Tips Traveling Europe: Money Part 1 — Online Order Problems

What This Video Shows

This is part 1 of my Europe travel money series, and it covers the surprisingly frustrating online ordering problems I encountered while preparing for my European trip. Specifically, I ran into significant issues trying to reserve a hotel through Expedia, order train tickets on the Spanish national railway site Renfe, and general credit card problems when attempting to make international bookings from the United States.

Why This Matters

Many travelers assume that booking everything online before an international trip is straightforward and simple. In reality, foreign websites frequently have compatibility issues with American credit cards, US billing addresses, and American payment processing systems. Knowing what to expect ahead of time can save you hours of frustration, multiple phone calls to your bank, and the genuine risk of arriving at your destination without confirmed reservations for hotels or transportation.

Problem 1: Hotel Reservations Through Expedia

When trying to book European hotels through Expedia, I encountered multiple issues with how the platform handled international addresses and currency conversions. Some European hotels listed on Expedia required advance payment in Euros rather than dollars, which caused my credit card company to flag the transaction as potentially fraudulent and automatically decline it. Even after I called the credit card company to authorize the charges, some bookings still would not go through because of address verification failures related to the difference between US and European address formatting.

Problem 2: Ordering Train Tickets on Renfe

The Spanish national railway website Renfe proved to be particularly problematic for American travelers. The payment processing system frequently rejected US-issued credit cards without providing any helpful error message. The site interface itself could be confusing for non-Spanish speakers, with some pages not fully translated and others displaying in unexpected formats. After multiple failed attempts, I found that trying different web browsers, clearing cookies between attempts, and using a different credit card sometimes helped. But it was a time-consuming and frustrating process that I want to help other travelers avoid.

General Credit Card Problems with International Bookings

International online transactions are significantly more likely to be flagged by your credit card company’s automated fraud detection systems compared to domestic purchases. These systems look for unusual patterns, and a sudden charge from a foreign merchant or website certainly qualifies as unusual. I learned the hard way that the single most important thing you can do before making any international bookings is to call your credit card company and let them know you will be making purchases from foreign websites and merchants during your travel planning and trip dates.

Quick Tips for Smoother Online Booking

Call your bank and credit card company first. Let them know about your planned international transactions at least a week before you start booking. Provide specific dates and countries so they can note your account accordingly.

Have multiple backup cards ready to use. Different credit cards may be accepted by different international payment systems. Visa tends to have broader acceptance in European online systems than American Express, for example.

Try booking directly through hotel websites. Sometimes booking directly through the hotel’s own website works better than going through third-party aggregator services like Expedia or Booking.com, especially for smaller European hotels.

Screenshot and save every confirmation. Always save confirmation numbers, take screenshots of completed booking pages, and forward confirmation emails to a backup email address. If a dispute arises later, having documentation is essential.

Use a VPN if certain sites block US access. Some European booking sites restrict access from American IP addresses. A VPN can sometimes resolve these geographic blocking issues.

For part 2 covering the best methods for currency exchange in Europe, see that video. For broader travel preparation advice, check out my video on preparing for Europe travel.