Travel Tips thread

[HORNS]

Good threak, Slim. Glad you brought it up.

My past experience in Germany taught me that carrying cash or traveler's checks is much less important than they were in the past. Your universal currency in more developed countries should be the credit card. This is not news to most, but carrying around cash is, many times, difficult to get it converted into local currency. Often, banks are not around in rural areas and the exchange rate is lower when you use the credit card as well.

It's always good to have local currency on you, of course - especially if you are out with several other people and you have to split the bill.

This has been mentioned as well, but it warrants repeating: Call your credit card company before you leave the U.S. - not while you are in the airport ready to leave, but a few days before. Then, TRIPLE CHECK that they know where and when you are going to be out of the country.

 

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Anything new to add to this thread? I guess you could say I was necrocurious.

Nice necrorevival

Originally Posted by HORNS

Good threak, Slim. Glad you brought it up. My past experience in Germany taught me that carrying cash or traveler's checks is much less important than they were in the past. Your universal currency in more developed countries should be the credit card. This is not news to most, but carrying around cash is, many times, difficult to get it converted into local currency. Often, banks are not around in rural areas and the exchange rate is lower when you use the credit card as well. It's always good to have local currency on you, of course - especially if you are out with several other people and you have to split the bill. This has been mentioned as well, but it warrants repeating: Call your credit card company before you leave the U.S. - not while you are in the airport ready to leave, but a few days before. Then, TRIPLE CHECK that they know where and when you are going to be out of the country.
Don't the out of the way spots and little shops need cash? Also, why does your credit card company need to know where you'll be and when? If you call them and say I'm going to Switzerland, can I use my card? Isn't that enough?

 

[IIIrd Icon]

Originally Posted by HORNS

Good threak, Slim. Glad you brought it up.

My past experience in Germany taught me that carrying cash or traveler's checks is much less important than they were in the past. Your universal currency in more developed countries should be the credit card. This is not news to most, but carrying around cash is, many times, difficult to get it converted into local currency. Often, banks are not around in rural areas and the exchange rate is lower when you use the credit card as well.

It's always good to have local currency on you, of course - especially if you are out with several other people and you have to split the bill.

This has been mentioned as well, but it warrants repeating: Call your credit card company before you leave the U.S. - not while you are in the airport ready to leave, but a few days before. Then, TRIPLE CHECK that they know where and when you are going to be out of the country.
i use cc on most, but use a [ debit card ] to get cash anywhere in EU__ 1. don't need to carry a big wad of cash that can get stolen__ 2. dont' need to bother with ever-changing exchange rates and commissions/service charge.

always__ divvy up your cash/credit/debit cards into 2 seperate sets when you travel [ for back up ]. keep a scan of travel docs and a master list of your [ cards ] acct details in a place [ eg, email ] where you can access them conveniently through the internet.

edit: also, taking note of address/tel# of your embassy/consulate in the cities you're visiting is a bit oc, but can prove to be handy at times. i got my passport and cash/cc stolen in Barcelona last year and having prepped for contingencies helped expedite matters. US Consulate was a big help, too__ took me less than 2 hours to secure a temp passport__ w/c was 2 hours less than mere filing a fcuking police report @Catalunya Sta.

 

[JayJay]

^^^Good advice.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Rambo

If you call them and say I'm going to Switzerland, can I use my card? Isn't that enough?
Cause they are stupid and will freeze your account for security reasons, leaving you without funds if you start charging from foreign countries and they "dont know it's you".

 

[Oligarch]

Originally Posted by IIIrd Icon

i use cc on most, but use a [ debit card ] to get cash anywhere in EU__ 1. don't need to carry a big wad of cash that can get stolen__ 2. dont' need to bother with ever-changing exchange rates and commissions/service charge.

always__ divvy up your cash/credit/debit cards into 2 seperate sets when you travel [ for back up ]. keep a scan of travel docs and a master list of your [ cards ] acct details in a place [ eg, email ] where you can access them conveniently through the internet.

edit: also, taking note of address/tel# of your embassy/consulate in the cities you're visiting is a bit oc, but can prove to be handy at times. i got my passport and cash/cc stolen in Barcelona last year and having prepped for contingencies helped expedite matters. US Consulate was a big help, too__ took me less than 2 hours to secure a temp passport__ w/c was 2 hours less than mere filing a fcuking police report @Catalunya Sta.

