International Travel Tips?

[Alistra]

I am always amazed at what a diverse and worldly group we have on PS

My husband and I have never traveled outside of the US and Canada before. In a few weeks we are going on a trip to Germany, Austria and Italy. I am very excited, but it is a bit overwhelming too! I am looking for tips on how to best handle money. I just called out bank and they charge $3 + 3% for any money withdrawn internationally and 3% for any charges on our ATM card. Is this reasonable? Any better ideas? Any other travel tips welcome too.


Thanks!!!

 

[elrohwen]

I''ve primarily used my credit card while traveling internationally. There is some fee for using it, but I found it was the same or less than taking out a lot of cash and changing from one currency to the next (by bringing in US dollars, etc). Plus I''m not big on carrying around tons of cash.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/26/2010 5:43:44 PM
Author:Alistra
I am always amazed at what a diverse and worldly group we have on PS

My husband and I have never traveled outside of the US and Canada before. In a few weeks we are going on a trip to Germany, Austria and Italy. I am very excited, but it is a bit overwhelming too! I am looking for tips on how to best handle money. I just called out bank and they charge $3 + 3% for any money withdrawn internationally and 3% for any charges on our ATM card. Is this reasonable? Any better ideas? Any other travel tips welcome too.


Thanks!!!

See if your bank has a sister bank there...sometimes they won''t charge any fees.

Make sure your pin is 4 digits, as ATMs there have a limit of 4. Also, if you memorize yours by letters, make sure you know the number equivalents.

If you pull out money, pull out as much as you are comfortable with so the fees make up a smaller percentage of the transaction.

I second the credit card thing. Fees have gone up a lot with CCs too, but it''s often better than bank fees. I don''t think you''ll have as much of an issue with it in Germany and Austria, but make sure if you use your credit card, they are charging you in euro. Refuse those who convert it into US dollars for you...they often are doing the conversion in their favor. I''ve seen it happen in Italy in places.

Call your bank(s) to let them know you will be abroad. Not fun to be turned down when you are in another country and have to call your bank to clear the transaction.

Leave emergency bank phone numbers somewhere else beside your purse/wallet in case it gets stolen. Keep an emergency credit card hidden somewhere else as well. I''d also make a copy of your passport in case you lose that.

Do not leave your purse hanging on a chair like so many Americans do. It stays on your body, in your lap, or if you really must put it down, in front of your feet with the strap wrapped around your ankle.

Have fun!

 

[Alistra]

Thanks Elrohwen and TravelingGal!

 

[princesss]

CCs are good, but remember not everybody will accept them, so it''s best to have some cash on hand just in case.

Also, make sure you have a purse with no outside pockets, without too long of a strap. I like Longchamps Le Pliage bags (as super trendy and annoying as they may be) because they''re the perfect travel purse. Light, easy to clean, and you can hook your thumb through the strap and cover the zipper so you can feel if somebody tries to reach into it. But I''m paranoid like that.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Scan your passport (data pages and any visa you may require) and send it to yourself. If it does get stolen, this makes things a lot easier.

Learn the basic words (please, thank you, excuse me, numbers, a few foods, a few verbs) in the local language. "I don''t speak ________." is also important!

Carry a business card from your hotel. If you get seriously lost or uncommon difficulty communicating or anything, a taxi driver can take you back (but you will probably get overcharged).

Let your bank know when you will be abroad. Check if you can use international roaming (expensive, but you will have an emergency phone on you at all times).

Shut down the main electricity line in your house, so every appliance that is on standby is turned off. Saves a pretty chunk of change.

Since you are probably going to place your bags in the hold, try to have less carry on (just a change of clothe per person, tooth brush./paste, reading material, a headphone, etc. Trying to get anything out of a large bag in a cramped plane is a nightmare. On the other hand, you can go for an unlimited amount of time with only a carry on, which makes life a lot easier.

Research before you go! Having an idea who the Medici were before hitting Florence helps to understand a lot of things, for example. But don´t get carried away.

Try the local food - from peasant food to haute cousine.

 

[sba771]

I live in Germany and we can never use our American CC''s here, they never want to take them. Heck half the time they don''t want to take our German EC card. I agree with PP who said take as much cash as you can/feel comfortable with at each interaction. Cash is the way to go.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 5/26/2010 8:04:47 PM
Author: princesss
CCs are good, but remember not everybody will accept them, so it''s best to have some cash on hand just in case.


