Credit Card vs. Debit Card for Europe Trip?

[bisous]

So DH and I have a joint checking account and our own debit cards that draw from it. That's it. No other credit cards. We do this because we have gotten into trouble paying off balances and find it easier to keep our finances in order when we pay for things with the debit card! Will this be a problem in Europe? We're going in just shy of 3 weeks. Just thinking that in case one of us loses or has a compromised debit card the other one of us will have a card that can step in and help out. We don't really need another card to we? I had a momentary freak out thinking it would be terrible to be stuck overseas and somehow unable to get home for lack of funds.

I don't really feel like I'm missing out on not having a credit card, but for this trip will we be ok without one?

Thank you!

[georgiegirl]

Some places/companies require a credit card (often car rentals.) and when traveling, I think it’s important to have a second credit card in case the main one gets lost, stolen, or compromised.

[nfceagles]

I would not feel comfortable not having a backup source of funds, but maybe that’s just me. If you do get one before the trip, make sure it has no international transaction fees.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

There’s no way I’d travel with just a debit card.


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[Philly Mom]

There’s no way I’d travel with just a debit card.


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Especially to Europe. There is a good chance they won't accept your debit card too. You should find a no fees credit card that does not charge international fees either. I think the Amazon one would work.

[bisous]

Thanks for weighing it. It literally JUST hit me. Can I even get a CC in less than 3 weeks? FWIW, our debit cards are Visa check cards and we haven't had anything declined on it yet (though perhaps it is just holding the reservations and I wouldn't know yet?)

Thanks in advance!

[Philly Mom]

You can get a CC very quickly. Just apply today.

[arivecchi]

I used my debit card all over Europe. It does have a Visa logo so it was accepted everywhere. We had CCs as well though.

[jgenie]

There’s no way I’d travel with just a debit card.


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DH is a road warrior who has been all over the world and is gone more than he’s home. He was pickpocketed in Rome. He lost everything. Thankfully his passport was in a different pocket. We had to cancel all of our cards. Luckily I have a credit card and bank account in my name only. We used those for our vacation because they couldn’t send replacement cards before we moved on to our next destination. Get a credit card and shred it when you get home if you’re worried to keep it.

[Liziz]

Yes, I would absolutely get a CC. I think you can easily get it within 3 weeks. Make sure to get a card that won't charge foreign transaction fees, and especially since you're just getting it for travel, I'd look for a chip-and-pin card. That's more common in Europe and there were a few times, especially at an automated terminal (like a kiosk) where we had issues using a credit card that didn't have a PIN.

I don't know how your debit cards are set up, but with both your and your DH's card being linked to the same account, I would be very worried that if lost/stolen, there could be an issue with neither of them working. I would absolutely want the backup of a totally unrelated, unlinked credit card. (Actually, DH and I each have our own credit cards -- totally different accounts and cards -- and make sure we each carry our own when traveling, so that if one has issues we have a backup. We were thankful for that frequently in Europe!)