Ivy

Due to ignorance on my part I am only now learning about the EMV cards! I leave tomorrow for a driving trip through the Black Forest and am freaking about tolls/gas/shopping with my magnetic stripe credit cards! Any advice??

Michael

No tolls on German roads as far as I know. As for fuel, as long as the service station has an attendant, you should have no problems with your present card. Just make sure that the car has enough fuel to cover times when an attendant might not be at the station, such as Sundays.

Ivy

Thanks that's very helpful!! Any idea about shops? Specifically in Baden Baden? Thanks!!

lor41886

I know this isn't Germany, but I just got back (yesterday) from the Czech Republic, Spain and Italy. We were fine without a chip and pin card. We would just mime "signature", and they would run our card through the signature reader (a portable credit card scanner). We were also nervous, but honestly, we did not once experience a problem.

janisj

relax. 99+% of Americans don't have Chip&PIN cards. You'll be just fine.

texasbookworm

Just pick up a good amount of cash from an ATM as soon as you can so you'll have that for smaller purchases. Neither husband, who has gone to Germany numerous times over the last 5 years, nor I this last summer had problems not having such a card (although I've got one coming in the mail so in the future I won't have any issues in Europe because of not having one). I MAY have had one issue not being able to buy a train ticket from a machine (where I usually was using cash) but no problem at a manned desk in the station.

Ivy

Thanks so much!! Have been fretting!!

ehc

What's an EMV card? Also, what is a Chip & Pin card?
THX

spaarne

I rarely use a credit card or my Dutch chip & pin card when traveling in Europe. Just get money from the ubiquitous cash machines (ATMs) with your home bank card. If you do use a credit card find out what your issuer will be charging you - the ubiquitous foreign transaction fee - before you go. Same for your ATM card.

ehc, a chip and pin is a security feature on many European bank cards. My only credit card with this feature is from USBank. That one also has an RFID (radio frequency ID) chip so I don't use it in public.

What's an EMV card? I'm clueless.

Ivy

EMV and CHIP and PIN are the same thing - back now and had only a few issues, hoping my bank will issue chip and pin before my next trip

november_moon

We use cash for most of our expenses when travelling - it is just easier that way, but when we have used cards for hotels, train tickets ticket booths, rental cars, at shops, etc. we have never had a problem. Occasionally there are store clerks who aren't familiar with the magnetic swipe and sign cards, but once you point it out, it isn't a problem.