Backed with continuing adoption, crypto holidays have become a reality. At this point, flights and hotels all around the world can be booked with Bitcoin (BTC). Still, some cities are more ready to accept your BTC — and major altcoins — than others, depending on the local infrastructure and crypto-related policies.
According to data from Coinmap, currently there are around 13,150 venues, shops and ATM ssupporting Bitcoin on the planet, and that number has been unhesitatingly growing since late 2013.
However, as Gili Gershonok, a crypto nomad who deliberately chooses not to have a bank account, ignoring fiat money while travelling becomes more difficult, as all of the crypto prepaid cards she heavily relied on were canceled in early 2018.
“I feel like more and more barriers are being set against folks who dare to have a lifestyle that’s off the financial grid… The process of going crypto-to-cash is getting more complicated, especially for those who prefer to keep their privacy and avoid high fees — both highly prioritized values across the crypto community.”
All of that being said, Gershonok reassured that traveling with BTC is still possible, drawing a parallel between crypto and casual tourists:
“I don’t think there’s a huge difference in the financial behaviors of [the two]. In Prague, I mostly keep to cash, which I can easily withdraw out of one of many crypto ATMs across the city. I try to find crypto payment options for online transactions and as the cliché goes, for everything else — there’s plastic.”
Gershonok advises those who want to try traveling fiat-free for themselves to start with their current location, and keep security in mind:
“Go crypto for a week in your hometown and see what questions and challenges you come across. It would also be advisable to consider some security scenarios, like, what you would do if your phone, laptop, luggage are lost or stolen — and have contingencies in place.”
As the end of the summer nears, here are some of the most crypto-friendly destinations that might be worth trying.