1. PebbleCreek Travel International Club Jan. 31, 2017

2. Travel International Club Officers
Cindy Watty, President
Diana Johnson, Vice-President
Lynn Low, Secretary

3. Credit Cards, Cash, ATMs For International Travel
If you don’t already have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee, you will want to apply for one. Many cards charge 2-4% in foreign transaction fees, so find one that has none. A few that have no fee are: Bank Americard Travel rewards (no annual fee), Capital One Venture and Quicksiilver, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Prestige, Premiere Gold Rewards from American Express, Barclay’s AAviator, Citibank AAdvantage
Take several credit cards (different banks, not 2 of the same card). This way if there is a problem with one, or you lose one, you will not be without resources.
Second, call your credit card companies and let them know you will be traveling overseas, where you will be, and the dates. This way they won’t try to stop charges as fraudulent.
While it is common sense, never carry all of your cards with you – keep at least one back in the hotel or ship’s safe. It’s your back-up card.

4. Credit Cards, Cash, ATMs For International Travel
MONEY
A week or so before your departure, go to your bank and have them convert U.S. dollars to Euros (if you are going to European Union countries, or to the appropriate currency for your destination country). Some banks take up to 3 days for this exchange, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of ‘safety room’ here. We usually get €100 before we leave.
Request SMALL BILLS, or else you will get all large denominations, which you will find very difficult to cash.
While traveling, you can withdraw cash from an overseas ATM. ATM’s are found everywhere and distribute the country’s currency just like in the U.S. The exchange rates and fees are usually reasonable.
You will need cash for some meals (lunches) and small purchases. Larger purchases you can charge. You will also want to have some money for tipping purposes.

5. Credit Cards, Cash, ATMs For International Travel
ATM’s can be found pretty much anywhere overseas. HOWEVER – some of the older ATM’s will only take PIN’s up to 4 positions long. AND – no letters!
So, before you leave, change your pin number to a 4-position numeric just to be safe.
Advise your bank you will be traveling abroad and using your ATM card.

6. A Note About Tipping
As Americans we tend to over tip when traveling overseas. Tipping at 10% is considered a good tip. Please remember that certain tour companies include tipping up front as part of your total trip cost, so do not ‘double tip’. Also many restaurants include the tip (service) in the cost, so check your bill to see if a tip has already been added.

7. Ten Tips To Protect Your ID When Traveling
Protecting your identity provides peace of mind—and that’s exactly what travel can bring to our lives. 
1. Notify your bank and credit card companies of your travel plans. Many such companies now place freezes on accounts when they see suspicious activity like out-of-country use as a means to prevent fraud. 
2. Clean out your wallet and purse before leaving. Remove any receipts and expired cards, along with anything else you don’t absolutely need to carry while traveling. 
3. Limit your use of public Wi-Fi as much as possible. While these networks are incredibly convenient, they are often unsecure. Never access your financial accounts or any other sites that require a password when using public Wi-Fi.

8. Ten Tips To Protect Your ID When Traveling
4. Choose cash or credit cards over debit cards. Travelers are often warned of the dangers of carrying around large amounts of cash, but some merchants still practice questionable transaction processes, making cash a safer method of payment. In most cases though, using a credit card is considered safe. Still, use the card’s credit option, not debit. If your card numbers ever get into the wrong hands, most credit card companies will quickly reverse or cover fraudulent charges, while recovering funds from your drained bank account can be more complicated. 5. Be cautious when using ATMs. Inspect the machine carefully before inserting your card and always shield the keypad when entering your PIN to thwart fraudsters who attach card skimmers to the machine or watch your movements. The safest ATMs are attached to banks in well-lit areas. 6. Keep your phone password-protected. If you’re not the type to keep a password guard on your phone, make an exception while traveling.

9. Ten Tips To Protect Your ID When Traveling
7. Check your credit card and bank statements often. It’s best to catch fraud as early as possible to minimize damage and make resolution easier. 8. Check your credit report throughout the year. Federal law requires the three major credit bureaus to provide you with a free credit report once a year. You can stagger these free reports every four months from each bureau to see your report somewhat regularly. Make sure you recognize everything on it. If something doesn’t ring a bell, look into it. 9. Change your PINs and passwords after a trip. This is especially important if you logged into any accounts while on the road or accessed an ATM. 10. Make sure you properly dispose all trip confirmation s and boarding passes. Shred them before tossing them into the recycling bin, as they contain personally identifiable information.

10. Viking Homeland Cruise
Reflections of Our Trip Presented by Jean & Joe Melter

11. Iceland Map

12. AMA Bordeaux River Wine Cruise
April 13-20, 2017 Hosted by Cass Wineries, Paso Robles, CA

13. Jammin’ Jamaica Pickleball Trip
December 13-20, 2017 Sandals South Coast, Jamaica

14. Break Out Group Questions
OCEAN CRUISES
Where would you like to go??
Baltic Region
Australia/New Zealand
other??

15. Break Out Group Questions
RIVER CRUISES
Where would you like to go??
Paris and Normandy
Danube?
Rhine?
other??

16. Break Out Group Questions
ESCORTED LAND TOURS
Where would you like to go??
Ireland
Italy
Australia/New Zealand
other??

17. Break Out Group Questions
SMALL GROUP CUSTOMIZED
ACTIVE TOURS
Where would you like to go??
Ireland
Sicily
other??

18. Break Out Group Questions
BUDGET TOURS
Where would you like to go??
Europe
Asia
other??

19. Palms Room – Eagle’s Nest Topic: Travel Gadgets and Apps
PebbleCreek Travel International Club
Our next Meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017
Palms Room – Eagle’s Nest
Topic: Travel Gadgets and Apps