Reviewing travel stuff

[pugmom]

We have not traveled outside the US since probably around 2008. Even back then, things were different and I used traveler's checks and phone cards.
DH is interested in taking a French immersion class for a month. Do ATMs now negate the need for taking extra money? Does he need to notify his bank (Regions in FL) first? If one gets money, is it taken in the local currency, or do you still have to change it? I have read that some places in Europe do not take credit cards, but if they do (VISA), are there extra charges to watch out for?
Also, what do people do about cell phones? Or can one simply use Skype or Telegram as long as you have Wifi?
Any other tips for preparation will also gladly be welcomed.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Yes. Travelers checks and phone cards are a thing of the past.

I usually get a small amount of Euros from my local bank prior to the trip. Give them time, they likely have to order them for you. I only get about €100. Just so I’ll have some if I need it immediately upon arrival. One landed, I get moderate amounts when needed at ATMs. I usually withdraw €100-€200 at a time. It varies based on what I’m doing. I also put everything I can on credit cards. Both MasterCard and Visa are widely used. I always keep a card that offers “no international transaction fees” as a benefit. Look into CapitalOne or Chase cards if you want to get one. Otherwise, yes, you will be charged extra each time you buy something. Always pay for things using the local currency (euros) when asked by the merchant or machine. If you let them charge your card in Dollars, they will give you unfavorable rates. Let the credit card company do the exchange rate. It will be best.

ATMs will give you the local currency. So, they will dispense euros. The bank will convert that to dollars and deduct them from your account. Like in the US, you may be charged a fee for an ATM withdrawal. It will depend on your bank and/the owner of the ATM how much that will be. Your bank may have a partnership with a European bank that will waive fees. But you need to investigate that. Even with fees, I find using the ATMs as needed best fits my needs in Europe.
Yes, you should notify all the banks (ATM cards and credit cards) about your travel. This will minimize the likelihood of a fraud detection situation when you try to use your card.

I’ll leave cell phone details to others. You have a few options. You can start by investigating what it costs to enable your current plan for France with your current carrier.

 

[tulak]

Use an ATM when you arrive and make sure to specify the local currency. A lot of machines will offer to convert from USD and you will pay a lot more.

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but I’d recommend carrying some cash just in case. Some of this is dependent on the country, but touchless payments are used a lot. And again, always pay in the local currency to avoid an unfavorable exchange rate.

Make sure to get a credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. Costco Visa is a good option. Another is the Amazon Prime card. Lots of options and I would recommend taking two cards, just in case. Same for ATM cards (may favorite is the Schwab debit card which reimburses all fees).

 

[clobber]

Also, for cell phones - GoogleFi is amazing for travel.

 

[OldShooter]

Use an ATM when you arrive and make sure to specify the local currency. A lot of machines will offer to convert from USD and you will pay a lot more.

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but I’d recommend carrying some cash just in case. Some of this is dependent on the country, but touchless payments are used a lot. And again, always pay in the local currency to avoid an unfavorable exchange rate.

Make sure to get a credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. Costco Visa is a good option. Another is the Amazon Prime card. Lots of options and I would recommend taking two cards, just in case. Same for ATM cards (may favorite is the Schwab debit card which reimburses all fees).

This. DW and I each carry a debit card and a credit card, four different issuers. We also call the issuers to let them know where and when we'll be when out of the country. Despite this, I did get a Visa card shut down for a couple of days but the other cards were unaffected.

Debit cards and ATMs have been getting more and more reliable to get local currency, even in 3rd world countries like Ethiopia and Myanmar. Nevertheless, two cards, two issuers, is good insurance. Back in the Bad Old Days when occasionally a bank ATM would refuse a card, often another bank's ATM would be happy with it.

We use Google Fi.

A bunch of US $5s is nice for tipping. Occasionally I have negotiated discounts from travel arrangers if I agreed to arrive with a wad of mint-condition $100 bills. Beyond those two reasons, we don't worry about carrying US cash for any reason.

Amex cards are often declined. Stick with Visa and MC.

I have bolded an important of @Tulak's advice: When the nice person offers to run your charge in $USD, he is proposing to cheat you on the exchange rate. There is no other reason. Always decline.

Have fun!

 

[tulak]

I have bolded an important of @Tulak's advice: When the nice person offers to run your charge in $USD, he is proposing to cheat you on the exchange rate. There is no other reason. Always decline.

Minor point, but in most cases (all?) it’s not the server trying to cheat you, it’s the bank. When you use your credit card, the banks know it’s from the US and they will offer to do the conversion for you at a nice mark-up. The person giving you the machine to pay - in Europe, you never give them your credit card - doesn’t care how you pay, as long as the transaction is approved.

