Today, I’d like to talk to you about those pesky details you have to take care of before you leave on vacation. Although easy to do, they are necessary and need to happen in a timely manner. These three things will save you time and money when you reach your destination.
1. Call your bank
Your bank has certain safeguards set up to keep your money safe. Those same rules that are there for your protection can get in the way of you having a carefree time in another country if you don’t notify your bank BEFORE you leave.
Take a moment and have a conversation with your bank about what type of fees you might incur if you use the ATM in a foreign country. Ask your bank how to use the ATM machines. I know this seems like, duh; I know how to use my card. However, Europe requires a six digit PIN and ours in the United States has a four digit PIN. As you can see, that would be a problem. Ask beforehand what numbers you should add before or after your PIN to insure the card will work in those machines.
Is there a way to avoid those ATM fees? Your bank may have a few suggestions for you.
When using your credit card, what types of fees are associated with that? I was told that there would be a 3% transaction purchase fee every time I used my card outside of the United States.
Placing a travel advisory on your debit/credit card is a good idea. You don’t want to be in a predicament where you need to use your card and it is turned down because you didn’t authorize it to be used in that country. I give both my bank and my credit card company a list with all the countries I will be visiting, along with the dates that there might be a charge in that country. I write down the international phone number on the backs of the card and keep it in my luggage, I also keep that number in my contact information in my phone, just in case you need to call them with a lost or stolen issue, or you had a purchase declined.
Ask your bank about the exchange rate. You might want to get a few Euros before you leave, so you have some on hand when you land. Not all countries in Europe accept Euros. As of 2022, there are seven countries that don’t use the euro: Bulgaria, Sweden, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, and Denmark. You need to exchange your money before you travel to these countries.
2. Look at the CDC for travel health notices
The lock down for the past year has taught us a lot about traveling outside our state or country. It is a good idea to check the CDC, for travel advisories to the countries you are visiting.
Check with the airlines, especially the ones you use in Europe, to see what the rule is regarding wearing masks. Their mandates might be different from what we have here in the United States. I always have a few extra because you never know when the mandates may change.
Always keep your COVID-19 vaccination record with you and in a place you can easily access it in case you need to produce it. I keep it in a plastic baggie so that it doesn’t get ripped.
3. Look at the travel advisories put out by the U.S. Government
Political unrest can be frightening! When you are in a foreign country, it can be the scariest thing you have ever faced. It is important when you are planning your vacation to look at where you want to go and see if there is a travel advisory for that country. Travel.State.Gov is the place to go to find out what is going on in the countries you are traveling to. There is a lot of other interesting information on this site as well.
Once we bought plane tickets for a country, we had wanted to visit this place for a very long time. However, just one week before we got on our plane, we looked at the travel advisory for that country and realized that over night the government had been over thrown and they were evacuating the Americans.
We got our money back for the accommodations and the airfare but had to make last minute plans to visit somewhere else. It is a good idea to check the site one and two weeks out just to be sure your vacation is on track.
Looking at the details while you are planning will make your experience less daunting, and you will be prepared for anything.
What advice do you have for your fellow travelers? Share your comments below.
Happy Travels!
~Joy