When you travel internationally, it is important to know how much your credit card company will charge you to make overseas purchases and take out cash advances. Some travelers don’t think about this until it’s too late, and they get back home only to be slammed with excessive fees in addition to the balances they’ve wracked up in Rome and Paris. Or, worse yet, credit card companies will decline travelers overseas because they didn’t take the proper precautions before leaving the country. Here are some ways to avoid the headache of decline or fees when using your credit card abroad:

Before You Leave

Call your credit card company and find out the exact restrictions on your card’s use overseas, if any. Some cards simply don’t allow international purchases at all. Others have no issue with them, but will charge you a flat fee or percentage for each international purchase. Since there are cards that are easier to use overseas than others, it pays to shop around.

Capital One (Stock Quote: COF), for example, recently cut their fees on all foreign purchases. While other cards traditionally charge up to 3% (up from a 2% average from the summer of 2008) on every foreign purchase, Capital One charges nothing. The company doesn’t even charge a 1% foreign conversion fee that is considered a standard practice at other major credit card companies.

Once you’ve decided which card you will use on your trip, be sure to inform the company of your travel plans so they don’t freeze your account for suspicious activity. Provide the exact dates you’ll be gone, which cities/countries you’ll be going to and the names of the hotels you’ll be staying in if possible. This will clear the way for purchases without hassle.

If you’re booking your trip through an international service that processes your card through a foreign bank, you could be susceptible to the same fees as if you were making the purchase on international soil, so be sure to check this before you buy as well. An additional 3% added onto the cost of a two-week European trip can add up to a tidy sum.

Once You’re There

Be sure to plan accordingly for when you’ll be able to use your credit card and when you might need cold, hard cash. Some places in the countryside of many European countries never accept plastic, so you should locate ATMs that will allow you to access your cash easily. Capital One Direct Banking offers a money market account that charges no fees for withdrawals or transactions overseas. While you’re traveling, be sure to keep records of all your foreign purchases. That way, you’ll be able to compare your expenditures with fees applied to your bill once you get back home.

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