For better or worse, outside Europe, I usually carry USD in a money belt along with some local money if I can get it at Travelex. It's a hassle and expensive to deal with travelers checks, assuming you can find someone to cash them, and in Europe, I use ATMs. Since I'm en route to Tunisa next week, just pulled cash from my account (plenty of new looking $1s for tips) along with printing out where ATMs are available in Tunis. For India, I picked up rupees at Travelex along with USDs to back up any ATMs, which I did find in Delhi.

Best, Jo in Sunnyvale, N Cal.