What to bring in my wallet

[MoBro713]

We will be on the British Isle Explorer cruise next month.  I'd like to leave most of what is in my wallet at home.  Other than my Mastercard and debit card, do I need to bring my drivers license or Blue Cross/Medicare cards?  American Express?  Any other items I should be carrying?  When you visit a port, do you have to bring your passport with you?

 

Thanks

[Meander Ingwa]

Yes to the MC or VISA and debit  . American Express is not as widely accepted but they work well in airports for lounges.  Could probably live in the room safe

 

ABSOLUTELY yes to your medicare or other medical insurance coverage cards.  I also carry a business card for my PCP and her clinic as a point of contact for my medical history / system

 

Yes to drivers license.  It can be used as basic id.  I never carry my passport unless in a country where that is required which in the UK and onward it is not.  You can carry a photocopy of the info page ( front 2) but you are not going to need the passport unless the ship advises you.  It  is a good idea to carry the  passport front pages info with you from the time you leave home to return,   Just fold it up and put behind your drivers license .Typically when passport control is needed an agent will join the ship and process the passports behind the scenes  That is why you are sometimes required to turn in your book to the front office.

 

You can get info from the reception desk, a card that lists the ship name and docking location.  If you need help , such as a taxi , it will give location and contact info.  You should not have a language barrier on your trip ( except perhaps Scotland 😉  )

 

everything else can stay home

Edited July 10, 2023 by Meander Ingwa

[sugarside]

Typically in the UK it is proof of age when buying alcohol that might be asked for if you look like you are under the permitted age for drinking or buying alcohol.

Another time might be if you are seeking age concession access tickets for an attraction.

If you want to hire a car you would need to produce your driving license.

[MoBro713]

What about my Covid vaccination card?

 

Thanks

[WanderingBrit]

11 minutes ago, Meander Ingwa said:

You should not have a language barrier on your trip ( except perhaps Scotland 😉  )

 

I hiv nae idea foo ye mean by that

[philw1776]

2 hours ago, MoBro713 said:

What about my Covid vaccination card?

 

Thanks

They don't care.

[Jim Avery]

We have been asked by port security several times to produce a second government issued ID for entry to the port.  Driver's license does the trick.  Also bank info, phone, account numbers etc. in case you have to call them for any issues.  I usually leave the wallet at home and just take the other stuff in a secure pocket in a jacket or travel pants.  Then keep it as mentioned in the room safe.  As with luggage, less is better..🍹

[FlyerTalker]

You might want to reconsider the debit card.  It has FAR less protections than your credit cards.  Now, if it is only an ATM card, that's different, but debit cards that work like Visa/MC are on my no-no list.

 

Here is a cautionary tale of debit cards gone bad.

 

https://viewfromthewing.com/americans-stuck-in-guatemala-with-no-money-after-uber-charged-them-30000-for-a-single-trip/

 

It worked out OK in the end for those folks, but a lost card could result in a drained account.  Which wouldn't happen with a credit card.

 

Caveat emptor.

[Cienfuegos]

Some folks will link a "travel" debit card to a bank account with minimal assets. Enough to get you out of a jam, not enough to buy a boat or aircraft.

 

Years ago, way before widespread ATM networks, I had to use my AmEx card for emergency cash in Austria. The local AmEx office resolved the issue, made some additional reservations, and got me on my way.

[Peregrina651]

56 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

You might want to reconsider the debit card.  It has FAR less protections than your credit cards.  Now, if it is only an ATM card, that's different, but debit cards that work like Visa/MC are on my no-no list.

 

Here is a cautionary tale of debit cards gone bad.

 

25 minutes ago, Cienfuegos said:

Some folks will link a "travel" debit card to a bank account with minimal assets. Enough to get you out of a jam, not enough to buy a boat or aircraft.

 

That is exactly what I have done. My credit union will allow me to open as many sub-accounts as I want.

 

So, I opened a "travel" account and asked that it have its own debit card/ATM card that was not attached to any of my other sub-accounts -- so the card cannot be used to get at all of my money. The only money that is at risk is the couple of thousand that I have in the account. In case of a big emergency, I can always send my daughter to my home computer to move funds around for me (or if worse comes to worse, do it myself).

 

Then we set the daily limits for transactions on the card. For ATM withdrawals, I set it to the maximum allowed for the day (something like $500). For retail transactions, the limit is set at $0; in other words, it cannot be used at all for purchases.

 

ALSO -- Leave your medicare card home. It is no use overseas and if stolen can be compromised. AARP recently in an article about what to carry in one's wallet suggested that it should only be carried if you are heading to a doctor's appointment.

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by Peregrina651

[friendlyfifer]

Take details of any medications prescribed by your doctor. The list will be helpful if you require medical attention in the UK. 

When visiting Scotland come to St Andrews. We have thousands of students from the USA studying at our university. There will always be someone here to translate for you, if needed, 🤣

[CannotSwim]

It's good to have multiple credit/debit cards, sometimes one gets rejected (even if you notify then of travel) or is hard to use for some transactions.

 

But for all the cards check whether there is a foreign transaction fee. We got a new card when we started traveling abroad often.

