credit cards with chips

A non-chip debit card at ATMs is fine. However, non-chip credit card will have problems at automated ticket machines, gas pumps, etc. OK ins hotels and restaurants when you give your card to a live person.

Carol, In that part of the world, you may have problems with non-chip credit cards. The Netherlands especially has been fairly aggressive in converting to the new technology, and I suspect that Belgium isn't far behind. One example - at Amsterdam Central station, they ONLY accept "Chip & PIN" cards! Older magnetic stripe cards should still work fine at ATM's (at least that's been my experience). Hotels and restaurants may still be able to process magnetic stripe transactions, as they know that guests from the U.S. likely won't have "Chip & PIN" cards. Good luck!

I recently got back from 5 1/2 weeks in France, and can report the following about chip and non-chip cards (I had an Andrews FCU chip card). Non-chip cards work almost everywhere where there is a person. I did find the chip card handy to get gas at off times (such as Easter Sunday) or when a station no longer was attended. It was also useful to speed up getting train tickets, as I could use the machines. Surprisingly, it never worked on the autoroute toll machines. Interestingly, everytime I used it with a person present, it defaulted to a signature rather than a PIN code. Of course, Belgium may be different. As someone mentioned, Holland definitely is. My advice is that if there is enough time before you leave, get a chip card.

Carol, we will be in France and Swiss, so far I'm having issues purchasing train tickets via French train website, it will not accept my non-chip credit card.

Thank you all! I will also take my one card with a chip and surround it with tin foil to prevent electronic thievery. I'm sure Rick has the special wallet, but a sheet of thin aluminum "tin" foil does the same.

a bit of foil around a chip and pin card will make it decorative but won't help a jot in security. There is no RFID chip in a chip and pin card so there is nothing to defend against.

But, it'd make a nifty survival mirror. Maybe even whip it out to blind a pickpocket . . . if you could dig it out of your moneybelt fast enough.

It is amazing which rumors and myths we buy into - foil around credit cards - don't forget the passport, email and credit card numbers, no leading zero on your pin, etc., etc., But yet many of those folks will not wear a money belt because it is uncomfortable.

a bit of foil around a chip and pin card will make it decorative but won't help a jot in security. There is no RFID chip in a chip and pin card so there is nothing to defend against. Not so. There are lots of cards out there that have both chips on the same card. Especially in the UK.

Michael, the OP (and Nigel) were referring to an American card, not a UK one. And even if there was an RFID chip in the card, the chance of an identity theft problem from it is minimal at best.

"There is no RFID chip in a chip and pin card so there is nothing to defend against." Actually, several of my Canadian Chip & PIN credit cards have both a transaction chip (must be placed inside a Reader during the transaction) and a Pay Pass chip (only has to be placed next to the Reader). I believe Interac is now testing the same concept for debit / ATM cards, so those may be appearing in my wallet in the near future also (at present my debit cards only have the transaction chip). Using aluminum foil to block access to the RFID chips would seem to work in theory, but I'm not aware of any tests that actually confirm that. You may be interested in this recent story which appeared on CBC (be sure to watch the video and the purchase of a soft drink with the information obtained from the card...... http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/04/24/nl-smartphone-credit-card-skimming-app-424.html Magellan's offers lots of RFID-blocking products on their website, but again I'm not sure how effective they actually are. Happy travels!