Is it better to take travellers cheques to turkey rather than my visa debit card?

Question

I'm scared of using my card abroad coz I tend to go a little crazy spending wise so should I take travellers cheques instead?

Oh, and if you can me info on how travellers cheques work, that would be great as I haven't the foggiest but will obviously check everything out before deciding to take them.

Thanks

Answer 1

I would keep your card for backup and use travellers cheques.

You buy travellers cheques at a bank or (I think) a travel agents and they have to be countersigned by you when you go into a bank in the country you're visiting. They give you the cash for each cheque according to the current exchange rate.

Answer 2

Take American Express travellers cheques, as they are world known

Answer 3

Call your bank and find out if your destination has their branches. I'm sure your bank would also be able to tell you about traveler's checks.

Answer 4

TRAVELERS CHEQUES!!!!!       It is a lot safer

Answer 5

My god what you think Turkey is. Do you think Turkey is Nigeria.  Hey knock knock Turkey is europen unions applicant man. And one of the safer country to use your credit card. Dont Worry be free

Answer 6

A traveller's cheque is similar to a cheque but designed to work overseas. Your bank in your home country will provide you with several traveller's cheques up - these will total the amount you request and each cheque will be worth a particular amount. They can be issued in most currency currencies. The big tc issuers tend to be Amex and Visa, which are pretty much accepted all around the world.

When you ask your bank for traveller's cheques, they will provide you with cheques in the denomination you request (so there will be some currency exchange either in your home country or destination country). Each cheque will have a serial number and space for two signatures. You should note the serial number before you leave and continue to note which serial numbers you have used abroad. Your bank will ask you to sign each cheque in one of the spaces when they issue you with the cheques. When you come to cash in the cheque, the ban or retailer will ask you to sign in the second space. If the signatures match, they will be used as payment. However, be careful that not all merchants will accept traveller's cheques. Most banks will accept traveller's cheques if you wish to exchange them for cash.

The security on traveller's cheques relies heavily on two factors:

1) if your tc's are stolen abroad, you must report them to you issuing bank - they will need to know the serial number of the cheques that have been stolen. This is to prevent their fraudulent use and to hopefully provide you with replacement tc's.

2) the second signature must match the first signature - accoridngly if your second signature does not match the first, they will not be accepted and similarly, if you do not sign in the presenace of the acceptor, he will not accept them either.Of course, if the tc's are stolen, the thief could forge your signature and use them before you have reported them stolen.

You could get round this by keeping the tc's in the hotel safe and only taking what you need. I also do not know how widely tc's are used restuarants etc in Turkey so you may need to visit banks or hotel bureau de change to exchange tc's for cash.

Personally, I haven't used to tc's for a number of years. I find using cards to be more secure as most of Europe requires PIN's for payments and cash withdrawals.

Answer 7

Yes otherwise your bank may charge you alot.  Happened to me, but as a student I got the charges back!!