I take three. I have the card linked to my bank account so I have access to real money (not credit), a Visa or Mastercard, and American Express. Folks I travel with have found that Amex will support you in dealing with foreign merchants in ways the others will not. If I am having something shipped or feel at all uneasy about the situation I use Amex. And I have the cards under clothing and/or in places a pickpocket couldn't get to without my noticing . So far, so good!

When using my ATM card in Spain, it never showed the balance in my account, just the amount I withdrew in Euros, time, date, bank, and that's about it. No balance. It will likely ask you if you WANT a receipt or not. I always said YES but I could check my acccount balance online when I got to a computer.

Saludos, MadridMan

I have never had any trouble with a regular visa or mastercard.

The ATM's over there won't give your balance to your US bank account. Like MM said- it will tell how much you have taken out- in Euros! Keep track- your exchange rate just as if you use your credit cards will be the rate the day you make the transaction.

As per extra atm cards- I wouldn't. I don't really see the point. Take a credit card if you want a back up. I would NOT recommend travelers checks- you end up spending more to purchase them and to get them cashed and not that many places take them as currency.

Whether you get a balance on your receipt depends on which bank's ATMs you use. I consistently see my balance if I make a withdrawal from a BBVA machine, but I have yet to get a balance from any other ATMs here.

Remember that some transactions will take a day or two to post to your account in the U.S., so don't take the balance you see as absolutely accurate. This is especially true if your ATM card is also a Visa or MasterCard debit card and you've been using it to make purchases.

This has been said over and over but it is a good idea to call your CREDIT CARD COMPANY when you travel abroad. I did this and they were happy I did. HOWEVER, when I called my bank about my impending use of my ATM card abroad (insert "Valley Girl" voice here) the guy was like, "Ummm.. Okay. You really don't need to tell us..." I said, "Well, like I'd heard it was a good idea to do it" and he was all like, "Ummm.. yeah." And I was like, "I'm going to SPAIN" and he was like, "Okaaaay. Have a good time" and I was all like "I'M SO SHERRRRR!"
(end "Valley Girl" voice here)

So yes, call the banks, keep track of your purchases and receipts to guestimate your running balance.

A couple years ago I took a few hundred dollars in travelers checks as an emergency backup but I didn't use them at all - only used my ATM card - and then when I got home I just bought groceries and things with them to get rid of them. But, you know, you can always just cash them at the bank and they don't charge any commission or fee for this. They do, however, usually charge something TO GET travelers checks - as you probably already know. I'd think carrying around $X00 in travelers checks on my person would make a person a little nervous though.

Have fun! Saludos, MadridMan

A lot depends on the card (and apparently the knowledge of the person who answers the phone!) Amex doesn't seem to care...I guess they figure you take the card overseas since it isn't used here as much as it is in Europe. I have a couple of credit card companies that will call me at home (and wind up speaking to my husband since I am NOT at home) to see if the activity is legit. I just phone those folks in advance now. Capital One likes to be called and so does Chase. Others don't seem to give a rip.

Okay, now that I have that squared away...I have some money in US Dollars travelers checks from previous trips. Since they are Am Ex checks, does anyone know if the Am Ex office charges a fee for exchanging them for Euros? Also, I'm sure that there is a ATM machine at the airport ... right? Do all ATMs charge the same fees for using the ATM card?

Good Point! So does Wachovia. I bought my Bancotel cheques with my Wachovia Visa and they called me because Bancotel's main company has another name and in spain, they just wanted to check that my transaction was legitimate. Since then, even when I go out of State, I make it part of my security check to contact the credit cards I am taking with me and tell them to expect charges from me.

Also, while you contact them to let them know you will be purchasing abroad, be sure to get their European toll free number to report lost or missing cards. Just add the number to your address book and you will be glad of that extra precaution if you misplace a card.

Snoo, if memory serves, Amex cashes their own traveler's checks without a fee....or at least for less than any other company would. The problems is that there are not Amex offices everywhere! I think all ATM's are about the same in terms of fees, but your bank may have different rates when you are abroad. The worst I know of is $4.50 per transaction.

I wasn't charged commission by Amex for Amex checks. It also helps if you carry the Amex card. I've always exchanged money right down the street from the Prado there by the Cortes building. I also got a counterfeit $100 bill back that we unwittingly passed at the Amex office. Passing fake C-notes (or XX notes or L notes, too! ) is a crime of course, but the attendant at Amex let us have it back to take a look at, and we left the office with it.

If you're going to rely on your bank's ATM card, which is a good idea, I suggest you do one of two things or both: See about getting a duplicate card (like you would for a spouse...) and photocopy it like you would your passport (for the number, or if you have a picture ATM-check card like me, for the picture).

That way if you run into a particularly hungry ATM after hours, and it eats your card, you're not left up the río without a paddle. This has saved me on at least one occasion to date. All you have to do is contact the bank at your convenience and notify them of where to send your eaten ATM card! Uninterrupted vacation and you get your stuff back!