Bankomat (ATM) Dispensing Denominations

See if you can get 400 in one shot, then 180 euro. That way you won't get anything bigger than 100's plus either a 50, 20, and 10, or 4 20's.

Great quick advice! Thanks...we're leaving Saturday and arriving Sunday. I hope there is money left in the Bankomat machine at the airport! Anyone had this trouble of no money over the weekend? Pam

Many bsncomats in Italy have the following limits:
500 euro per withdraw for bank customers
250 euro per withdraw for customers of other institutions.
Some banks may allow the higher limits also to non customers.
I have an Italian bank account so I go to a branch of my own bank and I'm able to withdraw up to €500. Not sure you will be able to, depending on the bank you use. Try the larger amount and if denied go under €250.
Even if you withdraw exactly €400, they will give you some 50s and sometimes even smaller bills. Those are considered small change in Italy (like the $20 bills in the US) and you won't have a problem getting them accepted. All vendors have the fake bill detector machines anyway.
Remember that there are also the €200 bills and even €500. I've had those in my wallet a few times too.
In addition to per transaction limits there are also daily limits from your own bank in America. You need to keep that in mind too.

I have not, but that does not mean it can't happen. Where are you changing planes? You might find an ATM at that airport if it is in the euro zone. I know you can buy bus/vaporetto tickets out of the machine with a credit card, can't remember if it is chip & PIN only or if it will work with chip & signature or magnetic strip. There is also an ACTV desk at the airport that sells tickets with a credit card. There are plenty of bancomats in town.

I have been using ATMs in Europe for 13 years and lately have asked for an amount that ensures that I will get some change such as E230.

My experience is that ATMs in Europe, including Italy, always dispense a variety of bills large and small, never for example 4 bills of 100 denomination for a 400 withdrawal.

Vaparettos will take credit cards.

I haven't got a bank card that allows 500 euros per day but maybe you do.

Not sure about Italy, but we just returned from Germany & Austria. At the ATMs we were always given the option this time to select which denominations that we wanted - specifically how many 20s, 50s, 100s. One machine had the options as 10s or 100s.

Jean, that has to be a new feature. I have seen it anywhere. But we have ATMs in our area in the US that dispenses $50 bills. I know this is a constant discussion about the 50 Euro note but I have more trouble in the US passing a $50 bill than I have using 50 Euro notes in Europe. I am not going to give a 50 E note to a taxi driver for a 5 E fare or to a street vendor. But just about everyone else will have no problem accepting a 50E note.

I can only report my own experience.

I have only once or twice been given a choice of denominations. All other times, the machine chose for me.

My last trip to Italy was to Sicily in April-May 2014. At that time, I was able to withdraw as much as €530 in one withdrawal (never tried for more). I use TD Bank, which has a withdrawal limit of $730 per transaction; most banks have lower limits, but you can ask your limit to be raised if you want.

I always get an odd amount (like €480 or €530), so that I get at least one €20 and one €10 bill. But what I actually get varies tremendously. Sometimes, for instance, I just get those single smaller bills and lots of €50's; other times, I get mostly €20's. I find a version of Murphy's law applies here: if I want small bills, I don't get them, but if I'm paying a large hotel bill, I get a fistful of €20's.

I don't recall getting any denominations other than €10's, €20's, and €50's from ATM's, but at some point in the more distant past I may have gotten €100's.

In Switzerland, which of course is not on the euro but where the ATM's sometimes will dispense euros too, the ATM's would indicate which denominations they had in stock for dispensing, both for Swiss Franks and for euros; I haven't seen this on ATM's in the Eurozone.

Getting change for large bills is only sometimes a problem. I make a practice to pay any bill over about €20 with a €50 note, so that I get change. And, as I said, I often pay my hotels in cash, so I save the big bills for this. In the beginning of the day at an establishment, they often don't have a lot of change (so, if you're going to a museum early, don't count on them having change); later in the day, this is rarely an issue.

I have seen in Austria ATM machines that give you the possibility of choosing which bills you want. In Italy the technology seems to be a little more backward and you will not given any choice. Almost all machines dispense only eur 20 and eur 50 bills. Eur 250 will most likely be 3 x 50 + 5 x 20 - but not necessarily, if the machine is short on 20 bills it could be 5 x 50.

I've withdrawn cash at four ATM's in the past two weeks for 250 E twice and 300 E and 500 E once each. I never received anything over a 50 E bill and twice also received smaller bills.

Be sure you have called the banks which have issued your credit and debit cards, to tell them when and where you will be traveling overseas, so they will not find the transactions unusual and block them for security reasons. Also, ask the withdrawal or credit limits of each card, and request those be increased if needed, especially the withdrawal limits for debit cards. Understand the withdrawal fee structure of your debit cards, if any, (fixed fee or a percentage), so you will know if you might benefit by making larger withdrawals instead of numerous smaller ones. Finally, you might ask if your bank recommends you use the ATMs of any particular banks where your bank has an affiliation. You may save on fees that way. My banks have often guided me to Deutschbank, BNL, or to stay within the "Star" network.

