 Use the ATM at local banks, wherever you happen to travel, to get only the currency you need any given day so you're not carrying around a whole lot of cash. He says don't use your debit card to check into your hotel. Because hotels will block charges of up to $300 a day for the length of your stay. And the next thing you know, that money's been deducted from your checking or savings account. And getting it back at the end may take a week to two weeks.