> you might get hit by fees from your own bank for using an overseas ATM as well
Check with your bank before you travel. I'm with Citibank, and they have a bunch of packages that they can enable on your account for free that remove foreign transaction fees (e.g., if you're a student; if you have more than 50k in cash; if you have a mortgage with them; etc.).
But, it being a bank, it's not like they're going to enable that stuff unless you ask for it first, and don't even think about getting it waived when you get back...
The best bank for this is Capital One. We signed up for cards (both debit and CC) for our overseas travel only. We haven't had them charge us a single time to date.
Check with your bank before you travel. I'm with Citibank, and they have a bunch of packages that they can enable on your account for free that remove foreign transaction fees (e.g., if you're a student; if you have more than 50k in cash; if you have a mortgage with them; etc.).
But, it being a bank, it's not like they're going to enable that stuff unless you ask for it first, and don't even think about getting it waived when you get back...