How should my son carry any additional spending money?
You may want your son to have access to some spending money for souvenirs, gift shopping (I’ve practically become a professional importer, on behalf of my friends and family, of wallets and purses from Florence’s leather market), or splurging beyond the troop’s budget at meals. Any amount would be nice; setting aside $500 seems like more than enough, and that way they may have some left over at the end. The most convenient and cheapest method is to give him an ATM card that is tied into any regular old checking account at a US bank (NOTE: this must be a checking account. Savings accounts cannot usually be accessed from foreign ATMS). In case you’re wondering, traveler’s checks, until just few years ago the tourist’s best friend, have gone the way of the dinosaur. Nowadays you can saunter up to an ATM in the dinkiest Sicilian village, stick in your US bankcard, and it’ll spit out local cash (drawing the funds directly from your US bank account) just like at home. As an added plus, you g
