For anyone traveling international is simple common sense to tell your bank and/or credit card holders what your plans are.
You're not 007 on a secret spy mission, lol...
I'll call the bank... good Idea!
That reminds me of the time I went to London, It was Easter. I tried to get money from the cash machine, and I couldn't access my savings account, where all my money was! I had to wait till after the holiday to call my bank to ask them to transfer my $$ from savings to checking. Boy , did that suck ass.
The moral of this story: Don't put all your money in the savings account when going to a different country! Use your checking account.
And isnt it good to know, however inconvenient it might be if you forgot to inform them, that your banks have you financial safety in mind :o))
Ive never complained if my bank have blocked something, somewhere, I just call them and straighten it out, but they are looking after my interests after all !! :o)
A friend of mine went to Australia over New Year's. She couldn't get any money out of the ATM machine for 2 days. She didn't inform Visa that she was going to be in Australia, so they cut off the access for that card.
They aren't looking out for your interest. Fraud access to accounts become the bank's responsibility. It's easier to cause a legitimate user grief, so they don't have to absorb the cost of fraud.
Well after more visits to the FSU than I even want to try to count, I have Never informed my bank that Im going on holiday (come to think of it, I have Never informed them ever, no matter where I have gone, and I have been around the block a few times :o)) ) And so far not one of my cards has ever been declined or had any problem being used in the FSU at all, but to give you that added sense of security, for those who dont like to fly by the seat of their pants, then I strongly advocate giving your bank a quick call.
Of course there is still the chance you wil speak to the "tea boy" and he wont have a clue what you are talking about or do anything to help you, but he will be polite and say yes as often as you want him to, until you hang up, then he will return to picking his nose and forget you called :o))