which credit and debit cards to take

My choices:
Debit card - Schwab bank
Credit card - Chase United Explorer

The most widely accepted cards both debit and credit are VISA and Mastercard branded. American Express is accepted at mostly higher end restaurants and hotel. The average local restaurants far less so. Although Discover claims to be accepted at any Diners location, I have seen few logos accepting Diners. Prepay cards generally come with lots of hidden fees so are not generally recommended. I used a credit union visa that doesn't charge any transaction fees beyond the network fee charged by all cards. Also a Capital One credit card and a United airline credit cards that do not charge fees. Use a US Bank debit card that does charge $5 plus 3% as my back up debit card.

I always travel with 2 credit cards & 2 debit cards--just in case.

My favorite card is a 'Marriott Rewards' Visa by Chase Bank, because they don't charge foreign transaction fees
and I get Marriott points that I can use for Marriott Hotel stays.

I also have a MasterCard with CitiBank & it accrues miles that can be used for purchasing flight tickets-- however there are foreign transaction fees involved with this one.

My debit card(s) are with Wells Fargo bank & there is a $5 fee for ATM use overseas.( No ATM fees when used at Wells Fargo ATM's)

** Make sure you contact your bank to increase your daily withdraw limit before your trip.

We have been able to go on a Rick Steve's Tour for the last three years in a row. We only take one Master Card debit card each and do not even bring the credit card. We use the debit card for ATM transactions and pay for everything in cash. We've had no incident where we should have had a credit card though maybe it would be handy when not traveling as part of a tour.

One thing for sure is that cash is accepted everywhere!

I only use my credit card to pay for extended hotel stays or high ticket purchases and pay cash for meals, bus/train tickets & pretty much everything else.

Pre-paid cards are usually not a good deal. Capital One and Bank of America do not charge foreign transaction fees (neither does Discover but hardly any place accepts it in Europe).

I take out cash from an ATM with my bank debit card (which does have transaction fees, but I'm a hostage at this point due to other benefits). I try to pay cash for restaurants, shops, transportation, museums and sights, but pay with a MasterCard or Visa for hotels or car rentals.

Zoe is correct! Prepaid cards are usually a bad idea. One way or another you will usually wind up paying some sort of fee or get a bad exchange rate. Nothing is really cost free, but if you find a prepaid card that gives an exchange rate that is anywhere near the real rate and has no fees or commissions please let us know. TC

For me --------- Debit - Capital One 360 , TD Bank ( minimum balance requirement , 2500 USD ) , Andrews FCU Debit card . Credit - Andrews FCU Globe Trek Visa , Barclay World MasterCard ( These are both true Chip and PIN cards , although they default to a signature in most cases for the CVM , they work like a charm in offline PIN mode ) Capital One magnetic strip Venture Mastercard . None of the above cards entail foreign transaction fees .

Agree with Steve that a true chip-and-PIN card is handy--particularly for France and the Low Countries. Andrews GlobalTrek Visa is great--no annual fee and no credit card fee except the 1% foreign transaction charge by Visa. Also consider the State Department Federal Credit Union chip-and-PIN, called the EMV Visa Platinum Card (www.sdfcu.org).

I take 2 credit cards for large purchases. My primary card is a Capital One Platinum Visa with no foreign transaction fees. My backup credit card, which I'd only use if something was wrong with the first card, is a Chase Slate Visa. The new card they issued is a "flat" card, where my name and the numbers are barely raised above the surface. I hope that wouldn't be a problem.

I also take an ATM card tied to my credit union checking account. I don't have a debit card because I prefer to use cash as much as possible, at home and abroad.

In going to Europe for 12 of the last 13 years for about a month each year, we take two credit cards from different financial institutions in case one goes bad, and two debit cards from different financial institutions tied to checking accounts taking two in case something goes wrong with one of them. We seldom use a credit card in Europe, preferring to pay cash that we get from ATMs that are all over the place these days. Lots of places we stay, like B&Bs, and eat at prefer cash and some places do not accept plastic any more. I see someone posted that they do not have a debit card but it appears that they still use ATMs for cash. I can only conclude that they are using a credit card to get cash from the ATMs which most every financial institution considers a cash advance with outragious charges and bad interest rates. I have never used an ATM that charged a fee since we always look for the bank affiliated ones. My credit union does charge a 1% total foreign transaction fee but since I have been a member there for over 40 years, I prefer to stay with them rather than go looking for a "free" card. Happy travels.

I have the chip and signature card, not the chip and pin card. Hopefully that works OK in Europe.

dkruz1,

Your chip-and-signature card will work fine, except at ticket and toll machines, where there's usually a human alternative, and maybe in some small eating places or shops where they're not familiar with the technology, since chip-and-PIN is the European norm. Not worth worrying about the difference. A card without a chip will also work fine except as above, it's just less secure, whether here or overseas. But you might consider getting an alternative credit card because your Amex may not be as widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa.

Minimize ATM fees by minimizing the transactions, pulling out as much as you can each time. Ask your credit union about increasing your daily limit if it's too low.

@Charlie, I think you were referring to my post with regard to my not owning a debit card. I use an ATM card to get cash from ATMs. It isn't a credit card. Thanks for explaining cash advances and how expensive they are!

One other consideration - While the CHIP and PIN card is not a dire necessity , obviously magnetic strip cards and good old cash will suffice , the several CHIP and PIN cards available in the States , do provide an additional layer of convenience in offline transactions ( ticket kiosks , unmanned gas stations , etc . ) Considering that they are not terribly difficult to obtain , having one is worthwhile . I have been saved a fair amount of time and inconvenience having them to hand .

Thanks all, this has been helpful and informative. I will be taking two debit cards (one with no foreign transaction fee and reimbursed ATM charges) along with a credit card.