Hammertoad's summary was excellant but I would refine his comment that even with the extra charges, credit cards are better than getting cash at hotels or money exchanges.
If the cc's add these exhorbitant fees, the best way to purchase items overseas will then be to use a debit card tied to your checking account to get cash, which you then use to make puirchases. The conversion rate at ATMs is the same the Visa/MC without the new surcharges. The two probelms with this are you're dealing with cash and you get no points.