Roundup: Emily is back from Europe

Well, I survived my two-week trip to Greece and Italy. I feel especially grateful for this considering I flew Air France just two days before the crash, which included a connecting flight to Paris. I did get one scar, though on my right shin from a comedic collision with a bicyclist in a busy Florentine piazza, but at least I have some great stories to tell.

Before heading to Italy, I was warned by many about gypsies and the sneaky tactics they use to steal money. My sister, who was my travel partner, and I were pleasantly surprised to spend a week in the country without any gypsy encounters. Even better, we only encountered one pay toilet; last summer when I went to Europe, I found them all over the place.

My Capital One credit card, which I use for international traveling because it has no foreign transaction fees, served me well. I was disappointed with my Bank of America debit card, though. Last summer, I was told that if you used the ATMs of BofA-associated banks, including Deutsche Bank, Barclay’s and BNP Paribas, you wouldn’t be charged a withdrawal fee (although there is still a foreign transaction fee). I checked BofA’s Web site and those banks are still listed as fee-free.

I used ATMs from these banks several times during the trip, but when looking at my account online, I see that I was charged $5 withdrawal fees. I’m not pleased, so I’m planning on calling soon to ask about it.

Cash Passport cards are prepaid, reloadable cards you can purchase in almost any currency. They are great for traveling.

Because the trip was celebrating my sister’s graduation from college, my parents gave my sister several Cash Passport cards in euros before we left. They are prepaid, reloadable cards that you can purchase in practically any currency, and they are branded with the Visa and MasterCard logo. This allows you to use it as a debit card just about anywhere, or use it to withdraw cash from an ATM (there are fees, though).

You can check your balance online, and you can opt to have two cards with two different numbers linked to the same account. It’s great for someone young who doesn’t have a credit card and doesn’t want to use a debit card while abroad, too. It’s also much safer than carrying cash.

But sadly, now it’s back to the real world. So here are 10 of the best credit-card related posts from the blogosphere, many with a connection to travel.

1. Bargaineering lists some credit cards with the lowest foreign transaction fees. If you plan to use your credit card while traveling abroad, this is extremely important. That's why I always use my Capital One card when I'm abroad. Capital One is the only issuer that doesn't charge transaction fees. This saves me money, especially with large payments, such as hotels.

2. WalletPop finds that Discover has moved up some credit card due dates without notifying customers, so if you are a Discover cardholder, be sure to check and see if yours has changed. (See Discover's response in comments below.)

3. Five Cent Nickel provides tips on how to travel this summer without spending a fortune, including a tip stating that you should shop around on multiple Web sites. Several sites I used to find good deals on lodgings include Venere.com and HostelWorld.com. The sites have many budget hotels listed.

4. Consumerism Commentary compares American Express’s high-end cards with the relatively new Visa Black Card. While I would have liked to have traveled like a AmEx Black card-carrying big-shot and stayed in high-end hotels, I like to think that my frugal travel decisions, such as a budget hostel in Florence with a strange smell, noisy neighbors and no air conditioning, have more character and give me a more authentic experience. Right?

5. Budgets Are $exy is surprised to find out that Thomas Jefferson was in debt all of his life because that image doesn't match up well with the American founding father. I was surprised when I visited Rome because I imagined that the legendary city would be very pristine, but it instead it seemed very dirty. The city had lots of trash in the street, tons of graffiti and just felt a bit grimy.

6. CleverDude explains that one of his credit cards was closed without prior notice due to inactivity. Sometimes I worry that my Capital One card will be closed for the same reason since I tend to only use it for international vacations. Because of this I try to use it at least once every few months on other things to keep the account active and available for when I do travel.

7. FrugalDad explains the correlation between frugality and debt repayment. He says every cent you save can go toward paying off debt. And once you pay off your debt, perhaps you can use that extra money toward a vacation! Because I don’t have any debt, I put a portion of the money I save into a travel fund.

8. The Simple Dollar finds that renting a vehicle for a long road trip may be a financially wise decision. Just remember that in order to rent a car, you'll likely need a credit card.

9. I’ve Paid Twice For This Already offers advice for couples who are not on the same page when it comes to their finances. It’s hard being in separate countries (I almost went nuts without my boyfriend during my trip!), but it may even be harder when you are living in the same home but don't see things eye to eye. Financial issues are a leading cause of divorce, but they don’t have to be.

10. Money Under 30 discusses how much money you should have saved by the age of 30. He says it is completely unique to the individual, but at this point, you should not have any credit card debt or student loans to your name. While it may be tempting to take an extravagant vacation and put it all on the credit card, I think you are better off saving up over time.