Looking for recommendations for how much cash to have on hand for Switzerland/italy etc

I just bring enough cash to get me through the airport and my first day: 100 EUR or so. The rest you can get from ubiquitous ATM's.

I live in Switzerland and I do not think I have paid something in cash yet this year. Or last year for that matter. You can pretty much use your card everywhere.
On my trip to Italy I did not pay by cash anywhere either.

I have found that I can use a card nearly everywhere (be aware though that some places did not take AMEX). I usually have about 100 euros at most in small bills/coins for use in things like leaving small tips, instances where you have to pay to use a WC, or if I'm buying something at a farmers market or a small stand where a card is more of a problem. In Switzerland I used cash even less last year than the other countries where you're going. Enjoy your trip!

I rarely have more than the equivalent of $20 in cash. Almost never need any.

I’ve been in Switzerland a week and have already needed cash twice. The Zermatt post office does not accept credit card (they do take debit) and one place I got ice cream from was cash only. So, always a good idea to have some cash on hand when traveling.

From our recent experience, if you're doing walking tours and things of that nature, you need cash for a tip. Some walking tours are "free" with tips as the only compensation, and also the hotel shuttle to the airport, or the baggage guy. There were also a few food and drink vendors who still used cash. Yes, ice cream comes to mind, too.

As for those who apparently go years without needing cash, well, you don't need cash... until you do. Really easy to keep some on hand. Win-win.

TS, Here's the way I look at it: would you feel comfortable going anywhere in the US - say NYC, Hawaii, Florida, or even walking around your hometown - without any cash in your pocket? I wouldn't. Some people don't have a problem with that.

What I plan to do on my next trip (Czechia) is to take whatever leftover currency I have from previous trips (euro, pounds, francs) and exchange them for local currency at the airport or first opportunity. It will be only a couple of hundred USD worth, but enough to get by. Yes, It will be at a horrible exchange rate, but it's about convenience and solves two problems at once.

I live in Switzerland and I do not think I have paid something in cash yet this year. Or last year for that matter. You can pretty much use your card everywhere.

Same here, live in Switzerland and very rarely use cash. I just carry about 30 Francs, just in case.

For Italy: In addition to the situations already mentioned, I used small amounts of cash to feed the light boxes that illuminate mosaics and frescoes in some churches (1-euro coins are besr), as donations in historic churches that don't charge entry fees, and to buy city transit tickets from places like newsstands ( though sometimes you can tap your credit card as you board).

Some Italian hotels want the city tax paid in cash. The amount varies by city and class of hotel, but it can be a few euros per person per day.

It is not always possible to add a restaurant tip to a credit card slip, so cash is useful there as well.

The point about "free" tours is an important one. The guide has to pay the organizer several euros for each person on the tour, so the absolute minimum tip should be €10 per person (if the guide is competent).

Does one need to have cash in the local currency?

As for so many questions posed by, and of, travelers, one answer won't apply to everyone. I don't; many others do. Each to his or her own.

We spent 3 weeks driving around Germany, Italy, Switzerland & France last summer. After 6 days in Switzerland, my sister realized she never took out any cash from the atm. Never needed it.

We did encounter one restaurant in Germany that was cash only. There was an atm across the street. Other than that we didn’t “need” cash anywhere.

On this same trip, I jumped through a bunch of hoops to set up an account that reimburses atm fees. Total fees over 5-6 withdrawals were less than $10. Don’t worry about fees or exchange rates. Use an atm associated with a bank. Decline the conversion. Get no more than 100€ and see how long it lasts you. Get more as needed.

It's a good idea to have @ 5 euro in change at all times. It helps if you need a bathroom, parking, etc. Many of those small items do not use a card. Small town groceries, bakeries, etc also may not take anything but cash. And I always pay for meals in cash, so that helps. I find that 200-300 euro (or local currency depending) is good for a week, and then I don't have to use my card.

You may want to check and see what the exchange rate your card is going to charge you is. If it's more than 2% I'd carry cash.

just finishing 2 weeks Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium -- not single coin or banknote came out of my wallets (I carry 2, English and Euro - I don't carry Swiss Franks anymore because I haven't used any in several years)

Yes, even Germany. First trip I've never spent cash anywhere. That's a change

I just returned from 9 nights in Switzerland, and I was surprised to find that we did need to use cash a few times for small purchases. You could probably start with 40 or 50 swiss francs, and then spend down whatever is left at the end.

Am on Day 9 of two weeks in Germany. I chose to pay a small purchase with a 10 € banknote, hoping the change would contain a coin missing in my euro coin collection. Was lucky and got one!

During 6 weeks in Italy last year, I only used cash for a contribution to a charity street event.

You can be completely cashless now, even in so-called cash-loving Germany and Italy, Of course, I have 40-50 € in my wallet, just in case.

We had a private guide for one day that accepted cash only. Another day tour guide we could only tip in cash.

A food vendor required cash, as did another random vendor my wife bought a plate from.

It's convenient to have some cash just in case, and not that hard to get.

Big Mike - which country had the cash only? Was it this year?