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Add the New Braunfels Texas Wurstfest to Your Fall Travel
GEMÜTLICHKEIT (warm friendliness, good cheer) “Willkommen zum WURSTFEST! Prosit, und hab' Spasz!” is the slogan for this really appealing annual event. It means “Welcome. Cheers! To your health, and have fun!” Combining a unique German community...

Best Buys in Your Yearly Worldwide Travel Coverage
For best buys in annual travel insurance worldwide you need first only travel as far as your Internet connection. Annual travel insurance for worldwide travel is the best buy, as compared with single trip coverage, if you're going to be making more...

Lets-Travel-Rome.com Guide to Cheap Annual Travel Insurance.
Vacations are for fun, it means leaving behind your job and responsibilities for a while. Having travel insurance is one way of putting your mind at complete rest. It's a lot easier to enjoy your trip if you know that you are covered from...

What you need to know about - cancun travel
The charismatic Cancun can quench anyone's thirst for enjoyment caressing the bountiful nature. The island is nestled in the lately recognized state of Mexico. Cancun leaves a thrilling impact on all its visitors because of more than a few reasons....

What you need to know about – Travel in Luxury
Luxury travel is diametrically opposed to traveling on budget. ‘Luxury’ as the term Suggests, is to have the best of everything by paying the maximum for it. If you have money and want to make your vacations a dream come true then go for the...

 
Travelers Checks Versus Debit Cards

My first time overseas, I had to exchange cash in $200 of travelers checks to pay a mountaineering guide who hadn't heard of American Express. The bank charged me $8. During the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. Once home, I saw that the charge for this was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.

Debit And Credit Cards When Traveling

I usually carry a debit card and a credit card when I travel now. I keep them well-hidden in two separate places. If they are stolen, which has never happened yet, they have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this.

When an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take one of the cards for some reason - and this will happen - I use the other card, which usually works fine. Credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. Your liability could be zero on your stolen debit card, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.

Of course, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. Carry both, and on


longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card. That way you'll get there before the bill does.

An important advantage credit and debit cards have over travelers checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Also, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something even American Express Travelers Checks can't promise.

I have nothing against American Express. Once, when I was robbed in Mexico, they quickly and curtiously replaced my stolen traveler's checks. Also, at times it is appropriate to carry money in several forms, including theirs. However, times change and ATMs are everywhere now, so my policy is : Travelers checks; don't leave home with them. You can take an American Express credit card instead.
About the Author

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com