. Making it to the front of the line at Harrods after an hour perusing their gift shop only to be questioned about whether you want to use Dynamic Currency Conversion with your travel card. Please, friendly Harrods man, I’m jetlagged and I don’t know what that means, can I just have my Harrods tote and be on my way? (Top tip – opt out of DCC. You’ll save some money and stress).
9. Bartering over a Bintang singlet in Kuta, whilst also dealing with the important life decision of whether you should get beads in your hair braids or stick with the natural, no beaded look.
10. Haggling in general. Aka trying to calculate how much 55000 Indonesian Rupiah is in NZ Dollars whilst contemplating whether my friends will really love the ‘I love Bali’ shot glasses I got them. (Stress less, there are some haggling tips here)
11. Going anywhere in Australia and not seeing another Kiwi.
12. Reapplying SPF50+ sunscreen every hour, on the hour, because the last time you were in Fiji you got so sunburnt that your skin stuck to the leather plane seats on the way home (personal experience, I was a hot mess).
13. Finding a good coffee anywhere in the USA.
14. Figuring out how much to tip your waitress at the American diner. Can you really put a price on great service and a slice of pumpkin pie as big as your head (you can, a tip of 15 – 20% should do the trick)
15. Discerning whether the ‘meat’ in your New York street hotdog is in fact meat?
16. Getting to the front of the line of said hotdog stand line only to realise all the USA bank notes look the same. OMG DID I JUST PAY HOT DOG MAN $100 INSTEAD OF $1 FOR QUESTIONABLE MEAT?!?
17. Trying to look cool on Surfers Paradise beach, despite the simultaneous shuffle/squint combination needed to deal with sand the same temperature as the fiery pits of hell and the lethal combination of suncream and salt water that entered your eyeballs in the surf. Lucky the ice cream truck is only 10metres away.
18. Knowing the difference between a llama and alpaca in Peru. Either way both of them spit if you rustle their jimmies too much.
19. Forcing yourself to hit the slopes with a smile in Hakuba after 3 days of literally falling over every 20 seconds, before deciding that you can’t stand the humiliation anymore and resorting to drinking hot chocolate and planning a snow monkey tour.
20. WHAT ON EARTH IS A LOONIE AND A TOONIE CANADA? Does it have something to do with Bugs Bunny? Omg I’m breaking out in sweat whilst paying for my poutine.
21. Just generally crossing the road in Vietnam. Put on your big boy pants because there ain’t no zebra crossing to help you here. Thank God for travel insurance because these tuk-tuks are stopping for no one.
22. Playing it cool, calm and collected when seeing a lion on your African safari (omg its Simba but also holy moly he 80kgs of lean , mean fighting machine… keep your hands and fingers INSIDE the car).
23. Trying to fit 2 weeks’ worth of souvenirs into your already bulging suitcase. Do you think they’ll notice if I wear 5 jumpers on the plane home because they won’t fit in my bag?
24. Coming home, getting back on the daily grind and living off tuna and rice because you blew your budget overseas. Any leftover currency? Sell it back to us and get some NZD to help you cope with normal life. Also does anyone have some Aloe Vera? My sunburn is killing.
As you can see, none of these things are particularly hard and all add to the experience of travelling. You know what else isn’t hard? Buying your foreign currency online with Travel Money NZ.
We are more traveller than banker and aim to take the hassle out of your foreign exchange. So the next time you’re planning your European escape, or booking your Asian adventure, be sure to pop online and order your currency with us. It’s quicker and easier than reading this blog.
This blog is provided for information only and does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the information and suggestions contained in any blog entry are appropriate for you, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. While we take reasonable care in providing the blog, we give no warranties or representations that it is complete or accurate, or is appropriate for you. We are not liable for any loss caused, whether due to negligence or otherwise, arising from use of, or reliance on, the information and/or suggestions contained in this blog.
