Travel Money

While we travel, we have to be prepared for weather, language, culture and...money.  Since January of 2017, we have needed to use eight different types of currency:  USD, Euros, EC, Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC), Cuban Pesos (CUP), Canadian dollars, Irish pounds and British pounds.  Sounds simple but if you think about converting and (typically) losing money in the conversion, and finding an ATM or bank to get cash, it is not that easy or cost efficient.  Also, when it comes to Northern Ireland and Cuba, the process is really complicated and you don't know the details until you are in the midst of a transaction.

In the Caribbean:
French islands use Euros
Dutch islands take guilders or USD (so we just use USD)
Most British islands use EC (Eastern Caribbean); some use USD but will charge more; except the BVI, which uses USD.
Dominica and independent islands generally also take EC.
Cuba uses the CUC and the CUP.  Foreigners should only use the CUC and cubans use the CUP.  However, Cubans realized they can get better goods if they use the foreigner's CUCs so they started trading using that currency.  Then foreigners realized they can get things cheaper with the CUP, so they started using that currency and things soon became all mixed up.  Generally, a foreigner should expect to use the CUC except at local markets and very small paladars but will probably end up with CUPs and have to get rid of everything before they leave the island since they can't use it anywhere else on earth.

Canada:
Canada wants to get along with everyone - you can use Canadian Dollars or US but will get more for your money if you use CAD.

Spain:
Euros.  Pretty simple.

Republic of Ireland:
Euros.  Again - let's not complicate this.

Northern Ireland:
Pound Sterling - you can use Bank of Ulster, Bank of Scotland or Bank of England money - they will take any of it, but....keep reading about what happens when you get to England.

England:
Pound Sterling - oldest currency in the world still in production and the fourth most traded.  A person can only use Bank of England money in England.  So if you have anything left over from Northern Ireland that is not Bank of England, it is worthless and you should have used it while you were in Northern Ireland but before you went back to Republic of Ireland.  (Northern Ireland kind of gets treated like the red-headed stepchild by England - I think if I were them I might want to leave the kingdom too)

Whew...Keeping it all straight and also sorted in its own pocket is a challenge.

Well, off to do laundry and figure out my coins.

A geographic representation of some of the money we've used.  *As a note, CUPs (for local Cubans) are distinguished because they have people on their money versus CUCs (for foreigners to Cuba) which have monuments.  This is Camilo Cienfuegos, other denominations have Che Guevara or Fidel Catro.

A handful of everything