ISIC Card and ATMs in Europe

First I have no idea what a ISAC card is. But if it listed using the MasterCard network the it will work at any ATM accepting MasterCard and that is just about every ATM.
.
Second, if it is a debit card then where is it pulling the money from?
.
Third, it is always good practice to have two card in case one is lost, eaten by an ATM, or just doesn't work. So that both.

I, too, have never hear of an ISIC card. Would you please enlighten me as to what it is all about. I go to Europe every summer for a month for 11 of the last 12 years and leave again next month to Europe. For many years now,
I have been using a DEBIT CARD tied to a CHECKING ACCOUNT at a local credit union to obtain local currency at ATM machines that are all over Europe these days. I also bring another card from another financial institution as back-up just incase anything goes wrong and that has only happened once and it was the institution here in the US that screwed up. Be sure to notify the financial institutions whose plastic you are taking to Europe of your travel plans well before you go so that they do not shut down your cards thinking that they are being used outside your normal area of use.

ISIC is International Student Identity Card. It has a prepaid Master Card function, but why have a prepaid card if you already have a bank ATM card?

Finally figured it out. The second C threw me off. It is actually an ISI Card. International Student Identification Card. Have been on the ISIC site and cannot find any reference to the debit card but it has to be some type of prepaid Mastercard. Historically prepaid cards have had a lot of expensive fees associated with them. Cannot find the details for this card.

Finally found the financial details. You need to look at them closely. It is not the worst that I have seen but it is still poor. Withdraw is 2% plus a $2.50. If you cancel the card it is a $10.00. I am sure what you think you are gaining by using this card over a standard debit card from your bank. It is not a bad deal, not a good deal, just a poor deal. There are many better debit cards around.

Thank you everyone for the replies. Sam's right. It's the International Student Identity Card. It is a prepaid card, though apparently can be used for ATM withdraws as well. You can make deposits into it like any bank card. From the materials I got from them, the fees for ATM withdraws don't seem bad at $2.50 per transaction. Is that fee too high? I'm trying to avoid having to use my bank ATM card because if it's lost or stolen, I don't have to worry about my primary bank account being compromised while I'm abroad.

One solution might be to set up a secondary account in your banking account. For example, I have my checking account which is tied to my savings account. I then have a secondary savings account. So when I use my debit I can pull from checking, and it will overdraft from savings - but I cannot access the secondary savings account from that one. It keeps it separate from my debit card, I can only switch the money over if I go online and move it. If someone stole my card or number, they could only access what is in my checking/savings, not my secondary (and I can keep that balance purposefully low in the checking/savings parts).

I don't know what bank you have, but my credit union has no withdrawal fees, no foreign transaction fees. I just pay the exchange rate, and theirs is pretty close to the actual rate. 2% fees + $2.50 each withdrawal does not seem worth it at all. The other ISIC benefits aren't really that helpful either - if you are thinking of getting it because you are a student it won't necessarily get you student discounts in many places. For example, some student discounts are for EU students only and for general student discounts a university ID is likely to be enough to qualify you.

Even safer, set up another chequing account at another financial institution, preferably one with a different credit card network. If you hold a MasterCard, get a Visa, or the other way around. And get the associated debit cards too. Occasionally, not often, I have found an ATM where one works and the other doesn't. Never carry the cards in the same wallet. Except for these prepaid things, only use a credit card to obtain cash in the direst emergency, since the interest rates can be murderous. On the road, I drop my plastic obsession and pay cash for most things, after making a substantial withdrawal. My cards have foreign exchange fees for each transaction, which can add up fast.

We recommend using your bank debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo, that is tied to your primary account, with money in it. It's the Visa or MasterCard logo that counts, not the bank, Transferring money to other brands of cash card usually costs you money and has no benefit. See more at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money.

The chance of someone accessing your PIN and debit card to steal money from your account is pretty slim if used only for ATM withdrawls. You can reduce that chance to almost zero if you use bank ATMs located inside the bank lobby or secure vestibule.

What you don't want to do is use a debit card for purchases, which greatly increases your risk of theft/fraudulent access.

For 5 weeks of travel, it probably is worth it to get an account with no or almost no withdrawl fees.

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I unfortunately use PNC, and the fees are actually higher than the ISIC card ($5 per withdrawal and 3% international fees). I will be leaving in less than 3 weeks, so I'm not sure if I will have time to open a new account. Would any of you know of a Kentucky credit union or bank that has next to no withdrawal fees?

Kentucky is a long state. Just start doing some door knocking and ask. In Colorado we have credit unions everywhere. I am sure it is the same in Kentucky. A no fee credit union is not unique.