Using a dollar-based debit card to get foreign currency is still going to result in all sorts of usurious FX fees, etc... in most cases

 

[IIIrd Icon]

Originally Posted by Oligarch

Using a dollar-based debit card to get foreign currency is still going to result in all sorts of usurious FX fees, etc... in most cases

you get whatever is the prevailing bank exchange rate is + the usual service charge for each transaction. i checked and compared the difference and it's really not that much, but if you factor in the security and convenience of taking money as you need it instead of schelpping wads of cash around the globe__ i think it's priceless. oh, btw, i usually draw from my debit card's bank [Citibank] when possible, so there won't be additional miscellaneous inter-bank transaction fees.

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by IIIrd Icon

you get whatever is the prevailing bank exchange rate is + the usual service charge for each transaction. i checked and compared the difference and it's really not that much, but if you factor in the security and convenience of taking money as you need it instead of schelpping wads of cash around the globe__ i think it's priceless. oh, btw, i usually draw from my debit card's bank [Citibank] when possible, so there won't be additional miscellaneous inter-bank transaction fees.

This is exactly what I do. My experience, at least after three trips to Europe, was that pulling money through a bank with my home bank card had a lower conversion rate compared to any exchanging of cash.

 

[whymakemedothis]

Originally Posted by IIIrd Icon

always__ divvy up your cash/credit/debit cards into 2 seperate sets when you travel [ for back up ]. keep a scan of travel docs and a master list of your [ cards ] acct details in a place [ eg, email ] where you can access them conveniently through the internet.

exactly this!!

i have 2 sets of cards (bank, visa/mc, amex) -- 1 carry on-body and a backup set
when im walking around identification are photocopies

i have a single PDF of passports, visa(s), credit/bank cards (front and back), and medical card. its an attachment in a web-accessible email account with cryptic keywords so only i can "search" for the mail (in a 1000+ inbox/archive)



ive NEVER had to tell my banks im traveling and have never had a card frozen for repeated trips in many continents (even for use in "shadier" countries)

 

[culverwood]

Originally Posted by whymakemedothis

exactly this!!
I've NEVER had to tell my banks im traveling and have never had a card frozen for repeated trips in many continents (even for use in "shadier" countries)

Perhaps they are used to you travelling widely. I always buy a few odds and ends at the airport I am flying from on my credit cards and find this does the same trick.

I am also a user of the special meal system "low cal". Better food usually and no queueing after the meal at the back of the plane.

If you are taking bikes or other sports equipment, a full fare carrier such as BA is often cheaper than Ryanair and the like as they apply no extra charge for them.

 

[Mblova]

you wonder how the anti-fraud departments at CC companies work. One day i went from charging my amex in NJ to suddenly using it in New Delhi. Worked perfectly, and I never called in advance.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by whymakemedothis

ive NEVER had to tell my banks im traveling and have never had a card frozen for repeated trips in many continents (even for use in "shadier" countries)
While on foreign trips I've had Amex call my house with a request for me to call them to verify my purchases. I've never had the bank call regarding my other card though.

 

[rdawson808]

Just to add one more person's experience: my credit union did freeze my CC after one purchase in Belgium. Luckily I only used it for that one and used my debit for the rest.

I got home to a phone message asking me to call. I did they un-froze the card (thawed it?) and suggested I call beforehand in the future.


b

 

[Preston Harper]

Hi,

A good tip for travelers is to maximize their budget. Make a list of your proposed budget in advance and try to follow your budget list at least up to the degree that you can. Make food your number priority followed by your lodging necessities. Take also into consideration the age bracket of your group. If you're going to travel with kids, their needs and safety should be on the top list of priorities.

 

[Huntsman]

Not to feed the spammer, but I make food my number one priority to not budget for. That's my splurge.... ~ H