Also, make sure you have a purse with no outside pockets, without too long of a strap. I like Longchamps Le Pliage bags (as super trendy and annoying as they may be) because they''re the perfect travel purse. Light, easy to clean, and you can hook your thumb through the strap and cover the zipper so you can feel if somebody tries to reach into it. But I''m paranoid like that.

Agree about the purse thing. I like ones that have short straps and go over the shoulder so if anybody tried to unzip, you''d have to notice. No backpacks unless you''re using one as a suitcase - those are so tempting to pickpockets.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 5/27/2010 4:14:08 AM
Author: sba771
I live in Germany and we can never use our American CC''s here, they never want to take them. Heck half the time they don''t want to take our German EC card. I agree with PP who said take as much cash as you can/feel comfortable with at each interaction. Cash is the way to go.

That''s unfortunate! I''ve had good luck in Germany with my CC''s the two times I''ve been. Maybe it''s different by city?

 

[waterlilly]

Date: 5/26/2010 8:04:47 PM
Author: princesss
CCs are good, but remember not everybody will accept them, so it''s best to have some cash on hand just in case.


Also, make sure you have a purse with no outside pockets, without too long of a strap. I like Longchamps Le Pliage bags (as super trendy and annoying as they may be) because they''re the perfect travel purse. Light, easy to clean, and you can hook your thumb through the strap and cover the zipper so you can feel if somebody tries to reach into it. But I''m paranoid like that.

I was in a village of the Peruvian Amazon and used a CC, they are pretty much accepted everywhere now

Definitely make sure you tell your bank and credit card companies where you are traveling so they don''t freeze your account!

I make a copy of all CC''s and passport/drivers license and keep it separate from your purse and keep scanned file accessible via an internet email account (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc).

I also register my trip on the US embassy website. (https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/)
If there were a disaster of any sort, the US would know you were in that country.

You are going to have a blast, enjoy!!

 

[Alistra]

Thank you Princesss, Lady Disdain, Sba771 and Waterlilly!! Good ideas! I hope I can use my Visa. We are planning on spending the greatest percentage of our time in Munich if that makes any difference.

Last night my husband a conversation with a friend who mentioned that we have to memorize international road signs. It is funny I bought three books about traveling in Germany, and I don''t think even one of them mentioned that! I think the best thing is to hear what people have to say based on their own travels.


Thank you!

 

[mrscushion]

Date: 5/27/2010 9:56:14 AM
Author: waterlilly
I was in a village of the Peruvian Amazon and used a CC, they are pretty much accepted everywhere now

Nope. sba is right. In Germany and many other Western and Central European countries, a lot of places do not accept American credit cards. You will have an easier time with debit cards, but my recommendation would also be to have a good amount of cash on hand when traveling there.

When looking for ATMs, look for the "Cirrus" sign. That tells you that American ATM cards are accepted.

ETA: I just saw you will be spending time in Munich. The credit-card-not-accepted thing is particularly true there. It's just not as much a credit card culture. People use cash or (German) bank cards.

ETA2: I have found that withdrawing money from foreign ATMs, even with the fees your banks mentioned, gives me a better exchange rate than exchanging money at a U.S. bank before leaving. That said, I'd probably do the comparison if I were you.

 

[dragonfly411]

I''m big on food, and getting a real feel for the culture of a place. When I went to London, I tried to find as many local haunts as I could for food. I feel like I got a much better idea of what Shepherd''s Pie was really like, and got to try tons of local brew beers.

Make sure you research what monuments/museums/sites you want to FOR SURE see beforehand. Trust me, you''ll run out of time.

I''d recommend at least 2 fairly large memory chips for your camera, and make sure you have a secure place to store them. I lost all of my photos from London and it makes me so sad.

Don''t take the beaten path.

 

[sba771]

For Munich I highly suggest buying yummy goodies at the open air market near the maypole. Very yummy and fresh and the locals really shop at these places, even for meats and cheeses and fish.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 5/27/2010 9:56:14 AM
Author: waterlilly

Date: 5/26/2010 8:04:47 PM

Author: princesss

CCs are good, but remember not everybody will accept them, so it''s best to have some cash on hand just in case.

