After discovering that my ATM cards would not work at automatic teller machines in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2013, I got a chip-and-PIN debit card from Andrews Federal Credit Union, or AFCU (www.andrewsfcu.org). It had been mentioned in ITN (March ’14, pg. 40) that these would work in Europe.* I also got a preloaded chip-and-PIN debit card from AFCU in 2016.
While reading Mark Gallo’s article “Tipping Abroad” (July ’17, pg. 53), I recalled an incident in Australia in the ’80s.
It was the first day of my first trip to Australia, and after a long flight from San Francisco to Sydney I was exhausted. That evening, rather than going out and eating a large meal, I decided to order from room service.
Shortly after I ordered, a bellhop arrived. I removed the bill from the trolley, signed it (including the tip) and handed it back to him. He looked at it and said, “Sir, you overtipped me.”
If you ask 10 Americans how they tip in the US, you’ll get 10 different answers, right?
These days, nicer restaurants typically expect 15% to 20% on top of the bill for good service, and 18% or more is often added onto the bill for larger parties. But that doesn’t mean that’s what folks will tip.
Do you deduct tax from the total before you calculate the tip in a restaurant?
With cab fare, you might tip up to 10% or just round up the fare by a smaller amount or not tip at all.
In countries where there are no ATMs, cash is king. In about half the countries in Africa, there are no ATMs or establishments that accept credit cards outside of the capital or main financial city. This is also true in many Pacific island nations. I’ve found that establishments in the Pacific islands tend to prefer dollars from Australia, New Zealand or the US.
Almost all of the countries where you will need cash prefer brand-new bills in high denominations.
I was reviewing my old copies of ITN to tear out and file articles for future reference when I came across Alan Groudan’s letter (March ’16, pg. 12) regarding his Bank of America ATM card failure in Europe in July 2015. His new ATM-only card worked in the United States but did not work in Europe. This brought to mind an incident regarding my own ATM-only card.
The British Airways ownership group IAG is introducing Level (www.flylevel.com), a new, budget long-haul airline based in Barcelona, Spain, with flights starting in June 2017. Level will initially fly from Barcelona to Oakland and Los Angeles in the US (with one-way flights starting at $149) as well as to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
I was issued a Visa debit card through my Chase Private Client account in January 2017. The accompanying material definitely said that the card could be used at any ATM anywhere in the world with no foreign transaction fee (FTF). An ATM fee might be charged, but Chase would reimburse me for that fee.*
My wife, Judy, and I took a cruise in May 2015 from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to the Canary Islands and back on a Holland America Line (877/932-4259, www.hollandamerica.com) liner. The cruise was fine, with wonderful service and food, and took us to places we’d never been before.
On one shore excursion, midway between Casablanca and Marrakesh, our bus stopped at a gas station and convenience store. Judy left her small coin purse in the ladies’ room there, but we were miles down the highway before she discovered the loss.
ITN asked readers to share their suggestions for debit cards or credit cards that charge no foreign transaction fees (FTF) or no FTF and no additional fees for ATM withdrawal or purchase transactions. Here are a few of the letters we received.
I read the Feature Article “Rwanda — Finding More than Mountain Gorillas” (Aug. ’16, pg. 46) while I was planning a visit to Rwanda. The author’s vivid descriptions made me excited to hurry up and get there. I did, however, come upon a statement that I would like to comment on. She wrote, “On my next trip, I will take some books or pens to offer to the kids as gifts.”