Cryptocurrencies are gaining more and more traction. People have started using these virtual currencies to become financially independent from banks and other institutions, and if you happen to own cryptocurrencies, you might want to spend some of them on your next vacation.
Not all travel companies and hotel sites accept cryptocurrencies, but some of them do. In fact, it is possible to book your entire trip with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If you’re going to a big city, it might even be possible to only spend in cryptocurrencies upon arrival!
Here’s a full guide with an overview of the services where crypto is a legitimate paying option.
CheapAir allows you to search for flights and pay with cryptocurrencies. It was the first service that started offering this.
eGifter allows you to buy gift cards online. You pay for these gift cards with crypto, and after that, they can be used for many airlines, such as American Airlines, Delta, Southwest and many others.
Booking accommodation with cryptocurrency
Travala is a booking portal where you can find everything from hotels and holiday apartments to flights, and you can pay directly with many cryptocurrencies! It is by far the best place to book accommodation at the moment if you wish to use Bitcoin, Ethereum, or one of the many other popular digital coins.
Bitrefill flows you to buy gift cards with crypto, and they can be used for hotels.com and other major booking portals. Using this service basically allows you to travel anywhere and financing it with cryptocurrencies!
Using crypto upon arrival
Many shops, bars and restaurants around the world accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a form of payment. So when you’re out traveling, it is often possible to get by on this. To find out where you can spend your cryptocurrencies, check out Coinmap – a site with a map showing which places accept crypto in any given city or country!
Aside from that, you can get a credit/debit card that runs on crypto. Several providers offer this. One example is Monaco-based Bitsa. You get a VISA debit card WITHOUT any attached bank account. You simply fill it with crypto, and you can use the card in any store that accepts VISA, which is most of them. There are other services like Bitsa, so you can browse the market yourself for alternatives. Crypto.com is one of them – it’s a similar concept where you have an account running in crypto, and you get a card you can pay with.
Risks related to using crypto
As a form of payment, cryptocurrencies work just as well as traditional currencies.
However, the value can be very volatile. If you pay $500 for airline tickets with Bitcoin, the value of the Bitcoin you paid with might be $400 or $600 the next week. That’s also why many people see it as an investment. You need to decide with yourself if you are into crypto for the sake of using it for payments and not caring about the value, or if you are in it to invest. If you are into crypto for investment reasons, then you might want to hold on to it instead of using it.
Also, cryptocurrencies are still not used as much as traditional currencies, so you are often limited in choices. This might change radically over the next few years, though.
Where to buy cryptocurrencies
There are several places where you can obtain cryptocurrencies.
The most popular option is using an exchange. The best on the market are Kraken and Coinbase. Here, you can transfer money from your bank account and exchange it into Bitcoin, Ethereum or one of the many other cryptocurrencies on the market. Exchanges usually charge very small fees for exchanging, and that is beneficial. On the negative side, they must verify your identity – which is fine by itself, but they do so by requiring you to send in personal documentation, such as proof of address, proof of identity (driving license/ID card/passport) and perhaps even proof of funds.
If you prefer something more anonymous, you can exchange it in private with another person. LocalCrypto allows you to buy Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum from other sellers without verifying your identity, and local.bitcoin.com allows you to buy Bitcoin Cash. They usually charge higher fees than the exchanges, but if it is important to you to be anonymous, it is a great solution.
In the future, we expect decentralized exchanges to become more common, which could really open up the possibility of obtaining cryptocurrencies easily.
Conclusion
Cryptocurrencies are definitely the future, and you can already use them regularly in daily life. For example, when you book your next vacation.
We hope this article has been inspirational. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them below.
This article was written by Jacob Jensen. He primarily covers European and South American destinations for Scope Trip while also working as the main editor for the site.
We care about your privacy. Scope Trip uses cookies on the website to improve your experience. You can read more about how we use cookies, you can change the settings and opt-out from receiving non-necessary browser cookies, or you can accept the conditions and start browsing the page.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
