Traveling to Europe for first time since 2008

jimbiggs · Jun 16, 2016

Hello friends, I was hoping to receive some advice for an American traveling in Europe. It's been a while since I've gone and I'm worried things have changed. Here are my questions. Can I use my ATM card in Europe if it doesn't have a chip? If my credit cards have a chip, but I don't know the pin, can I still use them? Will my cell phone work in Europe? Will my laptop work in Europe? Please share any advice you can give. Thanks.

Passepartout · Jun 16, 2016

jimbiggs said:
Hello friends, I was hoping to receive some advice for an American traveling in Europe. It's been a while since I've gone and I'm worried things have changed. Here are my questions. Can I use my ATM card in Europe if it doesn't have a chip? If my credit cards have a chip, but I don't know the pin, can I still use them? Will my cell phone work in Europe? Will my laptop work in Europe? Please share any advice you can give. Thanks.

Your ATM cards will be fine. Most likely your chipped CC's are 'chip & signature'. They will work fine and present you with a slip to sign. the only places you might find difficulty is if you are at an unattended exit from a toll road, or buying a train ticket at a small unattended station. Call your cell carrier (611) and ask. You can set up international calling, or if you are a heavier user, buy an 'unlocked' phone and put in a local SIM after you get to Europe. Most are country specific. Your laptop will work fine. Wi-Fi is commonly available- though not always free.

Jim

jehb2 · Jun 16, 2016

My chip card wouldn't work at a ticket kiosk at a train station. A nice station attendant told me to try a different card. I tried a tradition card with no chip and it worked find. We went to 6 different countries and other than the above incident we had no problems with any of our cards.

We were in England and Citi Card rejected me when I tried to buy British Air tickets on my own IPad even though I had notified them of my travel plans. The card worked both before and after that attempted transaction.

isisdave · Jun 16, 2016

And all your electronics are probably dual voltage (check them of course) so all you need is a plug adapter. You can buy these at any grocery, mini or larger, in Europe for about €1 or £2 depending on country, so maybe bring just one with you to make you feel secure. And take a small folding power strip, maybe with integrated USB charger. Anything else is more easily obtained there.

How long are you going for? Stuff you take for granted (ibuprofen, Tylenol PM) is not readily available, and in most continental countries, you have to go to a Farmacia for stuff as simple as toothpaste. Take it with you if you need it.

Pompey Family · Jun 16, 2016

isisdave said:
Stuff you take for granted (ibuprofen, Tylenol PM) is not readily available, and in most continental countries, you have to go to a Farmacia for stuff as simple as toothpaste. Take it with you if you need it.

What? Ibuprofen is available everywhere! I can walk into any supermarket throughout Europe and buy toothpaste.

Europe is not some strange, backward continent. If you need something you will find it.....except squirty cheese in a can, you wil never find that abomination!

Ken555 · Jun 16, 2016

isisdave said:
How long are you going for? Stuff you take for granted (ibuprofen, Tylenol PM) is not readily available, and in most continental countries, you have to go to a Farmacia for stuff as simple as toothpaste. Take it with you if you need it.

I thought you've been to Europe. You should know better! Some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in Europe.

As for ibuprofen, a little googling would you do a wonder of good. For instance:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibuprofen_brand_names#List_of_brands

Passepartout · Jun 16, 2016

I kind of enjoy shopping for everyday items, toiletries, etc in foreign stores. Many of the brands are familiar, some are not. However, squirty cheese-like spray substance is waaay off my list.

But then, I wondered at the 'bangers & mash', or 'Bubble & Squeek' that I saw recently gracing menus in UK.

Jim

Talent312 · Jun 16, 2016

I returned last week from a 12-day trip to the Baltic countries, which included a 7N cruise. These were my experiences:

(1) Can I use my ATM card in Europe if it doesn't have a chip?

All card readers that I saw in restaurants and shops were chip-readers with no sliders. Some might be able to take a slider, but don't count on that. You'd more likely be pointed to an ATM around the corner.

(2) If my credit cards have a chip, but I don't know the pin, can I still use them?

The PIN associated with your CC is likely good only for ATM's (not store purchases) -- You don't want to use it at an ATM. But not to worry, we never had to use a PIN when the card-reader was attended by a live-person.
You just push the green "enter" button or the green "accept" icon on the screen and the transaction will go thru without a PIN.

(3) Will my cell phone work in Europe?

Depends on your service provider. Many offer overseas service. Ours did not, so we bought a $35 unlocked phone from Best Buy and a SIM card from www.worldsim.com

(4) Will my laptop work in Europe?

