One of the most complicated parts of long-term travel is not always transportation, accommodation, or visas. Sometimes it is simply figuring out how to move your money from one country to another without getting crushed by fees.
During my travels, especially while living in New Zealand and moving money between accounts in different countries, I needed something that felt more practical than a traditional bank wire. At the time, that solution for me was Transferwise, now known as Wise.
This post reflects my experience using it during that chapter of my travels. Fees, transfer times, and features can change over time, so it is always worth checking the latest details directly with Wise before sending money.
What is Transferwise
Wise, formerly Transferwise, is a money transfer platform that allows you to send funds between bank accounts domestically and internationally.
At the time I started using it, what stood out to me most was the convenience. I needed a way to move money across borders without paying the kind of high fees that traditional bank wires had already hit me with.
For someone traveling and living abroad, that made a big difference.
When & How Many Times I’ve Used Transferwise
From personal experience, I used the platform several times during my travels, including:
- NZD to Euros
- NZD to AUD
- NZD to USD
At that point, my visa in New Zealand had ended, and I needed a practical way to get my money back home. That was what pushed me to finally use it.
Even though I did not use it dozens of times, I used it enough to trust it and feel comfortable relying on it when I needed to move money internationally.
Why I Chose It Over a Traditional Bank Wire
The biggest thing that held me back at first was the question of safety.
Before using Transferwise, I had already done a traditional bank-to-bank wire transfer and paid a painful amount in fees just to move my own money. That experience made me cautious, but it also made me more open to alternatives.
Once I looked into Transferwise more seriously, it felt reputable enough for me to give it a try. More importantly, it solved a problem I was actively dealing with as a traveler living abroad.
What won me over was not hype. It was practicality.
How It Worked for Me
The process itself was simple. I would send money from my bank account to the designated account used by the platform, and once the funds were received, they would be transferred onward to the destination account in the other country.
For me, the simplicity of that process made a huge difference. When you are already juggling international travel, bank accounts, and changing locations, easy matters.
Fees, Timing, and What I Learned
I am not going to pretend there is one flat answer for fees because that depends on the countries, currencies, amount being sent, and payment method used.
I cannot simply write what the fees are as they vary but I’ll just say that it’s affordable to use Transferwise in comparison to a bank to bank wire transfer which can be very expensive. In fact I believe it is the cheapest option (Correct me if I am wrong but I am confident on that). Costs are dependent on where you are sending from and where the money is going. Also depends on how you are sending:
- Bank Debit (ACH) – What I’ve Used
- Wire Transfer
- Debit Card
- Credit Card
Why It Became Part of My Travel Setup
What made Wise useful for me was not just the lower cost. It was the peace of mind in getting transfers complete without bs. That’s inclusive to visa fees and cost like paying for Nauru’s visa application via wire transfer to ANZ. That was the same for Tokelau’s visitor permit fee to BNZ bank.
When you are traveling long term or temporarily living abroad, sorting out your money can be one of the most stressful parts of the experience. Having a tool that helped me move money between countries without feeling stuck or overcharged made a real difference.
That is why it became part of my travel setup.
It gave me a practical way to move money from one home base to another, whether I was sending funds across currencies or trying to get things sorted before the next chapter of travel began.
Final Thoughts
I am not writing this as a universal financial recommendation for everyone. I am simply sharing what worked for me during a period of international travel when moving money across borders was something I genuinely had to figure out.
At the time, Wise helped me do that more easily, with less stress, and at a lower cost than the traditional bank wire route I had used before.
If you are traveling internationally and trying to figure out how to move your money between countries, it may be worth looking into. Just make sure to check the latest fees, timelines, and account options directly with Wise before you send anything.
If I keep this post live with affiliate links, I would only do so if I am comfortable standing by the service as something I have personally used and trust.
