Visa prepaid card vs. debit card for backpacking through Europe/hostels

I'd think the best would be an actual account at a credit union with a debit card with less than 1 % transaction fees and no out-of-network ATM fees. In an emergency, Mom (or Aunt Barbara) could put more money into the credit union account. I'm suspicious of any prepaid Visa Card that may come loaded with lots of fees.

And if Mom is on the account she can make deposits easily ... and can check the account online to see where they are by where the ATM is accessed. ATM tracking was usually all the contact I had while my daughter was traveling.

Hi Barbara, we wanted a card to withdraw cash but with less risk if it was lost or stolen. Our bank (KeyBank) offered an ATM card tied to a separate account, and the ATM card has no credit card symbols and doesn't have our name printed on it. It's just a blank card with our bank name & the numbers imprinted into it.

We've used it as an ATM card for several years - just reload the account when it's getting low. If it's lost, no one can charge anything with it.

No, we do not recommend prepaid cards and their extra fees. A standard debit card linked to a checking account is better. Mom can always deposit more money in the bank account, if that's the issue. See http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/card-fees.

See tips for traveling alone, which also work for pairs, at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning.

There's also "staying in touch without a mobile device," although it's hard to imagine a young person without one of those: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/sans-mobile.

Barbara,

A few thoughts....

• Money - prepaid cards are generally not the best method, as they're often not the best deal (high fees). A normal debit / ATM card works well although as someone else mentioned, it would be a good idea to have it set-up so that a trusted relative can add cash to the account if necessary. Funds must usually be in a chequing account (or whatever the bank deems as the "primary account") and you MUST notify them in advance that the card holder will be travelling in Europe, so they don't freeze the card. It would be a good idea for both of them to have separate ATM cards, in case there are any problems with one of the cards (I've had that happen and a "backup" is prudent!).
• Cash - there are differing opinions on the forum regarding this aspect of travel, but I always like to have €50-100 on hand for travel expenses until I get settled.
• Staying in Hostels - these are a good cost-effective option, but a few points to mention. I'd suggest getting an HI Hostels membership for both of them, as HI Hostels have properties in most cities in Europe (sometimes several in each city). You can get the membership online, and I'd suggest pre-booking where possible, as summer will be BUSY in Europe. I've always found HI Hostels to be well run and not "party palaces". There are also some good independent Hostels. For staying in Hostels, they'll need to pack a few additional items - a towel (microfibre types work great), soap & shampoo, flip-flops for the shower and a small but robust Padlock for the lockers (do NOT use the cheap TSA luggage locks for lockers as they're crap).
• General knowledge - if this is their first trip to Europe, it would be a really good idea to read Europe Through The Back Door prior to their trip, as that provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe.
• Gadgets - if they plan on packing along any gadgets such as hair dryers, cell phones, tablets or anything electrical, they will need to check EACH DEVICE to ensure it's designed for operation on 220 VAC electrical systems. They will of course need Plug Adaptors specific to the countries they'll be visiting (it would help to know where they plan to travel).
• Keeping in touch 1 - many Hostels and small hotels provide a "public" internet terminal for guests, but this is often not the best solution, as sometimes there can be a steep charge for this, sometimes they don't work all that well, and at times it can be hard to get on the machines as others are using them. Therefore, the easiest solution would be to pack along a small tablet such as iPad, iPad Mini or Kindle Fire or something along that line, as that will also allow Blogging and posting photos. I travel with a small Netbook as I prefer having a "proper" keyboard (those goofy virtual keyboards don't work well for me).
• Keeping in touch 2 - one of the simplest and cheapest ways to keep in touch with family back home is a basic cell phone (ie: not a Smartphone) and use text messages. That won't provide Blogging functions of course, but at least they'd be able to notify those back home that they're OK. If you don't have a suitable phone, you can buy one from one of the travel phone firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Telestial, Mobal, EuroBuzz, Max Roam or One SIM for about $29 plus the SIM card. These often use a U.K.-based number but provide consistent rates throughout most of Europe and use post-paid billing (calls charged to a credit card), so no concerns about "topping up". If necessary, occasional voice calls are fairly inexpensive.

Wow! Lots of great suggestions so far. Thanks so much for all of your responses and any future ones as well!