5 Essential Travel Tips For Holders Of Credit Cards

Travel is one of life's great pleasures. We all look forward to that oft dreamed of holiday that will take us somewhere far away from our normal lives, even if only for a few days. What we don't look forward to is the hassle, stress and worry associated with travel overseas.

Credit card companies offer great protection from loss or theft while traveling, an insurance policy that doesn't exist for traditional paper money. If you lose a few banknotes on the beach in Bali it's impossible to make a phone call and get it replaced.

Since you're likely taking your credit cards with you to your destination, there are a few tips you should follow to ensure your holiday goes smoothly:

Take at least two credit cards with you, both issued by two different financial institutions. Most destinations in Europe accept all major credit cards, but places like Vietnam prefer Visa or Mastercard only. Always check with the restaurant you're having dinner at to make sure they accept the card you have in order to avoid an embarrassing situation.

After you decide which cards you're taking with you, make a written copy of all the information contained on the cards. This should include expiration dates, account balances at the time of your departure, amount of credit available on each card, their account numbers, and the international and domestic telephone numbers for each card's financial institution should the need arise to report a card lost or stolen.

Once you get to your hotel, you should store any cards or valuables you aren't actively using in your room safe. Most hotels offer good security, but taking a simple extra measure to ensure the safety of your valuables makes sense. Your room safe is also a great place for expensive jewelry, emergency cash, digital cameras, mp3 players, and anything else you'd be extremely sad to have stolen.

While it's true you're on vacation, and likely trying to relax, constant vigilance is necessary to avoid scams. Tourists are easily targeted for credit card skimming, particularly while shopping or dining in unfamiliar locations, like downtown Hanoi, where language barriers can be a clever ruse. Be aware of your surroundings in larger metropolitan areas, as well as on public transportation, as pickpocket scams are commonplace amongst criminals who also target tourists.

Pretend your credit cards are actually banknotes. You'll likely find the way you guard and handle them changes dramatically once you realize they're actually worth more than the cash you've brought with you. It's also advisable to keep a small amount of cash on you in case of emergency, as many vendors and small businesses in Asian countries have a strict no plastic rule.

By: Mark T Brown

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For more information on frequent flyer credit cards and balance transfer cards, check out Credit Card Compare. Mark Brown brings vast knowledge about personal finance to his writing.