ATM Advice

I couldn't travel without ATMs. If I am traveling domestically, it seems that I always am cash-poor when I arrive at the airport, and when I am traveling to another country, it's the easiest way to get foreign currency. I prefer using my American Express card because, unlike my Chase Visa, AmEx does not levy a usurious fee on top of the modest transaction fee charged by the bank that owns the ATM. In the past, when I've used an ATM that accepts Visa but not AmEx, I've swallowed hard and accepted the inevitable Chase charge. The Royal Bank of Canada ATM at Montreal's Dorval Airport didn't display the AmEx logo, but I tried it anyway. It worked. I concluded that it is worthwhile to try your favorite credit or debit card no matter what. It might work.

Sometimes nothing works. When my husband and I were on Easter Island last fall, we walked across town to the island's single ATM. There was, predictably, a long line. When it was finally our turn, the machine would only take my Visa card -- not take my husband's MasterCard and certain not my AmEx card. I then concluded that it is sometimes worthwhile to try any credit or debit card your have with you, no matter what. One of them might work.