And it’s not just credit card transactions. You’ll see the same at ATMs. I’m also a bit paranoid and only use ATMs at banks, to avoid skimmers. I do the same in the US.

Edit to add: and don’t carry all the credit cards together. Part of the benefit of carrying multiple cards is if they are lost or stolen, you still have access to money.

 

[Bamaman]

Travelers checks and phone cards are out of the past. I pick up maybe $100 in Euros from bank ATM machines upon arriving in Europe. Everything I can put on a Visa credit card goes there--getting credit for the "miles." You also have rights on credit cards that you will not have on ATM cards.
Some banks require you to notify them of the dates of travel and the countries you're going to visit. My Capital One card doesn't require the info, however. You always get the funds out of ATM's in Euros--not Dollar denominations. You may be charged a couple of bucks to use an ATM machine, but it's nowhere what a local bank would charge you to withdraw cash.
For cell phones, we use T Mobile, and they're owned by the German telephone company. They have a monthly international plan that's not expensive, and they give many options of service. No SIM card is required. It works just like our smartphone at home.

 

[HarveyS]

Europe is a big place and there are differences country to country. So you really need to let us know where you are going to be of most help. I just spent 6 weeks in France and had no issues with paying for just about everything with my Visa card. Or you can use Apple Pay. One or two cafes had a €10 min for cards. Not hard to get to €10. Before France I was in Switzerland and Holland. Switzerland was the same- no issues with paying by physical card or Apple Pay. However, in medium sized towns in Netherlands your US visa is not accepted. You need a Dutch card with PIN. Cash worked there; Apple Pay was hit or miss.

For Dutch bus and train travel you need a prepaid card that you can buy with a visa at the ticket office in AMS or other large rail stations. Some ticket automats accepted my us visa, others did not.

Download the train and bus apps for the countries you plan to visit and practice at home before you go.

Buying train tickets 2 weeks in advance can save 25% or more.

Europe is crowded right now. Be sure to make reservations for any tourist sites that require such.


I agree they when paying by card and you are asked, you should always choose to pay in local currency.

No need to bring Euros or Swiss Francs. All airport vendors take visa if you are in dire need on landing. And there are ATMs at the airports.

I use UBIGI e-sim and recommend it. Be careful what you buy as an “all European “ plan does not include UK or Switzerland.

Bon voyage!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Most of what I would have said, of course, has already been covered by our savvy traveler friends; I'll just add that, just like you shouldn't let tax strategy control your whole portfolio, you shouldn't let exchange fees be the only factor. The Fidelity Visa has a 1% foreign transaction fee, but 2% cash back, so to me it's not worth finding a card with no foreign transaction fee but 1% or so cash rewards. And if you're mostly going to be in large cities, you may hardly need cash at all. If you're traveling to major world cities, you might not need any, and you could certainly find an ATM once you're there, although many people rightly like to be prepared for exigencies.

 

[tulak]

You can always check to see if the restaurants, etc, accept credit cards beforehand (most do).

I almost got away without having to get cash for my trip last May, except for a restaurant in Berlin. It didn’t occur to me to ask if they accept credit cards and I had no cash. I noticed that everyone was paying with cash and had a sneaky suspicion that they don’t take credit cards, but at that point it was too late, since we already ordered food. Luckily I had my ATM card, so I made a quick run to an ATM to get some cash.

If you’re headed to France, then you should be fine. I can’t think of a single instance where I needed cash, even for small payments.

 

[pugmom]

Many thanks to all who replied. We will certainly plan on doing some or all of these things!

 

[Souschef]

Cautionary tale. I notified Chase Visa that I was going to Hawaii on a cruise. Some dumba$$ at Chase put a block on any internet charges, The second day at sea I get a note from the Purser that my card was declined.
It was a real PITA to call Chase on ship to shore to get it straightened out.
When we got home I called Chase and asked for a supervisor. I just felt like ranting (politely), and told them I was at sea when this happened. They apologized, but that was the end of it.

 

[Chuckanut]

I have a Charles Schwab ATM card. Mr. Schwab pays all the ATM fees when you use his card, including those overseas fees. Of course, make sure you have sufficient funds in your Schwab checking account to cover the withdrawals.

BofA has partner banks in other countries that won't charge the fees. But, finding a well located branch is sometimes a problem. Schwab's card is better.

