|
|
|
How To Have A Stress-Free Travel Experience
Traveling can be very stressful, whether it is for business or
pleasure. Tension can start from the planning stage up to the
time you are leaving. However, stress does not have to ruin your
business or vacation. The following simple tips are...
RoomSaver.com Travelers Prefer More Than One
September 21, 2005- A recent poll of RoomSaver.com's Travel club members reveals that the majority of the respondents prefer to take more than just one trip per year, stay more than just 1-2 nights per trip, and travel with at least one other...
The Importance of Travel Insurance
You've finally saved enough to go on that dream vacation you've been planning. Now you're wondering if you should buy travel insurance. Do I really need to go to the extra expense? All I can lose is my luggage, right?
Guess again! Anything...
Tips for General Travel Safety
Traveling can provide some of the greatest experiences of your life; however it can also be pretty scary if general travel safety is not followed. Before traveling everyone involved in the trip should review safety suggestions and mentally prepare...
Travel Around Lisbon And Portugal And Exploring Its Beauty
Lisbon, Portugal and its history has been written about on so many pages, its monuments have been described in many different ways so that it gives you the feeling that time has never passed, not only because its architecture has been kept intact...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|