Math test: Calculations for travelers

Calculating tips, mileage and foreign currency equivalents can make travelers break out in a cold sweat. How much to leave for a tip? How much is that hotel bill in dollars? No time for calculators or paper and pencil. You need to know right now.

Here are five questions to test your Travel Math Anxiety quotient.

The rules: No writing - you have to calculate in your head. Rounding off is allowed. Time yourself on how long it takes you to answer all the questions.

1. Your restaurant tab is $23, you want to leave a 20 percent tip. How much is the tip?

2. The exchange rate in London is 1 pound equals $1.54. If a box of candy costs 5 pounds, about how much is that in dollars?

3. You want to leave a 15 percent tip on a $14.77 tab. How much is the tip?

4. The exchange rate in Mexico is 12.20 pesos equals $1. If you buy a scarf for 95 pesos, about how much is that in dollars?

5. You have to drive 591 miles in four days and want to drive the same distance each day. About how many miles a day do you drive?

ANSWERS

1. Figure out a 10 percent tip, $2.30, then double it, $4.60.

2. When calculating foreign exchange, always round off; in this case, use $1.50 instead of $1.54. That means that in dollars, everything is roughly 1 1/2 times the cost in pounds. So 5 pounds times 1.5 is $7.50.

3. Round the bill up to $15. Ten percent $1.50, and 5 percent is half that, 75 cents. Add those to get 15 percent or $2.25.

4. Think of 12.20 as 12. Divide 95 pesos by 12 and you get about $8. If you get confused, make yourself a cheat sheet: $10-122 pesos, $100-1,220 pesos.

5. Estimate: 591 is almost 600. And 600 divided by 4 is easy - 150. So you have to drive a bit less than that each day.

SCORING

1 minute or less You're a genius - or a math teacher.

3 minutes or less: You should handle the money on vacation.

5 minutes or not at all: Let someone else handle the cash.