ATM safety

There are many banks in Rome with ATMs inside. There is an Intesa San Paolo on Via Solferino practically in front of Termini and another on Via Marsala just to the east side of the station. My experience was that Intesa San Polo has indoor ATMs and sometimes you have to use your ATM card to open the door to the secure booth after hours.

I've never felt this way about any ATM, in Italy or otherwise (I often travel alone or with another person). Has there been some documented crime wave of people getting their withdrawals stolen from their hands? Millions of people, mostly locals, use ATMs...so why would someone single you out simply by seeing your back? A related issue is ...why would you need to withdraw so much money that you need to worry about it?

We were followed from an ATM and dealt with an attempted pickpocketing in Italy. We prefer the inside ones too.

Agnes, a friend of mine was followed from an ATM and had her money stolen, in Switzerland of all places. I was on the same trip and never saw or suspected a thing. It can and does happen.

And she isn’t necessarily withdrawing a huge amount of cash; even a usual amount of 100-200 euros should cause one to be cautious. I like to arrive with enough euros in hand that I can be choosy about my ATM for topping up.

We never look for an ATMs. There are banks everywhere. On the days we need cash, I slip the debit card in one secured shirt pocket and we start walking. Sometime that day we will see a bank and use the ATM. I will sometimes waiting a bit because I like to see someone else using it before I use it --- if it works for them, it should work for me. When I withdraw the money, I quickly grab the cash, the receipt, and my card and put in pocket quickly and walk away. Somewhere in the next ten minutes or so I will a quiet corner or a restroom or a cafe. There I will double count the money -- never been short changed - and get organized with the money. If I am not in restroom with access to my money belt I will divide the money between a couple of secure pockets. Later will transfer to the money. I think the probability of someone grabbing your money as it is coming out of the ATM is pretty remote.

Hi Patricia,

(I can't attest to using a bancomat in or near Termini.) So, that's not too helpful.

But, I've stayed "close to" Termini (twice) and never encountered any issues. Sometimes, I walked from Termini bus depot late in the evening. No one bothered me. Be confident. Display a " big city attitude."

I walked back to my hotel from my fav restaurant a few blocks from Termini. A couple of times, someone walked me back, but not really for safety reasons. And, a ton of people (locals and travelers) were out and about -- late. And, it was December.

To ease your mind a bit, there are a lot of city police and military police surrounding the area of Termini -- inside and outside.

Keep a strong, cross body bag or similar right in front of you. It's always a good idea to take the money from the bank, put it in a secure pocket/purse in your bag until you can go to a safe place to organize it all -- of course, not in a public restroom at Termini or a fast food joint.

I dunno. I take the exact same precautions in Rome that I take at home or anywhere else in the world. That is, take a quick look around me before, step up and make sure there isn't some sketchy character crowding me standing right behind me, I do my business, and I move on. Nothing complicated.

How is withdrawing money from an ATM near the train station in Rome, Italy any different from withdrawing it from an ATM at a mall in Rome, NY or Rome, Georgia or anywhere else?

And if you have a travel partner, have them stand next to you back to back, but facing the opposite way. Once in Manhattan I saw JFK Jr and his partner do this at an ATM, and since then I've tried to get my travel partner to cooperate.

There's an Intesa Sao Paolo branch on Via Firenze near the Opera House that has a secure ATM area. The lower level of Termini also has ATMs that don't have a lot of people passing by. I've used both these locations multiple times with no safety concerns.

Thanks so much to all of you for your quick and helpful suggestions. I will look for the Intesa San Paolo branches that Laurel and Frank suggested, as well as the lower level of Termini. I will feel much better if I can use an indoor ATM with fewer people around.

One issue all travelers should be aware of in Italy and the US are ATM 'skimmers'. These are devices that fit over the ATM card readers to mimic the ATM's card slot and steal your info. One criminal gang with this specialty was recently busted in Italy. This article has some photos of some https://www.engadget.com/2014/07/28/credit-card-skimming-explainer/ So another thing to watch out for, but at the same time not to exaggerate the risk.

We do what Kent does. Hubby goes to the machine and I stand behind him, back to back. One time in Rome, 4 young men, teenagers, came up and were talking, laughing and pushing each other. Then they started talking to me and one said in English,
"I love Americans, I want to hug you" I put my hands up, palms facing out and told him that my husband was the only many who was allowed to hug me. When the transaction was finished and we walking off, my hubby asked me what all of the conversation was about. We were across the Piazza from the ATM and I was watching. The young men never used the machine for a transaction. They wandered off and continued to hang around the Piazza. Oh, well, we probably saved some money.

We don't always use ATMs in banks, probably should. But just be aware, watchful and if necessary, forceful.

Have a Great Trip!
Mimi

I think maybe us Americans are not used to seeing or using ATMs inside of banks - they are mostly drive-through. So we dont always think of that option. In fact of five banks we use regularly, I can't think of one that has an ATM on the inside. Maybe there are in the big East coast cities, where there is more walk-up, sidewalk (Brit: pavement) traffic.

I still prefer to be out in the open where there's a lot of foot traffic - of course you have to be vigilant when there's a lot of noise, distractions, and commotion - but I don't see it as a high bar to cross. I have no issue getting someone out of my personal space, I've traveled in places where it's common for folks (mostly younger men) to invade your space. Being in an enclosed glass box with one exit and someone right behind me that I have to pass on my way out would feel even more compromising. But again, "feeling" safe and actually being safe are not the same thing.

I think maybe us Americans are not used to seeing or using ATMs inside
of banks - they are mostly drive-through.

Only in the 'burbs you'll see mostly drive throughs. In the cities, not so much because space for cars is at a premium.

We were just in Rome at the end of February, and stayed at Hotel Aberdeen. Like Frank, we used the bank ATM with an inside enclosure on Via Firenze near the Opera. It was the only ATM we used in Italy (not even at FCO). We planned to walk back to the hotel immediately each time we used it, and left our money in the safe in the room. Everyone in line at the ATM was respectful and stayed outside, even when the door was propped open. We did not feel unsafe the entire time we were in Rome, although a friend had his cellphone stolen from his front pocket of his jeans while riding the metro.

Several years ago we were walking between the Vatican Museum and the Ottaviano metro stop when we stopped on a side street to use an outside ATM (Bancomat). In the crowd were three young boys between the ages of ten and twelve and they were watching this ATM. We did not notice them in the moving people, but we saw them as we tried to enter the metro car at Ottaviano. One youngster was the stall, the second was the bump, and the third was the dip. The stall stopped abruptly in front of me and their operation began. The bump bumped into me, but I was able to knock the dip's hand away from my pocket and they ran off empty-handed. Since we are in our seventies we've tried to become more aware of this fact and take precautions. I'm Italian and look like I belong in Italy, but I also look like an old Italo- American and an easy target.

We only take money from an ATM that is attached to a bank and only when they are open. If the machine eats my card I can go inside and ask for help to retrieve it. The pickpockets in Roma follow the Willie Sutton school of thinking. Urban legend has it that when Willie was asked why he robbed banks he replied, "Because that's where they keep the money."

The pickpockets in Roma are maestros of the craft and they know we are carrying money. We've traveled frequently in Italy since 1980 and sadly, this is a fact of life there.

Go and have fun , but be alert to your surroundings.

Buon viaggio,

Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences, opinions, and advice. I plan to check out the Intesa San Paolo on Via Firenze first, since it is closest to my hotel. I plan to use the ATM only when the bank is open and will not withdraw too much money at a time. I will be on the lookout for the scenarios which many of you have shared with me, and I plan on having a great trip!