Problem with using credit card in Europe? Try these

This read by Ed Perkins of Tribune Media Services reminded me of a problem I had in Amsterdam this past December. When trying to buy a train ticket at one of the kiosks with my credit card, I was asked for a pin number. If I have one, I can’t know it. I ended up going to a booth with a person to buy the tickets with Euros since the ticket kiosk didn’t take cash (I don’t think, or why wouldn’t I have done that?). I had hoped to use the kiosk since that would have been faster.

According to Perkins, credit cards issued in the U.S. don’t have chip-enabled cards like European banks are using. This can create problems once in awhile for those of us trying to use an American bank issued card. However, unless you are at a place like a kiosk where a swipe is required, and there isn’t a person involved in the transaction, you shouldn’t have a problem because the credit card should be able to be used without a pin.

  • If the clerk or waiter asks for a pin, let them know that the card is good with a signature on the back and I.D.
  • If the person still doesn’t want to use the credit card, ask to see the manager and see if that works.

Perkins suggests having a debit card as well so that if needed, in a pinch, you can get money out of an ATM, however don’t use the debit card to get money at other times or you’ll be dinged more in fees than if you had used your credit card.

In my case, I did use my credit card two times without trouble. Once at the Pancake Bakery in Amsterdam and the other time paying for tickets for the canal boat ride in Copenhagen. The rest of the time I used cash. I would have used my credit card (and cash) more on my last day in Denmark but I was PICK-POCKETED! Robbed! So sad. On the upside of that experience, I spent less money. [Smarter Travel]

Solo travel. How to make it cheaper.

For those who solo travel, bargains are harder to come by, particularly if you’re booking a cruise or taking a tour. Most tour prices are couple friendly. If you have a traveling buddy, lodging is cheaper.

Ed Perkins, a consumer travel writer for Tribune Media Services offers some suggestions for people who are going it alone to reduce the cost of an adventure.

One option is to have a cruise line or cruise operator find a roommate for you. Perhaps someone is in the same position you are. You would only be sharing a room, but the rest of the time you can strike out on your own.

Another is to look for a traveling companion by hitting up your friends, coworkers, family members, basically anyone you know, to find out if they know of someone who would like to go on a trip.

Check out an organization like Connecting Solo Travel Network, Travel Acquaintance and Travel Chums. These businesses specialize in hooking people up to single travel deals and with each other.

Perkins also suggests O Solo Mio Tours and scouting out last minute deals with tour operators. Sometimes you can get a good deal right before a trip starts.

Even for people traveling with a partner, hooking up with a single person can be a money saver and can offer a broader experience. When my husband and I were traveling in Vietnam we became friends with Amit, a woman from Israel. We shared a room and hired a driver together, and even arranged to meet up with her in Hanoi after we veered in different directions for a few days.

We also hung out with Stan, a Vietnam vet who was traveling alone. After sharing a meal, we shared the cost of a driver from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang. Since Stan was stationed in Nha Trang, this gave us an experience from his point of view.

Amit became our companion from Nha Trang to Hue and on to Hoi An.

In Hoi An, Amit and I had a wonderful time shopping while my husband was relieved to not tag along.

Fuel surcharges on cruise ships make unhappy consumers

When some cruise lines began adding fuel charges to their price tag the beginning of February, passengers have begun cry foul. The basic idea is that you have to give people fair warning of increases and there needs to be rules in place for how increases are added. It can’t seem willy nilly, otherwise people get their rankles up. Also if there aren’t regulations on how prices are doled out, who is protecting the consumer from a surcharge filled life?

Since the Florida attorney general has noticed the 150 (plus by now) complaints he received from customers, he is looking into the matter. Because Florida is a cruise ship hot spot, his findings are important to the industry. No one is arguing that costs to cruise ships have risen because of fuel costs, but how to get the money fairly is a question. The concern is that people are told one price on a brochure and then find a hefty fee added under a line item called “fuel surcharge.”

From my understanding of the issue, is that people bought their tickets prior to the February 1 date and the surcharge was added after the purchase. The question is, can you charge people retroactively? Cruise lines are saying yes because the passengers were told in advance of their purchase so that they could cancel. I wonder how big the print was on that piece of information? Why wouldn’t prices of cruises be higher? The fuel surcharge is on average $5 per person per day. Why not just say as of February 1 a five-day cruise costs $25 more.

The customers are saying, no way, no how. You can’t switch ponies. (Animals are not really involved. I’m using this as a metaphor.) Ed Perkins, a writer on consumer travel issue with Tribune Media Services outlines the argument here.

It seems to me that if fuel surcharges are to be allowed they should only be charged to people who bought the tickets from February on. Can you imagine what would happen if cars had a fuel surcharge that was retroactive? Let’s say you bought your gas at 2:45 on a Wednesday afternoon and by 3:00 the gas went up by a quarter because of sudden increased prices and those who bought gas earlier should have paid more. Therefore, if you got 10 gallons of gas, you would have a retroactive fuel charge of $2.50. The gas station companies could send you a bill in the mail.

Another question I have is why isn’t their fuel surcharges on food in the grocery store? Each item could have a few cents added to its cost under the guise of fuel surcharge. The idea of surcharges seem fishy to me. Just tell me the price and let’s be done with it so I can enjoy my Mai Tai on a tropical beach without feeling like I’ve been fleeced.

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