Credit card use in Europe

Just read Clark’s story about credit card use in europe. Wondering if I should just stick to my Costco credit card which gives me travel3% rewards instead of signing up for an expensive fee card as he suggested.

1 Like

Thanks to this, I’m planning a trip to Spain this year. I’m very hesitant to bring cash with me since this statistics article, Tourism In Spain Statistics 2024: Your In-Depth Travel Guide | GoWithGuide says that it’s safer to carry a card instead of cash. However, I don’t have any idea what the best credit card to use is. If you guys have more recommendations or advice, that would be much appreciated. Thanks again, cheers :beers:

We travel to Europe every year and sometimes twice. I would say you want a card that has no foreign transaction fee and you don’t want an AMEX as your only card. After that…its more about how much of an annual fee do you want to pay and the benefits they provide.

We travel overseas for 2 months each year. @butler has discussed credit card considerations. We elect to carry a small amount of cash for activities like public transportation or tipping a walking tour guide. For safety, I have a thin money belt that I wear under my jacket or shirt where I keep our passports, credit cards and money.

Thanks for the advice, It is a wise decision to have a card that does not charge for foreign transactions. I have also been told it is not good to only depend on an AMEX when you are in other countries. It is about discovering the right equilibrium between yearly charges and advantages that match how you travel.

Carrying a bit of cash for those smaller transactions is a good call too, and that money belt sounds like a handy way to keep everything safe. Thanks :slightly_smiling_face: