Phone service and credit cards when you go out of country?

[Anonymous]

We have Google Fi so our phones just automatically work when we go to a new country. Makes it super easy because we don't have to think about it. We have unlimited data. It totally depends where you're going. English is spoken widely throughout but the more off the beaten path you go, the less you'll find it. When we were in the French countryside, we definitely didn't find many English speakers.

We bring 2 credit cards and a debit. Our debit card doesn't have any international fees so we just get money from local ATMs. We've found some places are much more cash driven. We were in Germany last fall and definitely felt a lot of places were cash only. I've found most public bathrooms are cash only (usually a euro).

Passport in hotel safe, picture on our phone.

Answers can vary a bit depending where in Europe. Also, there are a lot of scams in some countries that people who are unfamiliar with the area fall for easily. Once you decide where you're going, I'd post here, on Reddit or travel forums for more specific advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

Or can I do it online:

https://www.schwab.com/open-an-account/checking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have Google Fi so our phones just automatically work when we go to a new country. Makes it super easy because we don't have to think about it. We have unlimited data. It totally depends where you're going. English is spoken widely throughout but the more off the beaten path you go, the less you'll find it. When we were in the French countryside, we definitely didn't find many English speakers.

We bring 2 credit cards and a debit. Our debit card doesn't have any international fees so we just get money from local ATMs. We've found some places are much more cash driven. We were in Germany last fall and definitely felt a lot of places were cash only. I've found most public bathrooms are cash only (usually a euro).

Passport in hotel safe, picture on our phone.

Answers can vary a bit depending where in Europe. Also, there are a lot of scams in some countries that people who are unfamiliar with the area fall for easily. Once you decide where you're going, I'd post here, on Reddit or travel forums for more specific advice.

Google fi - can we keep our current plan and this is supplemental or this works just like any other carrier and you port your number to Google Fi? Can you also make calls or this is a data only plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One other option for phone "service" is to get a travel wifi unit instead of cell service. We personally don't really need to be making calls while abroad, but we do use maps a lot as well as one or two laptops among us. If you are all going to be together much of the time, just get the wifi--its under 10 bucks a day total for unlimited devices. We also download maps to offline as a backup.

Can you recommend a wifi travel unit?

whichever one is located in your destination airport. We've used three different brands depending on the country.
"Travelwifi" is one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have Google Fi so our phones just automatically work when we go to a new country. Makes it super easy because we don't have to think about it. We have unlimited data. It totally depends where you're going. English is spoken widely throughout but the more off the beaten path you go, the less you'll find it. When we were in the French countryside, we definitely didn't find many English speakers.

We bring 2 credit cards and a debit. Our debit card doesn't have any international fees so we just get money from local ATMs. We've found some places are much more cash driven. We were in Germany last fall and definitely felt a lot of places were cash only. I've found most public bathrooms are cash only (usually a euro).

Passport in hotel safe, picture on our phone.

Answers can vary a bit depending where in Europe. Also, there are a lot of scams in some countries that people who are unfamiliar with the area fall for easily. Once you decide where you're going, I'd post here, on Reddit or travel forums for more specific advice.

Google fi - can we keep our current plan and this is supplemental or this works just like any other carrier and you port your number to Google Fi? Can you also make calls or this is a data only plan?

It's our entire service. Like Verizon or AT&T. Calls, texts, unlimited data. Can't keep your current plan with it as far as I know. We also have Schwab as the debit card we use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

Or can I do it online:

https://www.schwab.com/open-an-account/checking

Yup and then just link it in their external account transfers to your current bank account and pull money over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

Or can I do it online:

https://www.schwab.com/open-an-account/checking

Yup and then just link it in their external account transfers to your current bank account and pull money over.

Great! Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One other option for phone "service" is to get a travel wifi unit instead of cell service. We personally don't really need to be making calls while abroad, but we do use maps a lot as well as one or two laptops among us. If you are all going to be together much of the time, just get the wifi--its under 10 bucks a day total for unlimited devices. We also download maps to offline as a backup.