Also, make sure you have a purse with no outside pockets, without too long of a strap. I like Longchamps Le Pliage bags (as super trendy and annoying as they may be) because they''re the perfect travel purse. Light, easy to clean, and you can hook your thumb through the strap and cover the zipper so you can feel if somebody tries to reach into it. But I''m paranoid like that.

I was in a village of the Peruvian Amazon and used a CC, they are pretty much accepted everywhere now

Definitely make sure you tell your bank and credit card companies where you are traveling so they don''t freeze your account!

I make a copy of all CC''s and passport/drivers license and keep it separate from your purse and keep scanned file accessible via an internet email account (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc).

I also register my trip on the US embassy website. (https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/)

If there were a disaster of any sort, the US would know you were in that country.

You are going to have a blast, enjoy!!

Actually even in Europe some places won''t take a credit card, so don''t count on not needing cash. And strangely, when I was in Italy several years ago, clothing stores wouldn''t take credit cards for sale items. Not sure why but that was their policy!

Also, ATMs aren''t as easy to come by in some areas, so prepare for that if you''re going to any smaller villages. When I was in Costa Rica I stayed in a town that had no ATM at all, and the place we stayed (privately owned cabins) only took cash. Luckily I had enough cash to cover the couple we were traveling with. For some reason they didn''t believe the guide book when it said the town had no ATM.

You''ve gotten great advice so far-have fun!

 

[princesss]

Date: 5/27/2010 9:56:14 AM
Author: waterlilly

Date: 5/26/2010 8:04:47 PM

Author: princesss

CCs are good, but remember not everybody will accept them, so it''s best to have some cash on hand just in case.



Also, make sure you have a purse with no outside pockets, without too long of a strap. I like Longchamps Le Pliage bags (as super trendy and annoying as they may be) because they''re the perfect travel purse. Light, easy to clean, and you can hook your thumb through the strap and cover the zipper so you can feel if somebody tries to reach into it. But I''m paranoid like that.

I was in a village of the Peruvian Amazon and used a CC, they are pretty much accepted everywhere now


Definitely make sure you tell your bank and credit card companies where you are traveling so they don''t freeze your account!


I make a copy of all CC''s and passport/drivers license and keep it separate from your purse and keep scanned file accessible via an internet email account (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc).


I also register my trip on the US embassy website. (https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/)

If there were a disaster of any sort, the US would know you were in that country.


You are going to have a blast, enjoy!!

Okay, but the Peruvian Amazon isn''t a good indicator of whether a town in Germany or Italy will accept a CC. I''ve had success and trouble using a CC in Thailand, Singapore, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Morocco, and Panama (to name a few places). It depends on the store, the town, the country...and I''ve had by far the most trouble in Europe.

Oh, and one thing I learned the hard way was to keep a copy of your hotel reservations in each bag! BF and I had quite the....well, we''ll call it an adventure....in Morocco when we left our only copy of our hotel reservation on the plane. Arriving at midnight to a country you don''t know well, where you don''t speak either of the common langauges, without a hotel reservation...oh boy. Not fun.

Eat EVERYWHERE. I love to wander around and find places with long lines of locals - especially around lunch time. We had the best pizza of my life in Rome by doing that.

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 5/27/2010 11:43:19 AM
Author: dragonfly411
I''m big on food, and getting a real feel for the culture of a place. When I went to London, I tried to find as many local haunts as I could for food. I feel like I got a much better idea of what Shepherd''s Pie was really like, and got to try tons of local brew beers.

Make sure you research what monuments/museums/sites you want to FOR SURE see beforehand. Trust me, you''ll run out of time.

I''d recommend at least 2 fairly large memory chips for your camera, and make sure you have a secure place to store them. I lost all of my photos from London and it makes me so sad.

Don''t take the beaten path.

I get what you mean here, DF, but this isn''t the best advice, IMO. Making sure you experience something other than the usual touristy stuff is a good idea but I implore the OP to be mindfu of your surroundings and don''t get too far away from busy public areas (in a city). I know several people who have done that sort of thing and inevitably got themselves into sticky situations with locals. If someone is going to commit a crime, they have a better chance of getting away with it out of the main public areas and by violating someone who isn''t local. Not trying to make you paranoid! Just be aware of where you are and who is around you.

 

[mrscushion]

I think you should rent bikes and do city tours by bike. And/or, ride around the English Garden in Munich on a bike. You may see some nekked people in the park

-- do not be afraid! They don''t bite.

