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Money
Money
is one of the biggest worries while traveling. If you run out, it's
time to go home. It's a really good idea to have a large amount
of money saved up before you go. You can always use credit cards,
but the more you use them, the more you are going to pay later in interest.
Also, some credit cards charge you every time you use them overseas, as
do some bank cards.
However, credit cards or ATM cards are still the easiest way to pay
for things. Carrying large amounts of cash is dangerous, and every
time you need to change currencies, there is a charge. Virtually
all train stations and airports have ATM machines, or cash points, and
most also have exchange places, so you really don't have to worry about
arriving in a country and not being able to get any money. ATMs are
everywhere over Europe. However, in a couple of countries my ATM
card wouldn't work in certain machines. My bank told me that it was
because the machines were old, and they couldn't convert currencies.
(ATMs will give you the currency of the country that you're in, and the
bank will charge you in American dollars.) So it is a good idea to
have a back-up way to get money. 
I found that the best way for me was to use my ATM card to get cash at each country. My bank only charged me $2 each time I used an ATM. I tried to get the amount of money that I would need for the amount of time I would be in that country.
A currency converter is found at Yahoo finance.
I'd also suggest signing up for online bill pay from your checking account to your credit cards. Virtually every bank lets you access your account online, as do credit cards. You can also set it up so you can pay those credit cards with a click of the mouse. Very handy when you're not in the country. Use the same user name and password, so you don't have to try to remember many different ones.
Make a list of the following information for each of your credit cards or bank cards: the web site address, card number, pin number, your user name and password, and the number that you call if your card is lost or stolen. Print out a copy to keep with you, and email a copy to yourself. Then whenever you need to check your balance, simply find an Internet cafe (they're everywhere) and click the link in your email. By having the card numbers and phone numbers, you have all of the information necessary just in case your cards get stolen or lost.
Check into getting a credit card with frequent flyer miles. You're going to be using it a lot, so why not get miles toward your next trip? You can apply for a NorthWest Airlines WorldPerks Visa here. I believe that American Airlines has a similar offer.
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