Hellobee Boards

For an all inclusive, you should not need very much cash on a daily basis except for excursions off the resort. I would be nervous to use my debit card though - I've had a lot of fraud on my cards during travel over the years and I would not want my checking account getting drained.

Honestly, I would get a credit card for an international trip to protect yourselves (versus using a debit card. Last thing you want is to come home to an empty checking account). Just make sure you get one that doesn’t have a foreign transaction fee. If you are absolutely opposed to credit cards, make sure you know what foreign transaction fee your debit card charges.

Does all-inclusive count alcohol and any specialty restaurants on-site? Those are sometimes included in “all inclusive” and sometimes not. What about activities? Do you plan to leave the resort at all to shop, do activities through someone not resort-affiliated?

I'd budget like $100/day if all of the above in included just to be safe.

@Bao: I would look into one of those pre-paid credit cards, it just helps protect you! I had an issue last november in nashville where i'm assuming there was a skimmer on an ATM i used, i will only use cash or credit from now on. i fought with the bank a lot on that one (and right before Christmas shopping!)

@Bao: forget travelers checks. Not all places will take them. They have been in decline since the '90s according to Wiki, which was the last time I used one. Lol

I would look into a credit card just for the trip. I dont like to carry a lot of cash on me

Does your resort's website or brochure have a list of potential excursions and the associated costs? That would be a good guideline. I would also check out the Trip Advisor forums to find out the taxi fares to some places you might want to go.

I personally don't think the Dominican Republic is particularly safe outside the resorts especially after dark, so I would not leave very often and would not bring much money. If you do leave, food and drinks is very cheap.

ETA: If you do leave for souvenir shopping, rum and coffee are both cheap and good local products!

For a week at an all-inclusive, I bring like $200 - $300 cash. Things like excursions I'll put on credit so I have a record. The cash is mainly for tips and souvenirs.

@Bao: So DH travels internationally each month and we travel out of the country a good bit too. We ended up getting a debit card with Capital One Bank and only put $300 in it. It is in no way connected to our main bank and we can draw cash overseas if needed. That way we can take some cash but have the debit card as a backup, and if we lose the card or someone gets the information, they do not have access to all our accounts.

@Bao: when I had medical issues in Jamaica, I had to pay the doctor directly and get reimbursed try my insurance. That was my normal employer's international insurance coverage though. Your policy may differ. In my case, it was $200 for an exam.

I'd bring a bunch of $1 and $5 bills for tipping.

Agree with previous posters who recommend getting a credit card! Every hotel I've ever checked into required one to be on file for incidentals or damage to the room. They will take a debit card as an alternative, but they will put a large hold ($200-500) on the debit card which won't be released for 1-2 weeks.

Since you may be applying for one, I would look for one with no annual fee and perhaps no foreign transaction fees. The Capital One Quicksilver card might be a good one: no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees and 1.5% cash back. I don't know how good the interest rate is, but if you pay it off in its entirety every month, the interest rate is irrelevant.

Regarding medical services out of country, I've had 2 vastly different experiences. We called a concierge doctor to come see us at our hotel in Mexico when my daughter fell. We just had to pay him cash and I didn't think about trying to get reimbursed by our insurance company since it was under $100. When I went to the emergency room in Canada, they required that I pay for services via credit card and then I got reimbursed for that from my insurance company.

@Tanjowen: That's a great approach. I recently read about an ATM skimming scam in Mexico. It was highly sophisticated. The ATMs themselves were compromised from the inside at the manufacturer or at the ATM servicing level so it was very difficult to trace. People were coming home to empty bank accounts. http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/09/tracking-a-bluetooth-skimmer-gang-in-mexico/

I budget at least $75 per person per day...even for an all inclusive, as there are usually upcharges for things. How much water is included (usually a bottle per person, so if you aren't planning on drinking tap water, you need to account for that as well). I also typically get a spa service at least once while on vacation, so if you're interested in that, I'd see what the prices are and book that ahead if possible.