We will be in Rome and Florence only and our local currency is very weak right now. But we just decided to bite the bullet and go.
Please advise us on where to change our local South african rand and which website is good for getting the best deals e leave in 1 week but better late than never I suppose
any advise at all will be appreciated
thanks Craig and Ryan
I assume you have a bank issued ATM card? Use it to get euros from ATMs, and you'll get the best exchange rate. Ask your bank if they have any partner banks to reduce ATM fees, or even better use a credit union instead of a bank.
yes thanks I was thinking the same
I do appreciate any info which will save us some cash
If you have your own local currency on you when you arrive in Italy, the best place to exchange your own local cash is at Poste Italiane. You will need to show them your passport before the exchange.
I recommend checking if your own local bank at your home where you have your accounts can acquire Euro for you, some banks have Euro on hand, others have to order them, that takes a few days. I always buy Euro here at home ready for a few days' costs in Italia.
If you need to exchange your own local currency while you are still home, your bank may do that for you, or if Not, they may recommend a local international exchange office that will exchange local cash.
And as noted above, you can use your own bank ATM card at bank ATMs in Italia to obtain Euro. Before you leave home be sure to notify your home bank of the dates and country where you will be using your ATM card.
As Angela suggested, using an ATM card will get you the best exchange rate. This is far preferable to taking your own currency and exchanging it. If you want to obtain some euros in South Africa so you arrive with enough for a taxi or something, that's fine, but don't exchange too many as the rate will be very high. Debit cards at bank-run ATMs (not the ones at the airport) will give you the best rate.
Debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo are accepted in most European ATMs, along with a other international networks such as Plus, and you'll see these logos displayed on the ATM itself. See more money advice at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money.
ryan,
You'll get the most favourable exchange rate by using ATM withdrawals, rather than a currency exchange office. I'd suggest taking at least two ATM cards as it's prudent to have a "backup" in case of any problems with your primary card (I've had that happen), as well as at least one credit card (preferably Visa or MasterCard). Of course, don't forget to notify your financial institutions that you'll be travelling so they don't "freeze" the cards when they detect transaction activity in Europe.
I normally like to have at least €50-100 for travelling funds to pay for things like meals, taxi fare or whatever until I get settled at my first hotel. Your local bank should be able to provide Euro if you decide to do that.
I was glad to receive this travel help thanks guys I did use ATMs which worked fine, got my bank statements today and for sure it was the best way to get local cash
Thanks