Can you recommend a wifi travel unit?

whichever one is located in your destination airport. We've used three different brands depending on the country.
"Travelwifi" is one.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

You can also pick up SIM cards for cheap (£10-£15 for 30 days of unlimited data and calls) and use them in your unlocked phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

Or can I do it online:

https://www.schwab.com/open-an-account/checking

Yup and then just link it in their external account transfers to your current bank account and pull money over.

Great! Thank you so much!

Yeah the Schwab account is great, used it for 10 years, love it. They also open a brokerage account at the same time, you will see both when you login after setting everything up online. The brokerage account also has no minimum required, but I keep $500 in it just in case someone sees a $0 balance. I put it in their US Treasury money market so it earns around 4%, not bad. But for probably 5 years it has $0 balance without an issue.

Having an account where they refund ATM fees is nice because you can just get money whenever you want and not worry about the cost. One thing to note when outside the US is to make sure you process the transaction in the local currency. A lot of ATMs and even stores/restaurants run what's basically a scam called "Dynamic Currency Conversion" where they seemingly nicely offer to process the transaction in US dollars, which sounds great, but no surprise they give you an absolutely awful exchange rate, basically adding 4-5% to the transaction. Make sure you always turn down the conversion option and run the transaction on the local currency.

https://flytrippers.com/dynamic-currency-conversion/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

OMG, don't do all this! Just get money from an ATM wherever you are. It's not expensive.

[Anonymous]

I've always just used my phone's data plan and used Whatsapp to make calls. You need a few Euros in cash for stuff like pay bathrooms, I've never used up 50 Euros, to be honest. You can just get it through an ATM, you'll only pay a couple bucks and it's worth not having the hassle.

If you have the option to pay in USD or Euros when using your card, always pick Euros, your credit card will give you a better conversion rate than whatever is being offered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

OMG, don't do all this! Just get money from an ATM wherever you are. It's not expensive.

PP here who suggested the Schwab option. I agree, for a one time trip it's not worth setting up a new account- just use your current bank ATM card and eat the fees once or twice. But if you are going to travel internationally with some frequency, or domestically and your bank charges you for ATM usage outside of their network, I think it's worth getting the Schwab account.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

OMG, don't do all this! Just get money from an ATM wherever you are. It's not expensive.

If you don't want to carry too much cash on you and use ATM's only when you need, the fees will add up. Why would you want to pay $7 every time you use an ATM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a little cash, you can order it thru your bank here and if you are high enough "status" at your bank you will get discounted fees and delivery. I find that to be a cheaper way to get say 200$ for the country I am going to rather than using an ATM when abroad which has a load of fees.

I have gotten quotes on ordering euros through my bank and it has always been crazy expensive- like 5% exchange fee and $10 delivery. I agree often ATM costs overseas are expensive if your bank account isn't the right one- you often see exchange fees of around 3% and a $5 fee for overseas ATM usage. But have never seen it be cheaper to get foreign currency in the US before you go.

I have a Schwab account that I use basically only for travel purposes. No minimum amount, 0% exchange costs and it refunds ATM fees anywhere in the world. Keep $100 in it normally, and move maybe $500 into it before a trip in case its needed. Then can take out small amounts as necessary and not end up with a lot of cash in a foreign currency at the end.

So basically just get a new bank account at Schwab? Do we need to setup auto pay or anything like that or just deposit a cash amount when setting up the account in person?

OMG, don't do all this! Just get money from an ATM wherever you are. It's not expensive.

If you don't want to carry too much cash on you and use ATM's only when you need, the fees will add up. Why would you want to pay $7 every time you use an ATM?

You're crazy to have a bank that charges that much in the first place. Mine doesn't charge anything, but my husband's does, and it's maybe 2 bucks. I also don't freak out about pickpockets or "carrying too much cash."