Hi!
With many tours under my belt, here's my advice - no travelers' checks. Get about 30-50 British pounds. If you are being picked up by Insight at the airport, that should be enough. Going days ahead? Get a few more. Then get 200 Euros. No more. They should get you wherever your credit card won't. There are lots of ATMs. Hide the Euros on you or inside your most personal stuff in the suitcase.
Others will have more to add.
Also, go to the top of this page, see FIND. click it and type in "money to take" or some such and get lots of advice.

Get a CapitalOne credit card. They do not charge a foreign transaction fee. Most other cards charge 1-3% in fees.
Be sure to notify your credit card company 2 weeks in advance to let them know you will be traveling overseas. If you don't, they may "freeze" your card as a security measure. I used my ATM card in the Rome airport on arrival and my bank called my house. Luckily my husband was home to OK the transaction. HIs response was "#@%&@, she's only been there an hour and she's already spending money!" That's why I travel alone!
Sue

I agree with the advice given by September, no travellers checks and cash to get you through a few days. It is a terrible inconvenience to arrive into a country without cash and have to worry about looking for an ATM !!

I am from Australia and always use the Visa debit cards, called a cash passport. You can load them with your own currency or pounds or euros. If you purchase something from a shop you can get cash out as well and there is no transaction fee.

I keep my cash close in a money belt and have never felt unsafe doing this.

Agree with Langers and September. No travellers checks. Cards and ATMs and some cash before you leave home for the first country in particular. Last tours I had to get Russian roubles out of ATM when arrived because you cannot get it outside the country, but I got some Euros, and $50aud equivalent Danish Kroner, Norwegian and Swedish before I left so that I would have money for snacks/coffee at airport and early purchases like water if need be.

I use a Wizard Advantage Master card - can load money from Visa account and top up when I need to and no fees - just whatever the exchange rate is at the time. Use my Visa for emergencies and also credit card for more emergencies or larger purchases. Some others I know use the Travelex cards also. Dont know what USA equivalent for this card is.
Have a wonderful trip.

Sue Gillian - lol

I find it hard to believe that some of you have had trouble cashing travellers cheques, but I can't argue. I myself as I have said have never had any problem at any hotel. I cashed without any problem at the Sheriton Hotels in Florence and Rome. I have purchased some for my trip for which I leave on August 31st, but they are not my only source of money. I have a Travelex card, cash and Mastercard Debit card. This time I will probably cash my Travellers cheques in London, given the comments from some of you to this post. I know there is an American Express office across the road from Harrods.

I just got back from the European Heritage tour and was away for a total of 6 weeks. We took $200 British pounds which was too much and could have gotten away with $100 to spend the 5 days we were there. $500 Euros which wasn't enough and had to take out another $300 from an ATM but we expected that. Just didn't feel comfortable carrying so much cash, $50 Swiss Francs which we didn't have trouble spending at all. $90 Turkish Lira which we didn't need to take as the vendors preferred euro but didn't have trouble spending it the one day we were in Turkey. $500 Croatian Kuna which is about $150 and it was nice to have. Before we left London our TD stopped at the Insight office to pick up currency packs for anyone that wanted them. We kept our cash in separate Ziplocs labeled in our waist wallets along with 2 credit cards and a debit card. On the advice of our travel agent we each had one of the other's credit card. Great idea! I would never mess around with traveller's cheques when ATM's are readily available and not that hard to figure out.
Brenda