 

[OldShooter]

I have a Charles Schwab ATM card. Mr. Schwab pays all the ATM fees when you use his card, including those overseas fees. Of course, make sure you have sufficient funds in your Schwab checking account to cover the withdrawals. ...

Actually it's even a little better than that, at least at Schwab. The cash in a taxable brokerage account will automatically be used for overdraft protection, so no need to forecast the checking account needs precisely. As interest rates rise, leaving the cash on the brokerage side will gain you a few pence. It has to be cash, though. They will not sell out a position to generate cash. I learned this the hard way with SWVXX, which I think of as an MMF but really it is not.

 

[OldShooter]

Cautionary tale. I notified Chase Visa that I was going to Hawaii on a cruise. Some dumba$$ at Chase put a block on any internet charges, The second day at sea I get a note from the Purser that my card was declined. It was a real PITA to call Chase on ship to shore to get it straightened out. ...

Yes. It happens. This is why DW and I carry debit cards from different banks and Visa cards from different issuers. Four cards, all different. The one flaw is that her "Visa" is actually an Amex, which is often unusable overseas. Much lower accepance than the low acceptance rate we see in the US.

 

[Scrapr]

Also, for cell phones - GoogleFi is amazing for travel.

and TMobile too!

 

[SecondAttempt]

We have not traveled outside the US since probably around 2008. Even back then, things were different and I used traveler's checks and phone cards. DH is interested in taking a French immersion class for a month.

Do ATMs now negate the need for taking extra money?

Does he need to notify his bank (Regions in FL) first?

If one gets money, is it taken in the local currency, or do you still have to change it?

I have read that some places in Europe do not take credit cards, but if they do (VISA), are there extra charges to watch out for?

Also, what do people do about cell phones?

Or can one simply use Skype or Telegram as long as you have Wifi?

Any other tips for preparation will also gladly be welcomed.

Since at least 2012 I have just used ATMs in Europe. They dispense local currency and you bank account is debited the equivalent. Usually a ~$5 fee that is not refunded by US banks so I try to make just a few large withdrawals. 500 EUR is not a crazy large withdrawal in Europe.

I have not had a problem using credit cards in the recent era. In Europe they use PINs moch more than here so you may have to go up to the counter in a restaurant rather than paying at your table but they get it and don't hate you. I have never seen an extra fee. But make sure you have a card with no foreign transaction fees.

I have never notified my bank until recently. My partner who has lived and traveled overseas beginning in th early 1970s always did that. When I told her it was unneccessary she asked her bank. They said probably not needed but would add a note to her file just in case. I called Chase, my credit card issuer, and they said the same thing, probably not needed these days but doesn't hurt.

There are plenty of services like skype and telegram you could use for free. I happen to have Verizon as my cell provider and for $10/day they extend your service to most countries. Previously (2012) in Europe I just bought a burner cell phone with a month of coverage for about $40.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Occasionally I have negotiated discounts from travel arrangers if I agreed to arrive with a wad of mint-condition $100 bills. Beyond those two reasons, we don't worry about carrying US cash for any reason.

Nothing wrong with that but in 2019 I was accosted in Houston airport when boarding a plane for Europe by a CBP officer. She demanded to know how much cash I was carrying. Now, I only had about $800 but I found this question very concerning since she demanded an answer in front of other passengers. Had I been carrying a legal $9500 she was literally endangering me by outing me to other passengers who may rob me on arrival.

Was I concerned, no, not really with only $800. But be aware that this could happen to you and if you have a lareg but legal amount of cash, everyone on the plane may know.

 

[SecondAttempt]

For Dutch bus and train travel you need a prepaid card that you can buy with a visa at the ticket office in AMS or other large rail stations. Some ticket automats accepted my us visa, others did not.

Others have mentioned similar exceptions for US cards. A couple I have run into over the last 20 years or so.

Some gas stations only accept local cards. I ran into this is Norway years ago and in Spain in 2019. Both times I did not notice until after starting to pump and both times I had to go inside to pay and they accepted the US card inside. It is possible this had to do with chip+pin but in both cases the sign on the pump said "Only Norwegian cards accepted" or, Spanish cards in Spain of course.

In Amsterdam the ticket machines would not take my card yet they did take the cards of the two coworkers I was traveling with. We never figured out why.

If you have a card with a chip you MAY be able to get your bank to give you a PIN to use in Europe. I asked AMEX and they said they would not. But I have heard stories from others who were successful with other cards. It has just never been much of an issue for me so I never tried.

Things seem to have gotten much better in the last 10 years. For the most part I have not had trouble but there are still some strange exceptions. I try to always carry enough cash just in case.

