How to travel the world with Bitcoin in seven easy steps

By now you know that Bitcoin is getting more recognized as an alternative currency by governments, central banks, institutions and businesses around the world. As merchants around the world are embracing this as a form of payment, it means that your next travel adventure can be paid for with Bitcoin. Here are the seven steps you need to follow to make it possible.

1. Prep your wallet

Determine your budget for the trip and prepare your wallet by storing it securely on either a cold or hot wallet, or both. You may want to store the majority of your Bitcoin generally in a cold wallet like Trezor and have another hot wallet like Trust Wallet for daily expenditures to make the transactions more seamless.

2. Use a crypto card as a back-up option

Reputable crypto exchanges like Binance are making it more accessible for users to pay using cryptocurrency by providing crypto cards. These work similarly like Visa cards but instead it automatically converts your cryptocurrency to fiat when you make a transaction. This way you can still spend your cryptocurrency at merchants who don’t accept cryptocurrency. If you really want to avoid paying in fiat, the Nexo card allows you to spend without selling your crypto. The card works by using your crypto as collateral and every purchase or withdrawal results in an earning for the user.

3. Know what companies accept Bitcoin

More and more flights, hotels and transportation services are accepting Bitcoin, but not all. Thus prior going on your trip make sure you know what businesses accept Bitcoin.

For flights and accommodations, you can book with

Travala.com

Exepedia

CheapAir

TravelbyBit

Bitcoin.travel

Destinia

Alternative Airlines

Xceltrip

Since you still need to get around, you can hop on Qeeq.com. This is a global car rental that accepts Bitcoin. If you don’t want to rent a car, research some local taxi services that accept Bitcoin since it’s not widely accepted everywhere in the world. Otherwise you can always use your crypto card for Lyft and Uber to get around.

4. Arranging travel insurance with Bitcoin

You got your flights, accommodations booked - so what about insurance?

Etherisc, is a blockchain insurance protocol which launched a new insurance application that allows you to pay with crypto and executes certain claims automatically on the blockchain. For example, if your flight is cancelled or delayed and amounts to an insurance claim, the change in your itinerary will automatically be registered on the blockchain and will be registered as a claim without having to take further action.

5. Your local Bitcoin vendors

You got everything arranged but you still need to enjoy your surroundings and go out to some nice restaurants, shops or do other fun activities. Since you're new to the area, finding a local place that accepts Bitcoin could be tricky. So you want to hop on Coinmap.org which is an online search tool to help you find local vendors around the world that accept Bitcoin. Wherever you are, It will quickly help you source nearby shops, restaurants and also Bitcoin ATMS in case you need some cash at hand.

6. Go to countries that are crypto friendly.

I recommend starting by going to countries that are crypto friendly because getting around would make your life easier. The good news is that most countries are becoming more crypto friendly so you have a lot of options. Some of the top crypto friendly countries in no particular order are Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Malta, Singapore, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Bahamas, Slovenia, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Argentina, Japan.

While Bitcoin is welcome in most parts of the world, it's still not accepted everywhere. Some countries where cryptocurrency is completely illegal are Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar and Tunisia. So, before you hop on your flight do some prior research where Bitcoin is legal.

7. Connect with the local Bitcoin community.

If you are not in a crypto friendly country but it can still be used as legal tender, you can connect with your local Bitcoin community to help you out. You can use LocalBitcoins to find people willing to buy your Bitcoin in exchange for fiat currency to reduce fees from your exchange account. You can also search for local Bitcoin groups, either through MeetUp or Facebook groups where people help you navigate the city and give some local insights on specific places you can use Bitcoin.

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