Summero, we had a similar situation in Ireland three years ago. We later realized it was because our bank's system goes down for maintenance in the wee hours on Sundays. And with the time difference... However, we tried again a couple of hours later and had no problem.

yk, I have to say that I think you've been very lucky that you've never had a problem with your bank putting a hold on your card. We've had problems even when we've called! As I've posted on Fodor's before, those fraud calls are often computerized and totally random. No human involved to look at your file and see that you've called. However, we still always call because I think you're likely to be able to clear up a problem faster and easier if there are notes on your account.

One of the biggest values to any travel forum is learning from other people's experiences:

- Shops closed on Sundays?
- Shops closed on Monday mornings?
- Shops closed for a 2 hr lunch?
- Shops are closed on May 1?
- Shops closed on July 14?
- Banks closed for a 2 hr lunch?
- Gas stations closed on Sundays?
- There are toll roads and I can only use cash to pay for the toll?
- There are toll roads, and after hours I can't use cash or a credit card to pay, and I must get out of the car & lift up the restraining arm myself (hope nobody sees me)?
- Automated credit card machines don't take US credit cards?
- There is a gas strike & no gas available?
- There is an ATM strike & no cash available?
- There is a strike and all the roads out of Bordeaux are blocked by the protesters - with the police parked next to the protesters to protect them from angry motorists?
- My Credid Card was "refused" at an ATM machine?
- My Credit Card was refused at a restaurant?
- I can't get lunch at 10:30?
- I can't get dinner at 6:30?
- I can't get lunch at 2:30?

Make sure you have a back-up plan for all of these situations. They have all happened to me in my many years of vacationing in Europe.

Stu Dudley

Um, the info from StuDudley says, check for strikes in France before you go. Good advice -- France can be government by strike. I've not exchanged for Euros/Yen/Aussiebux/pounds before my trip in about 7 years, and haven't been hit by it. And if you're flying into a major airport, seeking an ATM even after 18 hours on the plane isn't the worst thing ever.

It is too late now to open a money market savings account with Capital One Bank before your trip but do so for your next trip abroad. You can withdrawl cash at any ATM in the world using your Capital One ATM card linked to your Capital One Money Market Savings Account with no foreign transaction fee or ATM fee. As stated above Capital One credit cards charge no foreign transaction fee either. Not only do I no longer pay any
ATM fees or foreign transaction fees with my Capital One ATM card but I earn interest on my savings account also.

I have used this ATM card all over Europe without any problems.

Larry J

Check for strikes in France?

Which planet are you on? There are always public demonstrations going on. Assume there will be something happening and it will not be a problem.

<<Check for strikes in France?
Which planet are you on? There are always public demonstrations going on. Assume there will be something happening and it will not be a problem.>>

While it is good to understand that disruptions of any kind can and do happen at a moment's notice, there are posters here on Fodor's (Kerouac is one) who live in France and have been very helpful with posting information on current strike situations. There is also a handy web site which has been posted here before that has strike information.

Banks hammer you when exchanging currencies. I just checked with BoA. They charge a 3% transaction fee, which isn't the worst of it. The rates they charge have an almost 11% profit markup versus the market rate for the currency. They'll sell you Euros for $0.77 and but them back for $0.69 (plus the 3% transaction fee). So the $100 meal is really costing you $114.

I just got back from Paris last week - my debit card from a Canadian bank only worked at the ATM and not at any of the stores that I shopped at. A Visa credit card works as long as it has a chip and a 4 digit pin number. My suggestion would be to withdraw cash from an ATM with your debit card and use a credit card for large purchases like hotels and such.

Even though ATMs are very reliable and credit cards are usually accepted, Stu is right: Have a backup in case. For me, this now includes carrying four or five $20s, about 50 euros , two ATM cards and two credit cards when I leave the states. I am not talking about large amounts of cash -- just enough to get through the day while the problem is being fixed. If you fly to Europe once a year or less, you can hold back some currency from trip to the next. If not, you can choose between trying to find a currency exchange in the weeks before you leave or standing in a long, slow-moving line at the airport. If you have accounts at two banks or a bank and a credit union, you can get an ATM card from each. Along with two credit cards, this may seem like too much plastic. But I distribute these on my person so that I am never in danger of losing all at the same time.

>>Assume there will be something happening and it will not be a problem.<<

Like I stated earlier - there was a virtual cash despensing strike in June '02. You could not really get cash at all. I monitored it on a travel forum for a week before we departed for France. We took a couple thou Francs in a money belt to France (rural France - not Paris or a large city). The strike lasted several days while we were there. The ATM at our rural bank had cash for the first day or two - then ran out. Banks did not have cash.

The first weeek of Sept 00 there was a gasoline strike all throughout France. It lasted a full week. Vacationers were stranded & could not get to their next destination. Diesel was not available at all. We had to cancel two dinner reservations, and a few sightseeing trips. Gas dealers only allowed the purchase of a few liters of gas. Luckily for us, we spent that entire week in a Gite in the Dordogne. When we drove from the Dordogne to to the Loire, we stopped at every gas station along the freeway & put a few liters in the car - lines were very long.

In the early spring of '08 there was a transportation strike in Paris. The Louvre & other museums were closed because employees could not get to work.

I would call these strikes "problems" for me and something I should plan around.

Stu Dudley.

From the tone of some of these exchanges, I would suggest that many commentators need a vacation. Agree?

We are headed for Germany in a few days. We'll let you know on our return exactly how smart and/or dumb we were regarding many of these money situations.

Lots of good advice above. Here is an article that pretty much covers all of it: http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-...0&u=3E80622FF6

Things change from time to time, so it's best to check out everything before each trip. Also, different advice for different countries. We have traveled mostly in France the last few years and our BofA debit card worked great for us at BNP Paribas. Never had an ATM charge and just the 1% Visa charge. However, BofA has started charging a ForEx charge when using the debit card for purchases. Also, we may go to some other countries next trip and can't count on the bank relationship with BNP. Therefore, we will figure out another plan - probably use one of the other banks.

I don't know why anyone would use the BoA card in France as a debit card (and get charged the add'l fee) when they can just use it at a BNP Paribas ATM and get cash with no fees. Anyplace that takes a debit card would also take cash!

That's what we plan on doing when we go to Paris in two weeks. There are three BNP Paribas ATMs within a 5 block radius of our hotel. We also will use the Barclays ATMs while in London.

We also bring with a Cap One Mastercard for large meals, shopping, hotel charges, etc.

I have never had to get cash ahead of time before traveling to Europe. That just seems like an added stress/thing to do for me. I just use the ATM when I arrive at the airport. This time is nice because we have about 280€ left over for our last trip, which should last us a few days when we arrive in Paris.

Oops, that should read "we have 280€ left over FROM our last trip."

>>I just use the ATM when I arrive at the airport.<<

If there is no ATM strike like there was for more than a week in June '02, and if your card works (our's didn't last year).

>>>seems like an added stress/thing <,

There certainly will be if you can't get cash for several days.

Stu Dudley

After getting stuck overseas on 9/11 I will never travel without at least some Euros or local currency.

After getting burned on Am Ex foreign transaction fees last year, and after reading this thread, I applied on line for a Capital One card for my June travels. Good advice.

I'm in agreement with Stu Dudley, bring some local currency

Its happened to me on two occasions where I have been at airports and none of the ATMs have been working.

Once trying to leave Hong Kong and trying to pay my departure tax in cash, and secondly in Kuala Lumpur.

Geordie