If you carry cash be alert for pickpockets. I lived in Europe long ago and learned how to spot people working the crowd. I have never been a victim but I have seen people working the crowd on recent trips. You will mostly only run into this in public areas popular with tourists just as you would in similar areas in the US. In Europe there are some organized groups of immigrant groups operating as petty criminals across the continent, often using children. I won't say anything more to avoid sounding racist or offending anyone but google will probably help. It is rare to hear of these groups being violent so they are more of a nuissance than anything else.

 

[levindb]

My Verizon iPhone has an option for WiFi calling when I travel. I turn OFF cellular service when I board the airplane leaving the USA and do not run it back on until I land back in the USA.
I can access my voice mail when traveling as well. Since we tend to be gone for 2 months at a time, I would rather have my cell phone usage restricted to areas with WiFi rather than spend $10/day each for our 2 phones for 60 days...again, I am a bit frugal.

 

[SecondAttempt]

My Verizon iPhone has an option for WiFi calling when I travel. I turn OFF cellular service when I board the airplane leaving the USA and do not run it back on until I land back in the USA.
I can access my voice mail when traveling as well. Since we tend to be gone for 2 months at a time, I would rather have my cell phone usage restricted to areas with WiFi rather than spend $10/day each for our 2 phones for 60 days...again, I am a bit frugal.

Yeah, I tend to turn off the cell service like you to avoid the $10/day unless I really need it. My partner can't seem to live without texting and leaves hers on and pays $10/day. To each his or her own. And so far as we are still working, trips are usually less than 2 weeks. I think she will change once our trips are longer!

 

[brett]

Dynamic currency conversion is everywhere. We actually find it worse in MIA, FLA than we do in Europe. We always confirm prior to tapping or entering our pin number that the charge is in local currency.

We have a travel credit card that does not charge the usual 2.5-3 percent hidden admin charge on FX transactions.

Depending on the accommodation, we always try to deal direct with the principal and we always ask for a discount for cash. On our last Greece trip we were interested in a 500euro reservation on booking.com. We were able to find the owner on line. Paid 250euro cash. But it was mid/late Oct. end of season time.

Check your bill for service charges. No need to leave a tip when a 15 percent service charge has been included in your restaurant bill total.

 

[OldShooter]

... Depending on the accommodation, we always try to deal direct with the principal and we always ask for a discount for cash. On our last Greece trip we were interested in a 500euro reservation on booking.com. We were able to find the owner on line. Paid 250euro cash. But it was mid/late Oct. end of season time. ...

Yes. We always seek out small local tour operators. Reason #1 is that a travel agent eight or ten time zones away is not going to be much help with problems. Reason #2 is to cut out the middlemen and deal with a principal. Often deals can be negotiated, then an additional discount for cash. More than once I have left home with a good-sized wad of mint condition US $100 bills in my wallet.

(Due to counterfeiting concerns, I guess, mint condition is always a requirement. I had a bill rejected in Vietnam one time because of a tiny corner fold.)

 

[brett]

We take $2000CAD plus cash when we go to Thailand for the winter. We get a much better conversion rate there than we do at home. Many of the small places we stay want cash only.

Europe can be a bit tricky. Some countries such as Portugal seem to have a low limit on ATM withdrawals. 200euro was the most we could from any ATM this past June. In others, like Italy, certain banks will allow us to withdraw 400-500 euros which we often do just prior to paying for our accommodation. Np idea about France though.

We have had our bank cards refused at one bank and accepted at another next door. One thing we always try to use is ATM's that are either in the bank lobby area or in their wall at a main entrance.

Understand what ATM you are using. Use a bank affiliated one like cirrus, etc. You will see Euronet atms everywhere. Even attached to shop windows. These are not bank affiliated. Their exchange rates and service charges are terrible. In some countries we see more and more of these in touristy areas and fewer bank ATMs. Same for some airport ATM's.

Don't even step into any Western Union stores/franchises in Europe. They are the biggest FX exchange rip off outlets ever.

Many bank ATMs do dynamic conversion, ie charge you in your own currency. On our trip this spring we noticed that the bank ATM asked this question twice. Moreover, the accept button for dynamic conversion was on the right.....and it was a green button. The button for refusing dynamic conversion was red, and it was on the left. Very sneaky. It was worded in such a way that if you were in a hurry and pressed the red you might think that the transaction was voided.

IF you are a wine drinker like me and order the house wine be careful if your server offers you something 'special' in place of the house plonk. ALWAYS ask the price because it could end up being much more 'special' than you antipated when the bill comes.

 

[brett]

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