You're poised to purchase a painting in a small Italian village when you reach into your pocket and realize your wallet is gone. All your credit cards-and the customer service numbers printed on them-have disappeared. You don't speak Italian, have no ATM card to get cash and don't know how to contact your American banks.

Losing your credit cards in a foreign country can quickly ruin the best overseas vacation. While no one can absolutely prevent a wallet from being lost or stolen, there a few precautions you can take to make the challenge of missing credit cards easier to overcome.

• Leave credit cards you don't need at home. Gas and department store cards or that extra Visa you won't use should be stored in a safe place at home during your trip. Just remember to put them back in your wallet when you return.
• Keep a list of the credit card names and customer service phone numbers separate from your cards. Place it in your suitcase or briefcase so you can immediately call and freeze your accounts if your cards are missing. This helps prevent fraudulent charges and the company can sometimes arrange for you to access your credit without your card. You should also put a photocopy of your passport and airline tickets in the same place in case those are lost or stolen along with your cards.
• To prevent the loss of all your credit cards, it's a good idea to stash them in several places. The same goes for cash and traveler's checks. Pack one card in your suitcase, another in your carry-on bag and leave one in your wallet. That way if one is lost, you still have a back-up plan to cover vacation expenses. Also, when you arrive at your destination and hit the streets for sightseeing, follow the same plan-only take one credit card with you (just remember to keep track of the balance so you don't go over your limit). Hide one card in your luggage and leave the others in the hotel safe.
• If you're traveling with friends or family, you can also give them one of your credit cards and hold one of theirs. That way if one person's wallet or purse is lost or stolen, you both still have credit cards. You can do the same with traveler's checks.

A few preventative measures will help keep the loss or theft of your wallet a minor annoyance instead of a vacation-halting affair.

Article brought to you by ConsumerInfo.com