If you keep it charged. Most modern electronics can be charged from a 240v outlet. Read the in-line DC converter to make sure. You should not need to get a fancy voltage converter that chops 240v to 120v. They have drawbacks. Rather, you need a plug-adapter. We bought this from Amazon: "Poweradd International Travel Charger Business Power Adapter with Worldwide UK/US/AU/EU/JP Plugs + Dual Intelligent USB Charging." -- $25.99

.

elaine · Jun 16, 2016

DSIL just got back from Europe. DB's ATM card did not work, bank said it was the interface of the 2 banks computer systems, DSIL's worked (on same account). CC did not work in metro/train automated machines without pin. You can still use with an attendant. I have no idea what my CC pin is.
After a panicked email from DSIL, I found that you can actually have someone Western Union you $ virtually anywhere and the price was about $70 for 700 euros, so not terrible if you are in a total jam. I am arriving on a weekend, so I got enough euros for get me thru Monday, just in case.

Ken555 · Jun 16, 2016

Talent312 said:
(2) If my credit cards have a chip, but I don't know the pin, can I still use them?

The PIN associated with your CC is likely good only for ATM's (not store purchases) -- You don't want to use it at an ATM. But not to worry, we never had to use a PIN when the card-reader was attended by a live-person.
You just push the green "enter" button or the green "accept" icon on the screen and the transaction will go thru without a PIN.

The pin for a chip cc is for authorizing transactions at the point of sale in place of a signature.

isisdave · Jun 17, 2016

Ken555 said:
I thought you've been to Europe. You should know better! Some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in Europe.

As for ibuprofen, a little googling would you do a wonder of good. For instance:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibuprofen_brand_names#List_of_brands

I AM in Europe. And neither Google nor Wikipedia sells medicine here (nor anything else, I think).

The UK is much better ... there is actually a medicine aisle in the supermarket. But on the continent, there are just tiny places, usually called Farmacia, and they have limited variety, packages with small quantities, and relatively high prices. Contrary to what you might expect, these are never in big-box stores or mega-supermarkets; these have departments called "parafarmacias" that sell beauty aids and weight loss potions but no actual medicines. In some countries, there might also be a small, locked cabinet with a few actual medicines like paracetamol (known in US as acetaminophen) but probably no other pain reliever ... why would you need more than one?

Ibuprofen IS available in farmacias, but may come in a box of, say, 16. We bought cough syrup in Italy and Spain for about €7.50 for a week's worth.

My point is that if your trip is short, bring what you need; if it's longer, do research on the ingredient you want as the brands are all different.

Ken555 · Jun 17, 2016

isisdave said:
I AM in Europe. And neither Google nor Wikipedia sells medicine here (nor anything else, I think).

The UK is much better ... there is actually a medicine aisle in the supermarket. But on the continent, there are just tiny places, usually called Farmacia, and they have limited variety, packages with small quantities, and relatively high prices. Contrary to what you might expect, these are never in big-box stores or mega-supermarkets; these have departments called "parafarmacias" that sell beauty aids and weight loss potions but no actual medicines. In some countries, there might also be a small, locked cabinet with a few actual medicines like paracetamol (known in US as acetaminophen) but probably no other pain reliever ... why would you need more than one?

Ibuprofen IS available in farmacias, but may come in a box of, say, 16. We bought cough syrup in Italy and Spain for about €7.50 for a week's worth.

My point is that if your trip is short, bring what you need; if it's longer, do research on the ingredient you want as the brands are all different.

I know exactly what you mean, as I also have lived in Europe.

To be fair, the question wasn't regarding the quantity nor the cost but whether or not you can even purchase the medicine. Pharmacies are different in various countries but they still sell the stuff. That's the point of my post, and thanks for agreeing with me.

If someone needs a lot of it, then I'd agree to bring some with them from home...I do that, along with other meds, just to prevent a need from finding a pharmacy (on my last trip I even needed an antibiotic my doctor had prescribed just in case, but that's a bit different than simple over the counter meds).

SMHarman · Jun 17, 2016

I'm a big fan of owning one of these. Maybe more. One in each car and one for when you travel.

With young kids ours is also stuffed with a thermometer and some other stuff.

Talent312 · Jun 17, 2016

Ken555 said:
The pin for a chip cc is for authorizing transactions at the point of sale in place of a signature.

Not mine... AFAIK...
My CC is a "Chip+Signature" but they offered a PIN set-up for ATM's.

YMMV.

