# 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:** 3
**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, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/41 "2026-06-05T18:31:37Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > You can get a dual SIM phone, I have one- you can switch between the two easily on the phone. I could but as I said I’m too old for this crap 😉 Also the price difference is significantly less now. I did use UK SIMs last time I was there and the total price was less than verizon would have charged but not so much that it’s worth the hassle. YMMV of course > [@Filbert](#): > > your number away with gay abandon Again I’m an old fart now, I’m not giving my number away with any kind of abandon. I literally only ever give it away when one of my kids demands a playdate with another kid they’ve met at gymnastics or wherever, and so I must exchange numbers with that kids parents 😉 ---
**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 6, 2026, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/42 "2026-06-06T14:28:24Z")
Thanks again. I’ll check and see what’s up with Sweden’s ATM PIN policy. Thanks @ratatoskK. And @bob_2 I am getting a second card from a different source than my bank. I’ll talk to my cell provider and see what their international plan is like. If it’s not ridiculously pricey I’ll probably go with it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/43 "2026-06-06T15:41:38Z")
We have Verizon, and it’s now $12/day for service overseas (with some exceptions). We use WiFi some days so we generally don’t need it for both of our phones each day. We’ve also used one phone and connected our other via mobile hot spot. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/44 "2026-06-06T15:43:03Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > 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. I’m in Switzerland and my PIN for my credit cards, and the PIN for my debit card is six digits. Only my phone code is 4 digits. This is standard for Switzerland, so it could be that the ATM recognizes a Swiss bank account and expects 6 digits. Most of the time the ATM language will automatically change to German after I insert my card, so the bank does recognize the debit card’s country of origin. I’ve had that happen in Spain, Italy and Portugal. Maybe even in the U.K., but it’s been quite a while since I’ve been there. I only had a problem at an ATM from some little tiny local bank in Coimbra. I went to an ATM of national bank just down the street and it worked fine. Do make sure that you know your PIN code for each card that you’re carrying. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/45 "2026-06-06T16:38:38Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > most banks don’t even require you to give them notice of overseas travel Nevertheless it is a good idea to tell your bank & credit card companies in advance where you will be and when. ---
**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 6, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/46 "2026-06-06T17:01:53Z")
I called Chase, they told me not to bother telling them and they even took down the option to notify them on their website. Same with CitiBank. Granted YMMV. ---
**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 6, 2026, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/47 "2026-06-06T17:02:59Z")
I’d say it’s a reasonable idea to call and ask them about travel. _If_ you’ve never done that previously with that card issuer. But fully expect to be told they don’t care about your travel plans and the CS worker has no way to record your itinerary in their systems. ---
**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 6, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/48 "2026-06-06T17:10:37Z")
And this is where having access to your US phone number is most important. They may actually call or text to verify it was you once. If you don’t pickup then good luck getting your card reactivated until you get home. Might be better to set up email alerts instead of phone dependant verification. ---
**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 6, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/49 "2026-06-06T18:01:14Z")
Don’t forget to pack an adaptor for Swedish outlets and an extension lead for all your gadgets. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/50 "2026-06-06T19:18:53Z")
The Europlug works basically evrywhere. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/51 "2026-06-06T21:23:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I recommend checking if your credit card has a foreign transaction fee. If it does, you’ll lose one to three percent every time you use it overseas. Plenty of credit cards don’t have such fees, so get one of those if yours does. I have a Charles Schwab checking account. Had it for years primarily because there are no foreign transaction fees on purchases\* or ATM withdrawals, and all global ATM fees are automatically refunded to your account. You might consider setting up a Schwab account just for your trip. It’s saved me a lot of money over the years and their customer service is second to none in my experience. Please check the Schwab site for more details. \*retailers can add a fee for purchases I think… but the ATM cash withdrawals are all covered so I just paid with cash overseas to avoid all fees. ---
