Like it or not, the gold standard for international currency payment is now the Euro.

The United States Dollar is still being used, but it doesn't hold the prestige it once did. There was a time when you could purchase goods at a great discount if you paid with hundred dollar bills. However, nowadays, merchants will increase their base price and round up figures to give you can even dollar amount. Merchants do not want $5 dollar or $10 bills. Whatever you pay will be rounded to the next $20.

So pay with local currency -- or pay with Euros.

Counterpoint: Bring American dollar bills - International travel tip

Whenever I travel internationally, I always carry a few small gifts from my hometown that other people might be interested in -- things like chocolates, pens, dress shirts and basic housewares like vegetable peelers. These kinds of gifts are appreciated in many developing nations.

Even though India, for example, exports many of the clothes we purchase in developed countries, those clothes are not available for sale domestically.

High-quality, everyday items provided to your host family or helpers or service workers will ensure you get a personal touch, and they mean as much or more than a generous tip.

Having visited India several times in my life, I can confidently say that eating a cold dish is a one-way trip to the hospital. It's because food handling standards in some countries are not quite the same as in developed nations.

Foods to avoid include chilled sauces and desserts. It's actually a pretty easy tip to follow because most food is made hot and fresh. However, chilled foods are a problem because bacteria is permitted to develop and the food may be several days old.

If you want to fly in comfort on an international flight, but don't care for the frills of first-class (or don't want to pay for them), purchase four coach seats in a row.

A row of 4 seats is long enough to lay across and is just as comfortable as a flat first-class bed. You also get to carry four times the luggage (while saving as much as 50% off the price of a first-class seat), and you can also order four different meals. Finally, as an added bonus, you earn four times the frequent flier miles.

The only downside is that you're still in coach class.