I haven't read every post here, so please forgive me if I repeat something that's already been said. I'm a retired banker, with over 30 years of experience in regulatory compliance. There's a big difference between what the bank is required to do with suspected debit card fraud and credit card fraud. Also, even though you might use the same card to withdraw money from an ATM as you do to debit your account to purchase something at a store, the regulations are different. Yes, skimming is always a risk, but the bank is required by regulation to provisionally restore any funds that you claim have been withdrawn from an ATM without your authorization. Not so if you use your card as a debit card to purchase something. Also, please know that I'm speaking of REQUIREMENTS, and those for US banks. Some banks may do more than is required. The law REQUIRES credit card companies provisionally set aside any charge that's disputed as fraudulent, unless or until it's proven otherwise.

I've NEVER used a debit card, and only use an ATM card in a true emergency. I've seen too many instances of people having all of their money taken, and it taking months to prove the fraud and have the funds restored. We take much more cash than we need on trips, and keep it in the safe. We take with us what we think we'll need for the day, and use credit cards for every transaction where that's allowed.