I have been abroad a few times and never told my bank, cards worked fine. The last time I went, I told them - guess what my credit card didnt work, whilst my debit card did. Very embarrassing checking into a smart hotel, and your credit card not working!
I am the same as you, take local currency and cards. Never have bothered with travellers cheques. Funnily enough I am going abroad on Friday, taking local currency and sterling (as I know where the exchange shop is) also have debit and two credit cards.
Mine was frozen in Germany a few years ago, a phone call sorted it but it was a PITA at the time. A recent TV programme where parents keep an eye on their grown children who go on holiday showed a lad in Thailand who went to use his card (after using it for a few days) only to find the card frozen. Again sorted with a phone call but as cards certainly are sometimes frozen why not just do the sensible thing and inform your bank or card issuer. I live on Gran Canaria for part of the year and now have a Spanish bank account and card so no problems for me ;-)
My son gets away abroad a lot and now takes his debit card and a 'PAYG' Visa card leaving his credit cards at home.
Anybody here old enough to remember trips to places like Bulgaria back in the late 70's when you could easily get four or five times the official exchange rate in most bars?, I won't tell you what you could get for some Beatles or Rolling Stones tapes
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Mine was frozen in Germany a few years ago, a phone call sorted it but it was a PITA at the time. A recent TV programme where parents keep an eye on their grown children who go on holiday showed a lad in Thailand who went to use his card (after using it for a few days) only to find the card frozen. Again sorted with a phone call but as cards certainly are sometimes frozen why not just do the sensible thing and inform your bank or card issuer. I live on Gran Canaria for part of the year and now have a Spanish bank account and card so no problems for me ;-)
My son gets away abroad a lot and now takes his debit card and a 'PAYG' Visa card leaving his credit cards at home.
Anybody here old enough to remember trips to places like Bulgaria back in the late 70's when you could easily get four or five times the official exchange rate in most bars?, I won't tell you what you could get for some Beatles or Rolling Stones tapes