With Covid in the rear-view mirror, a lot of us are looking to travel far and wide—including two of my friends: Yvonne and Kathy. Yvonne is more widely traveled than Kathy. They are going to Israel in just a matter of days. One week before their trip, a group of us were playing dominoes. Of course, the topic of the trip came up. At least one of our group had already been to Israel. Amidst the chatter, Kathy asked how much cash she should bring. That morphed into a discussion about credit cards.
The conversation was helpful for Kathy. So, I thought I’d expand on it a bit and share it here. She’s likely not the only person taking an international trip who has questions about cash and credit cards while traveling internationally. After all, we are in the place in life where we can, and should, travel.
Cash
Regarding cash, for their eleven-day tour which included most meals, Kathy was advised to bring about $500 in smaller denominations—especially ones for tipping. Obviously for a longer trip, or one where you are paying for everything yourself, you’d need more. U.S. dollars are generally accepted and appreciated. Others suggest bringing your debit card as well in case you need more cash—though using it overseas will give the currency of the country in which you are when using the ATM. Conversion fees from the ATM are usually less than the charge to convert U.S. dollars to the local currency. But don’t use your debit card for purchases as it doesn’t offer the same fraud protection as a credit card.
Credit Cards
Kathy only has and uses a Discover card. We all advised her to get a more-widely accepted Visa or MasterCard—even if she cancels the card after she gets home. In Kathy’s case, her trip was coming up so quickly, she didn’t have time to get a new card before her departure. (Apply for the new card 3-5 weeks before you leave.) Plus, Kathy checked and found out that Discover is accepted in Israel. However, according to my research, that is not true for most of Europe. In response to my Facebook query about the topic, I got this response: “Discover is totally not useful in Australia. No one accepts it.”
So, if Discover is not a good card to use internationally, which one is? I was amazed at our domino table conversation. All of us responded: “Capital One!” The Capital One Venture card was the one most suggested in my limited research. It does not have foreign transaction fees and it currently has a generous bonus for new applications. Those joining in on the discussion on Facebook, generally agreed on Capital One. There was some comment that if you have an issue, Capital One has bad customer service. Those folks liked American Express—though, it, too, has acceptability problems. Personally, I also like the Chase Southwest Airlines Visa. I also have two Capital One cards—one for each business. Capital One allows you to accrue points that can be used on any airline. I have found their travel department to be very helpful in booking and/or changing flights. When traveling, it is advisable to have a back-up credit card in case any happens to the first one. Different cards are different. Check them out to determine which set of pro and cons will work the best for your individual situation.
Additional Tips
Regardless of which card you choose, it is helpful to advise them of your travel plans so your card is not denied when you try to use it in a foreign country. Also, check with your cell-service provider. They may have a short-term international package, such as Verizon’s Travel Pass, that will keep you in touch at home.
Be aware that Medicare doesn’t cover expenses outside the U.S. and U.S.V.I. Check with your supplemental provider to verify if it covers international travel. If not, there are plans specifically for medical expenses outside the U.S.
Have photos on your phone, and printouts of the photos, of your passport, insurance cards, and Covid vaccine card for reference. Store the printouts in your luggage rather than carrying them with you so that if you somehow lose your purse, you still have records elsewhere.
If you have an international trip planned in the future, apply for Global Entry. It takes a few months to get it and you may have to travel a few hours away to sign up for it, but my friends who have say it is well worth the time and expense.
If you have friends and/or grandchildren to whom you will want to send postcards, take a sheet of pre-printed address labels. This is helpful as you will not have to look up their addresses.
What tips and/or suggestions do you have for others who are planning to take advantage of living their best life now? After all, if you have time, your health, and resources, get out there and enjoy life!
All this travel talk is making me want to go somewhere. Oh, wait! I am going to New Mexico next week and it is kind of like a foreign country (teasing, I lived there for 20 years). Then, in April, I am using my Chase Southwest miles (which never expire) for a trip to see friends and family in California.
Marita has spent the majority of her adult life working with women—helping them improve relationships, achieve their speaking and writing dreams, and being the best version of themselves they can possibly be. The author of 20 books, this Living Our Best Life Project is her newest effort—through which she hopes to challenge women to be fulfilled where they are.
This is a very needed conversation! Our son literally just returned from a successful senior class trip to Athens, Greece , and Rome, Florence, and Naples, Italy-3 days ago. Thankfully, the head of the school has taken this trip at least a dozen times with prior classes and knows the “ropes” very well and set them up for success and relieved parents’ fears.
Of course, their trip was a group trip of about 60 people . Here are a couple of additional tips to add to this informative blog. and that we were glad to know to help him along:
-We called our bank to find our which card works best overseas and with little or no fees. We added him to our one and only credit card we have, a Mastercard. It is accepted widely.
-Our bank said when asked the question about which currency when using the card, ALWAYS choose Euros for payment-less expensive! Obviously, this is Europe and this could be different elsewhere.
-Setting up Cell phone use: Since your phone will have a photo copy of your passport, etc. (also leave hard copies at home and a copy tucked into your backpack or suitcase as well), be sure to call your phone service carrier and set up for international use. We found the price to be $10 per day or $100 for a month. We chose the month because he was gone for 10 days. He was able to use his phone as much as needed.
Our son was only advised to take $100 cash because he was on a group trip where all meals, tips, and room was covered. But of course, every traveler has different needs.
Lastly, depending on where you go, buy a passport/wallet/phone carrier to wear around your neck that has the feature to keep credit cards safe and wear it your shirt to secure these precious items and to keep thieves away!
Thank you for a GREAT blog. It sure resonates with us as this was the first international trip for our son and a good refresher for us who have not traveled internationally since well before the pandemic.
In that, I am literally in Israel at the moment I have one recommendation for all international travelers. That is bring two pairs of walking shoes. One to wear one day and then switch to the other pair the next day. I have one pair of Merrel and one pair of Keen. If your feet aren’t comfortable, you won’t be comfortable. When your tour company says “uneven surfaces” they mean it. I’ve included a photo of the uneven surface I walked on today. Also, travel with some moleskin. If you get a tiny rub on your foot, put the moleskin on before it becomes a problem. If you feel the need to bring sandals, only bring the kind that have a heel strap. I have pictures my two pair of walking shoes and my sandals.
Loved all this great advice!!
You can never have enough knowledge when traveling. Thank you for these important tips.