What pitfalls can turn an overseas trip into an unpleasant experience? Losing access to your money is a major issue you should plan around. Being able to communicate with family, banks, credit card companies and others in your home country is another challenge that you should plan for. You should have 3 or more ways to access your money: ATM's, money transfer services, and credit cards options that you should set up before your travels and make sure they work when you arrive in the foreign country.