Great comments from everyone. We have a few additional perspectives. We normally avoided using credit cards unless there were large costs like marinas and fueling. However, we often found that there was a surcharge of up to 5% for using credit. In that case we used cash obtained via debit cards. Never had a credit card or number stolen, but we did find we had to call to get advance approval for very large amounts. We also carried at least $2000 cash hidden around the boat for emergencies and lots of smaller denominations to pay things like customs fees or tips when we did not have local currency. Not all VISA credit or debit cards are alike. A few years ago some began charging foreign transaction fees of 3% or more. We used to use CITI for our charge card, but with the 3 % rate, we now only use it in the USAA. Same with debit cards. You can find cards with no charge or a 1% charge (see www.flyerguide.com and look for ATM cards and foreign exchange). VISA cards seem to be accepted everywhere with Mastercard close behind. AMEX is only sporadically available in high end places. We found that having two different(separate issuing banks) credit and two different debit cards gave us the best protection. I would carry one set and my wife the other (or we would leave the spare in the safe on the boat). Don't use debit cards for anything except ATM transactions and even then you have to be careful because thieves are very clever and can watch you put in your PIN. In Europe pickpockets are very skilled and plentiful, so carry cards in a very safe place. We had our debit card and pin stolen in Tunisia (on a Sunday when the bank was closed) and had a lot of trouble cancelling it and getting a new card since at that time we only had one debit card. The bank cancelled the card and made good the $500 losses, but it was quite a hassle.Having at least two debit cards is also helpful if you need a large amount of cash for some reason like a boat repair. The daily limits of two accounts allows you to accumulate money twice as fast. Maybe you can get your bank to up your limit, but many foreign ATMs will only give you $200 per transaction (and each has a fee). Shop aroung--some banks allow more, but we were seldom able to get $500 at one time (our bank's limit).Nowadays you can put almost everything on autopay and check balances on line, which makes travelling much easier than it was a decade ago. We do everything by autopay or billpay on the internet. There is a good website that provides a lot more info on this topic:http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_For eign_Exchange Denis UmstotTEKA III52 Knight & Carver Passagemaker