To be on the safe side, professional travelers, take a few bags and wallets and place their valuable items and money in them. Of course, many believe that it is always better not to keep all the items at on place.
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| Iran Travel |
Due to the sanctions against Iran, there are no international credit card services inside Iran. ATMs do not accept Visa, Master, Dinner's Club, American Express, etc. Travelers' checks are not accepted as it is not possible to cash them. Carrying large amount of cash to Iran is not either recommendable. So what is the solution?
Most of the travel agents have got some bank account outside Iran and may ask you to wire a deposit or complete tour fee to those accounts. Some may require you to bring cash to pay them upon arrival. In such cases, you may want to pay when you arrive, get a receipt and relieve yourselves from any hassles of holding a large amount of cash with you.
Inside Iran, upon arriving in Imam Khoemini International Airport (IKIA), there are exchange shops and banks that are open 24/7. The rates are also like what you may get inside Tehran. The difference is that you save a lot of time by exchanging there once you arrive. Tehran is a huge city with lots of traffic. Different shops are not always found at all neighborhoods of the city. You can get local cards from some banks inside Iran like: Pasargad Bank,Saman Bank,Parsian Bank etc.
They are actually gift cards that are prepaid by you. Then, you can easily carry them with you during the trip and make payments almost everywhere and cash them at ATMs at all the cities and towns of Iran. Before leaving the country, you can cash all you have in your card and exchange it for the foreign currency you want.
Eventually, the more travel tips you learn about Iran, the more prepared you will be to make a good journey to this country. So, try to get in touch with those who are experts inside the country.