SMHarman · Jun 17, 2016

Talent312 said:
Not mine... AFAIK...
My CC is a "Chip+Signature" but they offered a PIN set-up for ATM's.

YMMV.

Your swipe only card had a pin for atms

isisdave · Jun 18, 2016

Just thought of this one: will you be driving? If so, bring a GPS (called "satnav" in England) with a map for the countries you need. Or plan to buy one here. Rental companies charge a big daily fee, just like in US.

Garmin maps cost about $90 but I found one on Craigslist from someone who was done with his for about half that.

Ken555 · Jun 18, 2016

isisdave said:
Just thought of this one: will you be driving? If so, bring a GPS (called "satnav" in England) with a map for the countries you need. Or plan to buy one here. Rental companies charge a big daily fee, just like in US.

Garmin maps cost about $90 but I found one on Craigslist from someone who was done with his for about half that.

Or just use Waze, as is being discussed in another thread...

mav · Jun 18, 2016

Passepartout said:
I kind of enjoy shopping for everyday items, toiletries, etc in foreign stores. Many of the brands are familiar, some are not. However, squirty cheese-like spray substance is waaay off my list.

But then, I wondered at the 'bangers & mash', or 'Bubble & Squeek' that I saw recently gracing menus in UK.

Jim

I LOVE the grocery stores in England. DH and I could spend hours going thru them, so many wonderful and interesting items, lovely cookies, cakes deserts, candies. Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Tesco, just to name a few. And they have already prepared meals to "take away" down to an art.

MALC9990 · Jun 20, 2016

Pompey Family said:
What? Ibuprofen is available everywhere! I can walk into any supermarket throughout Europe and buy toothpaste.

Europe is not some strange, backward continent. If you need something you will find it.....except squirty cheese in a can, you wil never find that abomination!

So sayeth richeous indignation. Squirty cheese in a can - urrrgh.

Karen G · Jun 20, 2016

jimbiggs said:
Can I use my ATM card in Europe if it doesn't have a chip? If my credit cards have a chip, but I don't know the pin, can I still use them?

On our recent trip to Norway and a Baltic Sea cruise, our chip & pin card worked great everywhere. But, we never had to enter our pin. Restaurants & merchants always presented a receipt for us to sign. The credit card worked in train ticket kiosks, taxis, and even in the pay toilets! I knew what our pin was, but never was asked to enter it.

Passepartout · Jun 20, 2016

jimbiggs said:
Can I use my ATM card in Europe if it doesn't have a chip?

The vast majority will have a slot for your mag-stripe card, but you should really call the Customer Service number on the back of your card and order a chipped card, and to notify the card issuer of your travel plans. That way, when they get a charge from (wherever your are going) they won't block the card, thinking it's a fraudulent transaction.

Jim

Ken555 · Jun 20, 2016

Karen G said:
On our recent trip to Norway and a Baltic Sea cruise, our chip & pin card worked great everywhere. But, we never had to enter our pin. Restaurants & merchants always presented a receipt for us to sign. The credit card worked in train ticket kiosks, taxis, and even in the pay toilets! I knew what our pin was, but never was asked to enter it.

You have a chip and signature card. Your pin may work in unattended kiosks, or not. Mine works about half the time, based on my recent trip, in a kiosk.

jehb2 · Jun 21, 2016

Pompey Family said:
What? Ibuprofen is available everywhere! I can walk into any supermarket throughout Europe and buy toothpaste.

Europe is not some strange, backward continent. If you need something you will find it.....except squirty cheese in a can, you wil never find that abomination!

Even when I travel in the states I always travel with a small first aid kit. If you or your kids has a headache, fever, stomachache, etc. the last thing you want to do is run to the store. These items take up very little space and you will be happy you have them when you need them.

Talent312 · Jun 22, 2016

Passepartout said:
...[Y]ou should really call the Customer Service number on the back of your card... to notify the card issuer of your travel plans. That way, when they get a charge from (wherever your are going) they won't block the card, thinking it's a fraudulent transaction.

All our CC issuers (Am-Ex, Citi, CapOne) have a webpage for reporting travel, which we used. But that didn't stop one of 'em from sending a msg asking me to confirm a purchase in Stockholm. When I did, they replied: "Okay. You can continue to use your card." -- Gee. Thanks.

Pompey Family · Jul 8, 2016

Pompey Family said:
Europe is not some strange, backward continent. If you need something you will find it.....except squirty cheese in a can, you wil never find that abomination!

I thought squirty cheese in a can was bad until I saw what the Swede's have!

Traveling to Europe for first time since 2008

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