In most instances, carrying an extensive amount of cash with you on extended overseas trips is vital.  On the other hand, having a significant amount of cash with you is hardly ever a good idea in well populated areas.  With is factor in mind, credit cards may be a good alternative for your purchasing needs while traveling to a different country.  Besides the obvious security issues, many of today's credit cards also have excellent exchange rates and rewards incentives that can make using a credit card more attractive while taking a trip.
Despite the fact that credit cards are extremely convenient to use and will save you a bit of money in exchange rates, travelers should be aware of a few things before they begin their journeys.
If you are planning to use your credit cards extensively during a trip, you should apply for one that does not charge you a foreign exchange fee.  Most credit cards will charge you two to three percent of the transaction for foreign exchange fees.  Although the percentage may seem insignificant, the fee amount can really add up during your long trips.  Capital One offers a great number of cards that do not charge foreign exchange fees.
When you have decided on a credit card to bring with you, you should learn to use it wisely once you are there.  Issues with foreign transactions may be difficult to resolve, so you would need to know what to look for to avoid being swindled.  One common ploy overseas merchants use is called Dynamic Currency Conversion.  This is a service where the merchant offers to convert your transaction into U.S. dollars.  While this seems beneficial, dynamic currency conversion offers should be avoided.  The associated merchants will often charge highly inflated exchange rates and keep the differences for themselves.  In most situations, the added expenses goes unnoticed because few will actually take the time to do the math.
Travelers should also be aware of the differences between foreign credit cards and the cards you have on hand.  An example would be in Western Europe.  There you would notice that their credit cards are dissimilar to the ones we use in the states.  Credit cards in Western Europe uses a more advanced  and secure chip technology on their credit cards versus the magnetic strips cards we use here.