Should you drink only bottled water when you’re traveling?  Is it safe to drink tap water?  Is it safe to brush your teeth with it?

These questions come up no matter where you’re traveling.  In most developed countries, you don’t need to drink bottled water all the time.  Tap water will be safe to drink.  The water you need to be most concerned about is water that might contain microorganisms that will make you sick.

Some people have a problem no matter where they go.  If you have a particularly sensitive stomach, even small changes in mineral content might upset you for a few days.  U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico often complain of getting “tourista” or “Montezuma’s Revenge”, but sometimes Mexican citizens traveling to the U.S. get tourista too…  In most of these cases, it’s just the change in the water that causes minor problems, and it goes away in just a day or so. (more…)

Definitely plan to take credit cards with you when you travel.  Even when you travel abroad.

It’s a good idea to let your card company or bank know when and where you’ll be traveling.  Identity theft is such a problem these days, that if your card company sees unusual spending patterns they may grow suspicious.

They might block charges on your card to protect you from fraud…  You know, like a lot of charges from London when you live in Des Moines.

Notifying your card company isn’t required, but it’s a good idea to protect yourself and ensure that you can use your card on your trip. (more…)