Bankomat ATMs in Monterosso, Cinque Terre?

Nearly all of the towns in the CT have ATMs that I recall, Monterosso for sure. Depending on your hotel cost, withdrawing your max each day for the first few days works for me, but if it just will not be enough, plan on exchanging some amount, just as easy and cheaper to do it there than here. I usually also have a back-up like my Credit card or even travellers checks in an emergency. Another common strategy is to open an account at another bank, so you have two ATM cards, doubling the amount you can get out, good for a larger family. Some banks will also temporarily increase your withdrawal limit, not mine, but some will.

We just returned from our trip, and I agree the advice is confusing. We decided to exchange beforehand through Bank of America. It was extremely easy to buy currency online and it was delivered (free) to our local branch in two days. Bottom line-we took $1000 worth of euros with us, which got us though the first few days (the money goes really fast!). It was nice not to have to worry about getting money right away, and we carried some of the cash in a money belt and left some in hotel safe. That being said, I can't imagine there are not several ATMs in Monterosso. I did find when we got home that we had been charged fees for each ATM withdrawl. The Cinque Terre is lovely!

I know of two bankomats in Monterosso, but neither is in the Bank of America network. One is at the bottom of the stairs below the train station; the other is at the post office in the old town. La Spezia has banks with bankomats. Deutsche Bank has bank branches in some Italian towns, but I haven't seen one in CT. To save on fees, I usually load up on cash at BNP Paribas bankomats in France before heading for Italy.

Yes there are ATMs in Monterosso. Note that different U.S. banks charge different fees for their use. The least expensive seem to be Capitol One or Washington Mutual. BofA is a bit more expensive. Still, when you are spending thousands on a trip, a few dollars on fees aren't going to matter.

Note also that it is most important that you call the 800 number on the ATM and credit cards that you will be taking with you to Europe and let them know about your travel plans - including dates that you could be using the cards. It is not uncommon for U.S. banks to immediately block a card when you begin to use it in Europe and they suspect fraud. You can also ask them to increase your cash withdrawl limit.

Swan-
I don't have Bank of America- that was another poster. But in terms of being "in network"- I bank at Wachovia, but my ATM card has the Plus logo on the back, which (from what I've read) means it's compatible with Bankomat. Is that true?

Overall what's the general concensus? Should I exchange some money here and then plan on withdrawing from ATMs? (I can't stop in France on the way to Italy!)

Thanks for the tip on asking the banks to increase your withdraw limit- I already notified them of my travel plans.

So is the general concensus to exchange some money in the US but use ATM machines for most of the trip? (other stops are florence and venice)

I don't have Bank of America, I have Wachovia- but as far as being "in network" my bank card has the Plus logo on the back and I thought that meant it was compatible with the Bankomat machines????

Thanks for the tip on asking for a larger withdrawl limit, I contacted my bank already to notify them of my travel plans.

Amanda, don't worry about which card you have. Your Wachovia card will work fine. ATM cards from all over the world will work. The Plus logo belongs to Visa International so you're fine there. Typically, and depending on your bank, you can withdraw up to 200 Euro a day. And, a "day" seems more like 24 hours before your next withdrawl. I've made a withdrawl in the afternoon but was not able to make another the next morning. I had to wait until later in the day. I haven't got it fully figured out but the ATMs all seem to work fine. Another hint: the ATM receipts are very vague. They tell you the date, time and amount of the withdrawl but they don't tell you the bank or city. Also, your bank statement won't have great detail either. Best to write down where you made the withdrawl and the name of the bank on the receipt for a better record.

It's not terrible to exchange money here in the States before you go--you'll just pay a premium to do it. The first thing we do after landing at a major airport, is to find a Bankomat, or similar ATM. My husband and I each have a card for the same banks. (We have several banks with ATM cards.) We each can withdraw Euros. I did increase our limits before leaving. However, I found that we were still limited by the maximum amount that that particular ATM machine would give us (the button saying "400 euros"). When using the "other amount" button and inputting 500 euros, it would never comply. I was limited by that machine's maximum amount. I only realized this when a different ATM machine had the 500 euros button and I was able to withdraw that amount. Like you, I find it advantageous to pay for everything I can with cash. That way I avoid additional exchange fees & charges.

Lots of good advice here and I just want to add a few more points -

To Larry's point about what constitutes a "day" for the daily withdrawal limit - that's governed by your bank at home so take the time difference into account. Also, and it's not so common anymore, you may find ATMs there announce that service is unavailable around dinner time because your bank at home is doing maintenance in the middle of the night - or that every other American in Italy is trying to withdraw money at the same time. Earlier this summer, though, I had no problems withdrawing money from any ATM.

Individual ATMs may have their own withdrawal limit - quite independent of what your bank's limit is. That's because they don't have enough cash to give you 500 Euros at a time. You'll have better luck with ATMs located in or on a bank.

See if you can tell if the machine can give you money in E20s. Small businesses dislike having to make change for a E50.