Credit cards are the safest and most convenient way to pay for expenses while on vacation, but they can be and do get stolen.

Thieves often pick heavily populated vacation spots to grab their opportunities, so protect yourself this vacation season by taking some smart precautions before you leave home.

First of all, you should pare down your wallet; if you usually carry a whole fist full of credit cards, change this practice.

Check out each and every card to find the ones that have the largest credit line, the lowest rate of interest on purchases and the largest amount of credit still left. When you have chosen two credit cards from among the others, you will have a back-up card, so upon arriving at your vacation destination you can put one card in the in-room safe or the hotel’s safe.

If there is a safe in your home, put your other cards in it before leaving, if you do not have a safe of your own consider getting a safe deposit box at the bank for the things of value you will be leaving behind. You may as well leave your credit cards out in plain sight, like the top of an entryway table if you only put them in a kitchen cabinet or desk drawer, when you go away; burglars notice when a house is empty and kitchen cabinets or desk drawers will be the first place they look after gaining entry into the place.

Record the contact information on your credit card issuers and place it in your luggage where it will be safe. Since wallets and purses and even suitcases can be misplaced when vacationing, it is a good idea to have a few extra copies of this information in other places.

Unless you immediately report that the card is missing, you might have to show proof that you didn’t enjoy that meal at a 4-Star Restaurant or purchase that ,000 necklace.

It could be smart to inform your credit card issuers that you will be going on a vacation, how long you plan to be gone and where you are planning to stay, because some card issuers send up red flags on your account when they notice excessive activity on your credit card. If you fail to notify them of your intentions, a freeze could be placed on charges that they cannot authorize by reaching someone at home to verify that they are legitimate charges.

Using your credit card for vacation purchases can carry a second benefit, since many card issuers offer loss and theft protection; if you buy something on vacation and that particular thing is stolen, you can notify your card issuer and get a credit to your account.

The complaints about any merchandise you have ordered and never received are most easily handled, if the purchase was made with a card.

When you travel you can have loads of fun and you may also get tired, stressed and broke, however, when credit cards are used you will be able to see from the receipts how the latter thing happened.

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