It''s just Europe.

 

[Alistra]

Thank you mscushion, dragonfly411, thing2of2, princesss and Clairitek!

Lots of great and smart ideas! My husband and I both love to ride bikes, so I think renting them is an awesome idea! I can''t wait for all of the yummy food and wonderful adventures! Multiple copies of hotel reservations, etc sounds like such a good idea. I am a bit afraid of getting lost! We are going over there to visit friends who live in Munich though, so hopefully that won''t be too much of an issue (they are German).

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I just wanted to add about credit cards -

CapitalOne has a no-fee credit card (I think it''s their Platinum) for when you use it overseas.

You can also open a Charles Schwab checking account, and withdrawals made from non-CS ATMs and ATMs overseas won''t have a fee added on.

I have the former and BF has the latter and both have come in super handy for traveling!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 5/26/2010 8:04:47 PM
Author: princesss
CCs are good, but remember not everybody will accept them, so it''s best to have some cash on hand just in case.


Also, make sure you have a purse with no outside pockets, without too long of a strap. I like Longchamps Le Pliage bags (as super trendy and annoying as they may be) because they''re the perfect travel purse. Light, easy to clean, and you can hook your thumb through the strap and cover the zipper so you can feel if somebody tries to reach into it. But I''m paranoid like that.

Ditto! My Le Pliage purse is my travel bag to countries where petty crime and pickpocketing is fairly common. Aside from the qualities Princesss described, they also don''t look expensive (a plus in this case) and they''re made of pretty tough material (so it won''t be so easy for someone to slash the fabric with a knife and steal something - we were warned against this by our study abroad program when we went to Madrid!).

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I just wanted to add a few things.
One, unless you want to eat and do things at only tourist traps, bring cash. My Irish bank card didn''t work in Italy and so we had to use my CC for everything. We ate McDucks every day for btreakfast because it was the only place that didn''t cost a fortune and took the card. This was in Rome, so not some small province either.

Another suggestion is to pick your top 2-3 things in each location. If it is popular, check their website. Some places have hours long waits just to get in and if you pay a little extra online and buy the tickets first, you can skip the lines and save a lot of time on your trip.

Also, public transportation is much better than in the US as a rule, so you can save money by taking those instead of taxis.

I second the learning a few phrases. The locals will be MUCH nicer to you if try to do things in their language.

One final thing. Be aware of holidays. Either you might miss something fun or get caught in a nightmare. I know most of the obscure Catholic holidays, be we could not see much of the Vatican on one trip because there was a holiday and it was packed.

If you tell us where you are going, we might be able to give you specific suggestions.

 

[Alistra]

Thank you Brown.Eyed.Girl and brazen_irish_hussy!

Specifically we are planning on going to Munich, Salzberg and Verona. We will probably be on our own in Salzberg, but with our German friends in Verona and Munich (they live in Munich, so we will often be with them and we will be on our own a bit too).

I was wondering how much cash is reasonable to carry. In the US I almost never carry cash, and use my debit card for purchases. A few hundred Euros?

 

[princesss]

I carried 200 Euro on me pretty comfortably. It''ll go quickly in Vienna! I was in HS when I went to Vienna, so I don''t remember if anybody had trouble using CCs there. It''s gorgeous, though. Make sure you take time to have coffee/hot chocolate and cake each day! Our 10 and 3 o''clock trip to the cafes were so nice and relaxing. (Of course, it was January, so it was just nice to get out of the cold!)

 

[jcrow]

do people use traveler''s cheques any more? that use to be the solution for money abroad.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 6/1/2010 10:59:43 PM
Author: Alistra
Thank you Brown.Eyed.Girl and brazen_irish_hussy!

Specifically we are planning on going to Munich, Salzberg and Verona. We will probably be on our own in Salzberg, but with our German friends in Verona and Munich (they live in Munich, so we will often be with them and we will be on our own a bit too).

I was wondering how much cash is reasonable to carry. In the US I almost never carry cash, and use my debit card for purchases. A few hundred Euros?

Do Americans have access to Travelex cards?

They work like a credit card, but you can draw cash out at any atm as long as it has the VISA symbol. You can load money on them from your bank account via the internet, they do attract fees but no more than a usual credit card. They don''t actually have any credit on them, its a debit card with credit access.. hope that make sense!!

