edith

Ireland will be my first international destination. Novice, that I am, I am eager to hear from the experienced, as to the advantages of prepaying accommodation, car rental, etc. by credit card rather than by certified check for instance.

Carla

Always pay with credit cards so if there is a mistake you can dispute it through your credit card company.

lucky

Credit Card, Credit Card, Credit Card.<BR>Why would you want to use a certified check, and why would you want to pre-pay for anything. <BR>Although I do not travel as much as some, I do travel a lot more than most. Most people would consider me a seasoned traveler. I have used my credit card all of Europe for years. No hassles, not fuss. And I have never been required to pre-pay for anything. I can not even recall ever being charged for the first night hotel stay in advance at the time of booking for any European hotel. Which I can not say is a common practice for most of the Las Vegas Hotels.

lucky

opps..which I can say IS a common practice for most Las Vegas Hotels.

just

Lucky, there are instances were prepaying is worth it. Some hotel reservation networks offer a prepay rate that's usually up to 25% cheaper than the 'pay upon arrival' rate. The only problem is if you had to cancel, obviously there are no refunds. So while it's not for everybody, some of us take advantage of the cheap prepaid rates. I have done this both ways and never got screwed. But you were both correct to use a credit card either way, as that will give a person some leverage. I did have to change arrival date once, and the hotel did transfer my reservation on a pre-paid reservation without charging me extra. Maybe the cc helped, maybe not. But very important to remember - NO REFUNDS.

lina

The only thing I've ever prepaid was a car rental, on the understanding that it was fully refundable upon cancellation (with at least a few hours notice, of course.)

Tony

Credit cards make the most sense. Just use the right credit card. All Visa and Mastercard credit cards charge a 1% fee to handle the currency conversions. Some credit card companies that issue Visa and Mastercard credit cards (like Capitol One and MBNA) do not add any additional conversion fees. Many others (like First USA and some banks) add an additional 2% coversion fee to the Visa and Mastercard fee, for a total conversion fee of 3%. The extra fee has nothing to do with currency conversion, it is just a way these credit card companies make more money. Diners Club and American Express charge a total coversion fee of 2%. Never use a credit card to get cash from an ATM as there are additional fees charged. If you are going to get cash, use an ATM card. If the ATM card is part of the Visa or Mastercard network, you will still be charged the 1% currency conversion fee. In addition, you may or may not be charged an additional fee by your bank or credit union for using a different company's ATM. You can find that out by asking the bank or credit union that issues your ATM card.

Walter

Call the CC card company and tell them you will be using the CC in Europe. It's happened to me and others (although not too everyone where the 1st international charge will be denied. [IME] It's a one-shot deal, once you're in their computer you'll be all set on future trips also. <BR>RE: "just" I also used to get great off-season rates thru my Travel Agent up until '98 with prepaid vouchers.<BR>Regards, Walter

Dan

If you use traveler's checks, plan on paying a conversion fee and/or commission that is generally anywhere from 4-10%, sometimes even higher. Credit cards and ATMs are always a better deal.

JoAnn

We will be visiting SW Ireland in Aug. and it is my understanding that B&B's will not take credit cards. Is that correct?

kay

Expect to pay cash, unless you book ahead and ask the policies of each B&B you will stay in. Some accept credit cards (even those who can take credit cards may tell you they really want cash instead) and some will take travelers checks. There are ATMs in every town, so getting cash even daily will be no problem, as long as you remember to do it before you head out to a remote farmhouse B&B.