Also, banks should be on the lookout for things like "he used his ATM card at home yesterday, he's in Eastern Europe today" and react accordingly.

This is what my bank does, and it annoys the hell out of me. I do a lot of foreign travel, and I also mainly live outside the country where my bank is based.

If my bank sees overseas transactions (including internet transactions with a source IP outside the bank's country), then they block the transaction and the card, until I call them to have the block removed. The block is then removed for all transactions for 30 days.

This is quite embarrassing as almost (unless within the 30 days) every time I try to use my card to pay a hotel bill, book a flight, or buy something moderately expensive then I need to call the bank because the transaction fails.

Due to my situation I asked the bank to remove this "security feature" from my account, but they refuse. The inconvenience reached such a level that I now have a credit card with another bank that I use when possible instead...

-- Pete.

Five weeks "built up" over how many years? Can you actually take all of that 5 weeks in one year?

There's a difference between "5 weeks built up over the last 4" and "5 weeks off per year"

Wow, I never realised that vacation time in the US was so bad as to make 25 paid leave days per year sound so incredulous...

It's really not uncommon in Europe to have that much annual leave...and yes, every year.

-- Pete.

Hmm, I am from the UK but I spend almost all my time living in Brussels. I maintain a UK cellphone for the times when I am back though. If possible it might be cool to get one of these and plug into my Belgian broadband. A local access point without the international roaming charges.

That could be sweet!

-- Pete.