A Schwab checking account is fee free & refunds all ATM fees all over the world. It also offers free checks & mobile deposits.
Barclaycard (Arrival Plus World Elite), BankAmericard, & Capital One cards all have chips & don't charge foreign transaction fees. The only places that didn't accept them were train ticket machines -- get coins or buy in advance. It doesn't matter whether they are VISA or MasterCard, but the other kinds like AmEx, Discover, or Diners rarely are accepted.
Phone overseas: is this for calling locally or back to the US? The most economical way to call internationally is to use Skype or similar service over wifi. Whenever we travel, airplane mode goes on until we return to the US. However, messaging, texting, email, browsing, & Skype all work over wifi.