 

Since I'm talking cards I'll drop in my standard announcement:

If an ATM or credit/debit card transaction offers to let you convert to dollars just deny the offer and take the charge in local currency. The credit card network will give you a better rate. (One European ATM transaction cost me $207 total on my bank statement. The conversion offer I rejected was $237 plus a bank fee.)

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, CannotSwim said:

It's good to have multiple credit/debit cards, sometimes one gets rejected (even if you notify then of travel) or is hard to use for some transactions.

 

But for all the cards check whether there is a foreign transaction fee. We got a new card when we started traveling abroad often.

 

Since I'm talking cards I'll drop in my standard announcement:

If an ATM or credit/debit card transaction offers to let you convert to dollars just deny the offer and take the charge in local currency. The credit card network will give you a better rate. (One European ATM transaction cost me $207 total on my bank statement. The conversion offer I rejected was $237 plus a bank fee.)

 

Yes! Yes! Yes!

[Breckski]

We travel very light these days.  Wallet included.  I have images of insurance and driver's license on my phone.  Physically carry a debt and credit card.  My wife takes the same type of cards.  Never had an issue.  

 

I'm hoping my phone will sufficiently carry all such items in the near future.

[CurlerRob]

5 minutes ago, mwike said:

We travel very light these days.  Wallet included.  I have images of insurance and driver's license on my phone.  Physically carry a debt and credit card.  My wife takes the same type of cards.  Never had an issue.  

 

I'm hoping my phone will sufficiently carry all such items in the near future.

 

I can relate to the "debt" card! 🍺🥌

[KBs mum]

We carry photocopies of our passports and insurance contact details. Other than that just credit cards and cash. 

We only take our passports ashore if the country requires it. 

We scan all documents and email them to ourselves so they can be accessed from nearly anywhere, essential originals, such as passports and prescriptions stay in the room safe

Check your medical coverage, make sure you have medical repatriation cover. Also check how to contact a doctor under the terms of the coverage. Not everywhere accepts all insurance companies. You don't want to have to pay then try to claim it back.

You are unlikely to need covid vaccination paperwork, but we take ours leaving it in suitcase. 

 

When I (UK) go out I only carry phone and bank cards. ID is rarely routinely needed

Edited July 11, 2023 by KBs mum

[Xwordgal]

56 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

We carry photocopies of our passports and insurance contact details. Other than that just credit cards and cash. 

We only take our passports ashore if the country requires it. 

We scan all documents and email them to ourselves so they can be accessed from nearly anywhere, essential originals, such as passports and prescriptions stay in the room safe

Check your medical coverage, make sure you have medical repatriation cover. Also check how to contact a doctor under the terms of the coverage. Not everywhere accepts all insurance companies. You don't want to have to pay then try to claim it back.

You are unlikely to need covid vaccination paperwork, but we take ours leaving it in suitcase. 

 

When I (UK) go out I only carry phone and bank cards. ID is rarely routinely needed

How about just doing screenshots, and saving them to a file?

[CDNPolar]

Not knowing for sure where the OP is from but because you mentioned Medicare, assuming you are from the USA...?

 

I am from Canada, and we do take as little as possible in our wallets, but we have to take our Provincial Health Care cards with us as our out of country medical coverage always (in Ontario anyways) requires us to have a valid government health care number.  This would need to be verified and this is always suggested that we carry the actual card and not a picture of the card.

 

My question would be, does your out of country medical coverage require you to carry your Blue Cross or Medicare card?

[KBs mum]

4 hours ago, Xwordgal said:

How about just doing screenshots, and saving them to a file?

Similar principle, whatever is easiest

[Haqdeluxe]

I have photocopies, in triplicate, of every document I could ever imagine I might need or could be asked for and carry it all in a backpack on all excursions. Never hurts to be fully prepared! 

😄

[Hobson1754]

9 minutes ago, Haqdeluxe said:

I have photocopies, in triplicate, of every document I could ever imagine I might need or could be asked for and carry it all in a backpack on all excursions. Never hurts to be fully prepared! 

😄

My husband is of the opinion that, that looks like the amount I pack/take with us 😂😂

[Haqdeluxe]

I'd love to show up at the airline boarding gate with this thing as my carry-on, just for a chuckle 😃 

Sadly, we regularly see people trying to board with bags that come pretty darn close! Don't get me started...

[greatver]

Medicare does not cover you outside of the USA although Supplement plan or Medicare Advantage plan may. Check with your insurer before you leave if in doubt.

 

[KBs mum]

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

 

My question would be, does your out of country medical coverage require you to carry your Blue Cross or Medicare card?

We just need the insurers emergency number and policy number, we call them then they direct us to a doctor. 

We carry GHIC cards in Europe but have never had need of them, but have full Insurance as well. 

 

At home we just give our name and address and confirm DOB.

[Mich3554]

14 hours ago, mwike said:

We travel very light these days.  Wallet included.  I have images of insurance and driver's license on my phone.  Physically carry a debt and credit card.  My wife takes the same type of cards.  Never had an issue.  

 

I'm hoping my phone will sufficiently carry all such items in the near future.

I have been in countries recently where they wanted to actually see the physical drivers license.  Digital copies not accepted.