I'd like to talk about traveller's cheques. Forgive me, I'm old. When we started travelling extensively in the 1980's we used to depend on them. I can't quite remember the last time we purchased any. It may have been earlier in this decade when we discovered even foreign banks no longer wish to deal with these vestiges of the past.
Of course, the wide-spread use of credit cards has eased the burden of carrying around cash. Frighteningly though, nearly all Canadian cards carry a hefty 3%+ fee on foreign transactions. These add up, especially as we escape Vancouver winters in retirement. The cash-back awards simply cannot make up for the added charges.
I think I found the only cards available in the whole country without any. Still, even carrying those, from a bank called HOME TRUST, do not eliminate the extra fees on foreign ATM cash withdrawals. We're lucky to have mostly avoided that problem because we use a large, international bank. Their machines can be found in most of the locations to which we frequently travel.
I have another solution now though. I found out about Stack's pre-paid MasterCard and accompanying app. I not only ensure I pay off all balances every month, I generally prepay funds for future purchases on all my credit cards. So Stack's liberal fee-free overseas use makes this card a viable tool in my arsenal of financial options. It provides extras such as the use of an additional virtual card and many special discounts.