I remember when i went to Europe that in one country, Visa was widely accepted but they wouldn''t take master card and then in the next country they would accept mastercard but not visa. Germany was one of the countries but i can''t remember which card they liked! I had one of each just to be sure.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 5/27/2010 12:33:03 PM
Author: thing2of2


Actually even in Europe some places won''t take a credit card, so don''t count on not needing cash. And strangely, when I was in Italy several years ago, clothing stores wouldn''t take credit cards for sale items. Not sure why but that was their policy!

Also, ATMs aren''t as easy to come by in some areas, so prepare for that if you''re going to any smaller villages. When I was in Costa Rica I stayed in a town that had no ATM at all, and the place we stayed (privately owned cabins) only took cash. Luckily I had enough cash to cover the couple we were traveling with. For some reason they didn''t believe the guide book when it said the town had no ATM.

You''ve gotten great advice so far-have fun!

I see this in Australia a fair bit too. Shops have to pay a fee for each time someone uses a credit card in their store. When items are on sale they have either reduced their profit margin, are selling it at cost or a loss, so they don''t want to incur the fee on something they are already losing out on. Thats what a shop assistant told me once.

 

[zipzapgirl]

I lived in Germany for several years. Here are my tips:

- Keep quite a bit of cash because you''re going to need it. Especially the change in coins. Sometimes you''ll need it to pay for meters, use a shopping cart (deposit the euro in the slot, you''ll get it back when you return it), pay for parking, bus fares, ice cream, etc. You should be able to pay for your hotels with a credit card (unless they are really small B&Bs), but I''d assume almost anything else will be paid in cash.

- ATM''s are the best way to go. You get a fairly good exchange rate and $3 isn''t bad for a fee. Make sure your limit is raised to $500 and take out 400 euros at a time for instance to save on the fees.

- If you are very concerned about carrying cash and passports, get a money belt. The kind that goes around your waist, NOT the kind under your shirt. Rick Steves sells them, as well as other travel websites.

- Absolute NO to travellers checks. It will cost you a ton to exchange them at a bad rate--if you even can.

- Some banks do have international partners. Bank of America + Deutsche Bank comes to mind. Citibank might work as well. If you already have an account at one of these, then you can usually use the other''s ATMs for free or much cheaper.

- If your friends have a bank in Germany, they may be able to exchange money for you almost free from their account. Or if they are Americans or plan to travel soon, they may like the opportunity to trade you euros for dollars (depending on where they earn their money and have their expenses). Ask your friend if any of this is interesting (if you feel comfortable).

- EVERYTHING except bars, cafes and restaurants will be closed on Sunday. Just be prepared and buy anything you might need beforehand. Otherwise you will be limited to what you can buy at a gas station.

- Go to the Englischer Garten. It''s lovely, great to rent a bike or have a picnic, and has a fun biergarten.

Have fun!!

 

[mrscushion]

Date: 6/2/2010 9:48:09 AM
Author: zipzapgirl
Citibank might work as well.

There is at least one big Citibank branch right in the center of town that should work for taking out cash.

I''d definitely carry at least 200 Euros with me at any one time. There isn''t a big theft problem in any of the locations you are going, though of course you should always be cautious.

In Verona, definitely try to go seen an open air opera in the Arena di Verona -- very scenic and romantic. The people watching pre- and post-opera outside on the piazza is also pretty priceless, though you should make a reservation now if you are planning to sit right outside opposite the Arena.

 

[Hest88]

Great advice. I don''t have anything to add, but wanted to re-emphasize that traveler''s checks are not longer the best way to go.

So yes, count on using your ATM card to withdraw as much cash as you''re comfortable with. Make sure your PIN is four-digits.

Get a low/no fee credit card (Visa, I believe, is preferable than Mastercard) but make sure you have a backup card as well. For instance, I use Capital One, because they don''t charge additional fees for overseas transactions, but you never know when your cc goes wonky or gets declined because the credit card company gets paranoid. As a result, definitely make sure you have another card as a backup.

And, yes, make sure both your ATM and credit card banks know you''re going overseas so they allow your "suspicious" purchases to go through.

Also, depending on how concerned you are about theft, I know some people who use a checking account exclusively for travel, so if someone steals their card/PIN it doesn''t clear out your entire bank account. This is not something I''ve found the need to do yet, but it''s certainly a safer way to go.