In 15 years (21 weeks) I've used ATMs in Germany many times and in Austria once. I don't recall every being given a choice of denominations. I've always used the highest amount, divisible by 50€, that is less than the daily maximum from my bank. Almost all of the time I've been given 100€ in small bills (5€s, 10€s, and 20€s) and the rest in 50€s. Only occasional, if every, have I received 100€ notes.

Almost every bank whose ATM card I have used takes a percentage of the total, for "currency exchange" plus a fee, which is as high as $5 per withdrawal. Therefore, I try to make as few withdrawals as I can.

All of the banks I deal with charge a set schedule of exchange percentage and fees, regardless of the bank you use. I have never been charged by the bank in Europe to use their ATM, but I understand some stand-alone ATMs, in additon, might charge a fee to use them.

Thanks to all for great information. We will start out by requesting a euro amount that will give us some small bills and then see what we get. We are off to Venice tomorrow for a 3 week adventure in Italy. Pam

We are in Venice now and have been here before. I like to have a mix of bills but it is always tricky. We have never encountered a machine that would allow one to specify the denominations. So it is always a game choosing what to ask of the ATM/bancomat: if I choose a number ending in 50 I will get a mix of 50 and 100 euro bills. If I choose a number that is divisible by 20 I will get some 20's, which are easier to spend than 50's. It is hard to select a number that will give you 10's, but you can try a number like 270 and see what happens.

Does anyone know of a resource that shows the location of ATM's in Rome specifically at the FCO airport?

Lola, yes, this was our first year of having a choice on denominations of bills. Last year in Switzerland & Italy, the ATM just delivered the amount requested with no options. Enjoy Venice! I'd be happy to come help you spend those 50Euro bills! : )

"Does anyone know of a resource that shows the location of ATM's in Rome specifically at the FCO airport?"

If you are arriving at Terminal 3, here's the map of the arrivals area (baggage claim, etc). ATM's are called Bancomats in Italy, and the light blue curvy reversed E symbol shows them (look at the lower left, and the lower center near the information desk):

http://www.adr.it/documents/10157/6272163/T3+Arrivi.pdf/fdf469fa-d1dd-4fbe-8e58-c5dfcbfe7076

Here's the map of Terminal 1 arrivals - look above luggage belts 13 and 14:

http://www.adr.it/documents/10157/6272163/T1+Arrivi.pdf/704567f9-bf9c-4658-968e-6d94fc0d3ed0

If you can't find them, just ask, "Bancomat?"

Thanks, Jean! So far we have been using euros I brought from the last trip, and I managed to break a €50 by buying a few things at the Conad grocery store on Zattere. The clerk wanted exact change for the coins (76 cents), which I had), but didn't flinch at breaking the €50 note.

We will try later today to find a bancomat that allows us to choose denominations.

Now if I could just figure out a way to accumulate €2 coins for the traghetto, without buying multiple rounds of gelato. . .

We have used ATMs in 4 countries over the past month and it varies hugely. If we don't know there will be choice (we have had that several times) then we try to choose an amount that won't result in 500 Euro bills. 100s are not impossible to spend, but nearly except for large purchases. 50s are easier and 20s easiest.

Now if I could just figure out a way to accumulate €2 coins for the traghetto, without buying multiple rounds of gelato. . .

This is a problem?

I just got back from 2 weeks in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. I was pulling out 250 per transaction which was my max per transaction. All of the ATMs I used (which were located in a bank branch) gave me 5 20s (100 euro) and then 3 50s (150 euro).

Nigel---our rule on gelato is "one each day"--- just like my rule for sweets when my sons were very small.

But I have managed to secure enough €2 coins by buying a bag of crisps here, a cappuccino for my hubby there. . . .

As per the termonal maps at FCO there appear to be 2 ATM's in T3 and only 1 in T1. Is there a long line when your plane lands to access these machines?

I can echo the fact that the ATMs I encountered in September 2015 offer you a choice of denominations, even in small out of the way towns like Seefeld in Tirol and St. Wolfgang in Austria, as well as in larger Berchtesgaden, Germany. However, I couldn't figure out how to use that feature and just took the default! Ann.

I wasn't given the choice of denominations while at Milan or Venice. If there was some method to reduce the dollar amounts at the major bankomats around St. Mark's and the rail station in Venice, I wasn't finding it for the English, Italian, or German options. How I wish I'd seen this before!

Just keep an eye out if you do get larger denominations, most shops won't accept E200 or E500 bills. I noticed many signs asking for smaller bills. For paying your hotel, I think you will be okay.

Just got back from three weeks traveling through Italy. No ATM (Bankomat) anywhere in Italy I found offered any options for what bills you would receive. I always got a mix of mainly 50s with a few 20's or 10's. Never anything larger.

Spending 50's in Italy was no problem even for smaller purchases within reason .

Also just returned from Italy. This month I Received 50 & 20 euro denominations only from Bankomat. One Bankomat in Venice, across the grand canal from Ferrovia near the base of the bridge allowed me to withdrawl more than 250 euro in a single transactions. When I needed large withdrawls in Rome, Sorrento and Florence I was limited to 250 euro per transaction however I was allowed two transactions for a grand total of 500 Euro a day. Was able to do this on successive days. Use common sense at Bankomat, try not to be alone be... Always best to have someone watching your back.