**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 6, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/52 "2026-06-06T21:28:43Z")
That’s one option, though it seems to me that setting up a Schwab account just to avoid credit card foreign transaction fees is a bit much, especially when many other credit card issuers have no foreign transaction fees. Chase Bank, for instance, has no foreign transaction fee on [some of its credit cards](https://creditcards.chase.com/no-foreign-transaction-fee-credit-cards). ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/53 "2026-06-06T21:31:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > it seems to me that setting up a Schwab account just to avoid credit card foreign transaction fees is a bit much Perhaps, but how many checking accounts in the US have no fees for anything? It’s good to have for everyday use in the US, too. ---
**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 7, 2026, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/54 "2026-06-07T09:59:21Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Europlug Better and safer to get a specific adaptor. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/55 "2026-06-07T10:12:38Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Better and safer to get a specific adaptor. I’ve been to France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Greece, Norway, Turkey and the Netherlands, and I’ve never needed more than the one type of plug. Unless you’re travelling with your refrigerator, you won’t either. ---
**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 7, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/56 "2026-06-07T16:18:11Z")
A couple (few?) countries in/adjacent to Europe don’t use the euro-standard plug. Worth checking specifically, but overall, yeah, a single EU adapter will suffice in a lot of of that part of the world. Decent cites: **[AC power plugs and sockets → Standard Types - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Standard_types_in_present_use)** and **[Mains electricity by country → Plugs - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country#Plugs)**. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/57 "2026-06-07T18:27:25Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Better and safer to get a specific adaptor. I’ve used the [Anker Nano adapter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHVNPN7J?th=1) for international and domestic travel, it does it all. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I called Chase, they told me not to bother telling them and they even took down the option to notify them on their website. Same. They have their own methods to detect fraud that are more reliable that relying on people to call. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/58 "2026-06-08T04:17:08Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > We have Verizon, and it’s now $12/day for service overseas The Verizon plan I have includes 1 travel day per month that you can bank up to a maximum of 12 days. After that, it’s $12 per day. Good if you don’t travel too often. I’ll probably spend about 5 weeks in Europe this year (and there are two of us) so it can get pricey. I was planning on dropping Verizon for Google Fi which doesn’t charge for international use, but then Verizon offered $20 off per month per line for one year (in addition to other discounts they give me), so I stayed with Verizon. But if they ever drop my discounts, I’ll move to Fi. I suggest having Whatsapp on your phone, it’s useful for communicating with Uber drivers if you plan on using Uber. ---
**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 8, 2026, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/59 "2026-06-08T07:55:34Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > YMMV of course My friend in the States just went to Europe for 10 days or so and I didn’t even suggest getting a SIM or eSIM because of the hassle of learning what is necessary and how to do it. The cost difference just isn’t was it used to be for US customers. For me, it is and my explanation is hidden. > **Summary** > > I go overseas between two to four times a year and because my iPhone allows eSIMs, I use them each trip so I’m on the other side of the learning curve. > > I’m in Taiwan for 15 days so I purchased 10GB of date for US$18. This is much cheaper than the roaming charges by my Japanese carrier. > > Since I’ve got the account and app, it only takes a couple clicks to order and install. No physical SIM to install. I can receive phone calls and texts via roaming but use the eSIM for data. > > I also have an app that lets me call regular phone numbers anywhere in the world for a reasonable rate. Land numbers in Taiwan are 3 cents a minute. > > Most of my phone calls to friends and family are free from various apps. ---
**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 8, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617/60 "2026-06-08T12:24:42Z")
It happens GF & I are going to Europe next week for a couple weeks. She has a purely domestic US Verizon plan. She called them and they offered the choice of $12/day or $100 for a single month. She took the latter. I have T-mobile and have had an international plan for years. The whole subscription, including the international is $60/mo. Lotta variation between carriers on what’s cheap and what’s expensive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-overseas-for-the-first-time-in-decades/1030617.md?page=4)