reader-travel-tip2Alert the Bank 2-3 Days Ahead of Time
Each Friday, we’re featuring a reader-submitted tip as our Travel Tip of the Day. This week’s tip was left as a Facebook comment on yesterday’s tip on bank alerts by reader Valerie C., who says:

“Also tell the bank you’re traveling 2-3 days before you leave. I’ve had them disable my card so when I got to my destination it didn’t work and it’s a nightmare to get in touch with the companies from abroad. Give yourself a 2-3 day lead, use it once at home to make sure it works, and then travel worry-free!”

Often you can clarify the days you’ll be in each country, but playing it safe is always a good idea. Thanks, Valerie!

 

____________________________________________________________

Tried this tip? Let me know in the comments!
Have your own tip? Email it to whitney@johnnyjet.com!
Want to see more tips? Click here for all 459!

Want even more travel tips? Subscribe to the Daily Travel Tip newsletter! All you have to do is sign up for the weekly newsletter by filling in your email address and checking the Daily Travel Tip box in the top-right corner of the homepage.

If you already subscribe to the newsletter, fill in your email and check the Daily Travel Tip box in the same top-right corner of the homepage and you’ll receive an email with a link to update your JohnnyJet.com preferences. On that page, just click the Daily Travel Tip box and Update Profile and you’ll have Johnny’s best tips, straight to your inbox each day. And don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds!

1 Comment On "Reader Travel Tip of the Day: Alert the Bank 2-3 Days Ahead of Time"
  1. Jo Anne VG|

    In regard to credit card use in foreign countries:
    1) I call the CC companies a week before I travel. Since most CC call centers are not in the US, I call back a few days before traveling to make sure they have me logged in.
    2) If you have more than one family member who is using a CC w/the same #, make sure you tell the CC agent which person is traveling on the account and which one is NOT. The person at home could have their card cancelled.
    3) I’ve read comments that say only take one CC. WRONG!!! I take 3 – a Visa, a MC and an AMX. The Visa and MC have no foreign exchange fee. If one card is compromised, I can always use the second card. (This happened when I went to check out of a hotel. I did not know my card was cancelled and was glad I had a second one to use immediately). The AMX came in handy when I needed a card to use in a location that would NOT take cash, Visa or MC (it’s rare but it does exist).
    4) Although I have 3 cards, I try to only use one. This way there is less of a chance that both may be compromised. Strangely enough, I have had my card # stolen a few times while traveling and can only pin it down to booking hotels online. Because of this, I now use one card to book online but use a different card to actually pay for the room at a hotel.
    Using cash is not the best way to go either because (as it happened to me) cash can be stolen and not traced. I’ve traveled the world for over almost 50 years and I can say the last 5 have been the worst for scams and thieft. It’s a shame that traveling has gotten so complicated.

Leave a Reply

Required fields are marked *

Recent posts