ATM withdrawals - any obstacles?

I had no problem in Vernazza. There is an ATM right on the main drag next to the Blue Marlin. Another up at the top of the town attached to the bank. Make sure you call your bank a couple days before you leave, tell them you'll be in Italy (and any other countries), the dates, and you should be fine. Once in a while an ATM will be out of cash or broken (same thing happens in the US of course). I did have a problem once at an ATM in Rome, but like you said, I went to the next bank and it was fine. I may have just asked for too many euros that caused it to exceed my bank's limit or something.

Can't help you about the microchip part of the question, because for all I know something has changed since I was there last October. I used ATMs in Florence, Bologna, San Gimignano, Vernazza, and probably a couple other small towns in Tuscany that I can't remember exactly right now. Had no problems anywhere, none required the microchips.

The trouble with some travel writers is that they just read of travel writers or search the internet. As recent as last Fall we have never encountered a problem with our debit card in Italy or anywhere else. And we rarely fine machines that don't work. The "chip and pin" problem is related to credit cards and automated machines such as ticket machines.

In February, I used ATM's in Verona, Venice, Florence and Rome (great trip). Once in Venice my card wasn't accepted, but I am pretty sure that was because my bank was offline - what is a normal working time in Italy is sometimes middle of the night for US banks. I waited a couple of hours and had no problem - same card, same ATM.

Thanks everyone for assurances and details of your experiences in CT and small towns. I'll keep in mind that US banks might be sleeping when I'm trying to use my card at an ATM and nothing seems to happen.

Yeah, the chip and pin thing was weird. I reread Rick Steve's comments in his Italy guide and he didn't mention it so I figured it was not a common thing.

I've never had a problem with my ATM card in Italy. Sometimes my credit cards would be finicky, but only at one gas station and at a jewelry store (red flag type purchases). Just be sure to contact your bank's SECURITY DEPT. to let them know that you will be using your card overseas and have your daily withdrawal limit increased to the maximum. A 5 digit PIN card will not work in Italy. Make sure yours has a 4 digit PIN. I always take a backup ATM card linked to a second bank account just in case the primary card is lost or stolen. If my card is compromised, I can go online and transfer funds from one account to the other to keep from being cleaned out and then start using the backup ATM card.

Bobbi,
As recently as last month I encountered no ATM machines that required 'chip and pin'. I did see ATM machines that had 'spaces' for more than four digits.

My own personal conclusion, based on having made all these mistakes myself, is that the 3 most common reasons Americans' debit cards don't work in Europe are:

1. they already exceeded their daily withdrawal limit;
2. they forgot to tell their bank ALL the countries they're visiting - including airport stopovers;
3. they're trying to use their card at an automated terminal, such as a gas station pay-at-the-pump.

The least common reason is that the ATM machine doesn't work.

we are in Paris now and yes, we have had a problem with withdrawals on our Bank of Amer account. Called B of A and they informed us that Parribas was the problem. Luckily we have an account with Capitol One and no problem with withdrawals or we would have no $$$--reular ATM Card or special B of A card will not work--worked just fine in Spain. Person at Parribas here told us wew could get a cash wd at a main branch on Champs d'elyessee. How scary it could be without funds!

we are in Paris now and yes, we have had a problem with withdrawals on our Bank of Amer account. Called B of A and they informed us that Parribas was the problem. Luckily we have an account with Capitol One and no problem with withdrawals or we would have no $$$--reular ATM Card or special B of A card will not work--worked just fine in Spain. Person at Parribas here told us wew could get a cash wd at a main branch on Champs d'elyessee. How scary it could be without funds!

Another issue to be aware of is that the ATM's will sometimes give unusual and unhelpful messages. If you try to withdraw over your limit it will just tell you that your card is not appoved for forgein use or something to that effect. Just try again for a lower amount and it will often work. European banks are also known to limit the maximum amount allowed per withdrawal so even if you're still within your limit you may be trying to withdraw more than the machine allows. If this happens you'll get another nondescriptive message and it will often work if you try a lower amount.

Be very careful when walking from machine to machine to find one that works. Pick pockets are on the look out for behaviour like this and you'll become their target if you make it too obvious.

Alan - good tip. I'll be on the look over for any suspicious people who might notice I am searching for another ATM.

Bobbi,

I had the same problem with my Canadian chip and pin ATM card, I informed my bank and C.C. company I would be visiting France and Italy, so there was no problem there.

There are ATM machines that have a Plus sticker on the front, they worked every time.

Greg

Canada

Just back from Venice-Florence-Rome tour and points south on our own. The DeutcheBank machines worked fine for our Oregon credit union debit access - after my "learning curve."

Our credit union $ 500 per day limit had to be converted into euros before entering the amount -duh! Entering "400 euros" - at $ 1.27 per euro -got me a rejection notice. As did an entry of 350.00.
The ATM seemed to convert the decimal point to a comma, changing my request to 35,000 euros, way over the limit.

So simply entering "350" (at that day's rate) had me deducting $445 U.S.. Success!

A 1 percent conversion fee was the only expense for
each transaction.

Just because any one individual has never had a problem is no reason to think problems never happen. Tom has some good advice about the most common causes, but we once had our Wells Fargo card stop working for our entire 4 weeks in Spain, after it had worked just fine for a week in Portugal. Three calls to the bank resolved nothing. And, yes, it would have been very scary except that we were traveling with another couple who acted as our bank. Since then, we always travel with two atm cards from two different banks. One other tactic that once worked for us was to try inside when the machine outside wouldn't give us cash. No one could explain why it worked, but it did.

"Just because any one individual has never had a problem is no reason to think problems never happen."

Yep. And that general statement probably ought to be repeated here about once a day. It comes up regulary, when people ask whether they should pay extra for rental car CDW, or medical insurance, etc? Your Europe trip is probably not the place where you want to have unpleasant surprises over money issues--have a Plan B, if possible.

Been here for 3 months now and used ATM's numerous times and never had a problem. Good advice though to have a backup card just in case. The only prob I've had so far is at the gas pump without an attendant. Same pump with an attendant and they run the card with no problem.

Ron

Another thing to be aware of is the actual meaning of the "maximum withdrawal per day" limit.

When I was in Europe last year I withdrew close to the limit from an ATM at the airport. It was a bit before noon.
The next morning I tried to withdraw additional cash (conference registration had to be paid in cash for international attendees), and got an error message. In panic, I tried other cash machines - still with no luck. Then I realized that technically it was still the same "day" back in Seattle where my bank was. Sure enough, at 9:05am local time my ATM request was processed with no problems. Two withdrawels within the same 24-hours, no problem. Two withdrawels within the same midnite-to-midnite period back in Seattle, a no-go.