NEW YORK (MainStreet) — Americans love to travel, with about 30.8 million of us leaving the country last year to experience the wonders of the world. (Europe was by far the favorite destination.)

Before you shove off for international ports of call, though, do yourself a favor and check with your bank to make sure you're ready. It'll help you avoid big fees using credit cards, debit cards and foreign currency once you reach your destination.

Not doing so can cost you.

"I recently traveled to Sri Lanka and forgot to tell Bank of America that I would be there," says Margo Schlossberg, a Reston, Va., digital marketing manager. "The bank did let me withdraw from the ATMs for a few days — until I was unable to."

Banks and credit card providers will keep a close eye on unusual card use, largely to stop fraud. If you don't let them know you're traveling, financial services firms will shut down your card thousands of miles from home.

"The problem was that I didn't know the problem and thought that I had somehow run out of funds," Schlossberg says.

Later in her trip, Schlossberg was inundated with heavy bank fees from overuse of her credit and debit card, again because she hadn't warned her bank she'd be in the country. "Figure out where you're going and have a plan with your bank so you're on the same page," she advises.

Kai Yaniz, owner of The Vault Key, a Tampa, Fla., financial coaching firm and a frequent overseas traveler, is careful to talk to his bank about where he is going.

"When your bank is notified of your travels, they'll already know that those international charges in that specific country are not unusual. If they are not made aware, the bank can assume it is fraudulent and disable access to your credit or debit card," Yaniz says.

"Fraud is big business — especially internationally, and it is very easy to be scammed," he notes.

To set the table for a trouble-free trip, make sure to:

Change currency before you go. Avoid big fees by exchanging U.S. currency at your bank before you go — not at the airport (and especially not at a foreign airport). Yaniz says missing this step cost her money on fees on a recent trip.

Let your bank know where you're going. Even a simple trip to Canada can trigger financial headaches if you don't tell your bank. Madeline Boughton, a public relations professional, said she didn't tell her bank before visiting Niagara Falls in Canada. "When I got there, my debit card would not work for purchases or at the ATM. The next day I called my bank and was informed that Canada was on their list of countries with high fraudulent activities, so my card is blocked there. I had to drive back across the border to the U.S. to make a withdrawal from an American ATM."

Have a backup plan. Brian Carter, a Charleston, S.C., marketing consultant, says he's had problems using his debit and credit cards even after telling his bank of travel plans abroad. "Even then, I've had a card not work because of the bank's automated fraud protection services, which can be very frustrating." Carter recommends getting travelers checks in addition to bringing your plastic when traveling.

— Written by Brian O'Connell for MainStreet