# Going overseas for the first time in decades **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [June 4, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617 "2026-06-04T15:05:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/21 "2026-06-04T20:08:42Z")
I just returned from 12 days in the UK and France. We literally used zero cash the entire trip (except for some tipping); debit Visa card for everything, everywhere. This is not to suggest that you shouldn’t have a back-up payment system. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/22 "2026-06-04T20:20:31Z")
Yes, this ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/23 "2026-06-04T20:27:09Z")
I would still say a little cash isn’t a bad plan- there can be unexpected places that don’t take card, or their card reader is down. It’s still pretty common here to get in a taxi here in the UK and they’re cash only. Especially not fun late at night, which is normally the only time I get taxis… ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/24 "2026-06-04T20:28:38Z")
I haven’t been to Gothenburg, but I have been to Stockholm in August several times and was surprised at how blinding the sun was in the afternoons when it was low in the horizon. Sunglasses recommended. And perhaps for the same reason, my lips got really chapped. And tipping is optional. Definitely not 20%. Servers are well-paid in Europe ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/25 "2026-06-05T06:51:24Z")
If your phone isn’t too old it may be able to use a second SIM, in the form of an eSim - so you get your home number and a local one if you need it. There will be places in the airport and downtown who can do that for you. But if it is only a week probably not worth bothering about. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/26 "2026-06-05T09:29:15Z")
Because Japanese carriers don’t offer inexpensive overseas data plans, I use eSIMs for all my trips and they are quite reasonable. Like anything else, there’s a tiny learning curve but if your carrier is expensive, it’s an alternative. If you haven’t been overseas in almost 40 years, I think you’ll be surprised how easy it is now with smart phones, map apps, translation apps, web sites and AI. Having backpacked around Southeast Asia in the early 80s, desperately clinging onto my Lonely Planet guides and trying in vain to follow hand sketched maps to establishments that went out of business a decade before, it’s come so far. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/27 "2026-06-05T12:01:21Z")
I found using WhatsApp for calls and texts worked well. There were internet connections pretty widely available. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/28 "2026-06-05T12:28:45Z")
With this in mind, you should install a VPN on your phone if you don’t already have one. Don’t trust any wifi service anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/29 "2026-06-05T14:19:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > because their AI thinks you being in Sweden is suspicious, you _really_ need a spare Yeah this is one of the reasons I’m paying for the international plan rather than buying a SIM overseas, when I go to the UK this summer. They will, no matter how much you plead with them you are overseas without cell coverage, only phone and text you when this happens. Which of course you won’t receive if you’re using a foreign SIM card in your phone. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/30 "2026-06-05T15:10:46Z")
Agreed. I have never understood the desire to nerf your most important lifeline, your phone, into some weird and unfamiliar foreign configuration that _might_ work fine for all your needs. Or might not. And you won’t know which until something important _silently_ fails. I’m not being US-centric here. Were I an e.g. European I’d be equally leery of putting a US SIM in my phone while visiting the USA. That kind of shenanigans might have been nearly mandatory 15 years ago, at least in some countries. Now? Not so much. IMO / IME / YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/31 "2026-06-05T15:19:22Z")
Do people tip housekeeping at hotels in Europe? I just got back from Canada and we had gotten $60 in Canadian money and spent half the trip trying to remember to hold on to $30 cash to leave for housekeeping. So my tip would be - if people do tip housekeeping where you’re going, decide what you’re going to tip now and get that cash now and sock it away now. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/32 "2026-06-05T15:21:01Z")
If you have a debit card, check with your bank to see which overseas banks and ATM networks they partner with. Using those ATMs can reduce or eliminate transaction fees. I’ll also second checking to see which of your credit cards do and do not have foreign transaction charges. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/33 "2026-06-05T15:23:13Z")
I vaguely remember that in Europe, the standard for ATM pins is four digits, so if yours is longer (or shorter) than that, you might want to change it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/34 "2026-06-05T15:25:12Z")
Thanks for all the good advice. I’m applying for a second credit card, which I’ve not seen a need for before. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/35 "2026-06-05T15:32:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Excellent point!! Know before you go what local apps you might need and set them up in advance. I suggest that the best solution is to ask the reception at your hotel which ones you need. If they aren’t busy, they will probably do it for you and switch the language to English. Well done for thinking about this in advance. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/36 "2026-06-05T15:34:59Z")
Make sure that the second card is from a different group. If you have to cancel one, you want the other one to work. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/37 "2026-06-05T15:53:21Z")
Re: ATM cards, in many foreign countries (not sure about Sweden), the password is limited to 4 digits. Anything longer will not work. So you should temporarily change your password for the trip in case the current password is too long. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/38 "2026-06-05T16:03:42Z")
On the subject of phones - If you happen to have a Google Fi phone, you need do nothing at all. No switching sim cards or adding a 2nd e-sim, no worries about roaming charges, it works pretty much seamlessly in every country. When you turn on your phone or come out of airplane mode after landing, within a couple of minutes you will get a s “Welcome to XXXX country” pop up graphic and you’re on your way. This has been my experience in HK, Thailand, Iceland, Mexico, France, and Italy. One of the reasons I switched to Google Fi as my carrier in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/39 "2026-06-05T18:23:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I have never understood the desire to nerf your most important lifeline, your phone It’s worked pretty well for me over the years, and was _much_ cheaper than the obscene amount US phone companies used to charge for international service. And in general I think my phone is a general purpose computing device it’s not tied to a particular network provider any more than my PC is. I can use my laptop with a UK wifi network why my not my phone with a UK phone network? In practice it was always a bit of a pain the arse and the super cheap pay as you go SIMs are no longer a thing in the UK, and the Verizon international plan has got cheaper. Plus I have enough on my hands wrangling all my kids to the UK, I don’t want hassle over my phone 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/40 "2026-06-05T18:28:33Z")
You can get a dual SIM phone, I have one- you can switch between the two easily on the phone. It was especially handy when going to a really remote spot that was only covered by one phone company, which was not who my existing phone company dealt with in that country. I’ve been able to get coverage everywhere else I’ve been with an international add-on to my existing contract though, and I did get warned about that one in advance. The other plus with buying a cheap local SIM if available is that you can give your number away with gay abandon, as it ain’t linked to anything and you won’t get spammed when you get home and take it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617.md?page=3)