Originally Posted by
You want to go where?
I think Rick Steves does travelers a disservice in his article by suggesting that they will take away this feature at some point in the future? He ends up being a shill for banks which provide chip and pin cards, and the expensive travelex reloadable cards.
Really? He actually gives work-arounds and calming advice: "One attractive no-fee card is the GlobeTrek Visa offered by Andrews Federal Credit Union in Maryland (open to all US residents, see
www.andrewsfcu.org). If you don't want to open a new credit-card account, Travelex is offering US travelers a chip-and-PIN "cash card" preloaded with euros or British pounds (
www.travelex.com). While handy, this service comes with exorbitant exchange rates; it's probably not worth it unless you are staying for several weeks in a country that's converted to chip-and-PIN cards, and you're willing to pay for the convenience. Don't panic if your card is rejected. There's usually a solution. Just like at home, cash works. It's easy to withdraw cash from a nearby ATM (there's no problem using magnetic-strip debit cards in European ATMs), or simply carry sufficient cash with you (in your money belt for safekeeping)."