Originally Posted by Boraxo
I don't have a debit card, but if I did I would never travel with it. Your best bet is still:
(1) ATM card with low/no fee for using foreign ATMs (e.g. some internet banks which rebate fees), or
(2) VI/MC card with low "exchange" fee, e.g. only Capital One, State Farm, USAA, and perhaps some credit unions.
Do you really not have a debit card? If you have an ATM card with a Visa or MC logo on it, I'm pretty sure you have a debit card. And if your ATM card doesn't have a Visa or MC logo on it, I'm not quite sure how you use it overseas, since most non-Visa/MC ATM cards are essentially useless once you leave North America.
That said, you're correct that credit cards are much safer to use in terms of liability (domestically or overseas).