cash EUR vs credit cards

Street Vendors are almost universally cash only (as they are in the US). Small cafes are half and half, it depends on the area you're in (how much tourism feeds their business in particular).

Ron, as a rule assume that the small cafes or the "mom and pop" places are cash only. Use credit for the big purchase like hotel, car rentals, or department stores.

In Italy many smaller hotels also require cash. We rarely used our credit cards, eating in smaller fmaily run places and staying in simialr B&B's and hotels.

Few Italians use credit cards. It is a cash society and most users of credit cards are tourists. Up until a few years ago, even the Vatican ONLY accepted cash!

It is getting better now, as younger Italians are getting credit cards, but the advice yo see above is accurate. Smaller places and hotels run by the older generation are still cash only - Heck, I have to pay my rent each month in cash!!!!

Ciao,
Ron

This answers an ongoing dilemma I've been having about how much euros to bring (my bank charges a $10 flat fee for any amount ordered) and how much to rely on credit cards (which I despise) and debit cards (which I do use a lot). I know it seems risky to carry around that much cash, but I need the security of knowing I have it on hand for any purpose. Even though everyone has said many times in these posts that debit cards works just fine, I don't want to take any chances. So my husband and I have devised some ways to secure our cash so that we'll be as protected as possible from pick pockets and thieves. And actually I think there's a lot less risk that we'll be robbed than that our debit cards won't work or that we won't be able to withdraw enough on any given day. I just do not need that headache.

I do have to mention that on my trip this Winter, I saw more credit card use in restaurants by locals than ever before. Of course, this was Rome, I wouldn't expect the same in a small town. I find it best to have cash, if I hit a larger restaurant and see CC use, I'll use my card, basically taking a cue from what I see.

Go in with the assumption that you can't use a credit card, b/c they're just not as common as you would think. Hotels, trains, and bigger restaurants are usually ok. Look for the credit card sign in the window before you sit down (or ask "carte?").

Otherwise, it's a very cash-heavy society. My advice would be to take maybe 100-500 Euro (whatever is comfortable) with you to start, and then supplement with ATM's. They're all over the place, and you'll get a very good exchange rate (much better than what you'll get here in the States ordering ahead of time).

Bryan

Minor point, per Bryan's post above. It's actually "carta" not "carte". ("Carte" is plural.) But it's easier to just ask "VISA?" or "MasterCard?" They will definitely know what you're asking.

Linda, I will bet your bank pads the exchange rate so that you pay $10 plus an inflated exchange rate. We always a hundred or so going in but rely on the debit card exclusively with no problems for the past ten, fifteen years. We use two debit cards tied to two different account as back up but both have always worked very well. The two cards also get around any limit issues you might encounter.

Was in Italy in April, Rome, Venice, CT and Tuscana. All hotels took card except hotel in CT. Most restaurants took cards. I carried about 1,000 euro with me. It was enough to get me through the times when cards weren't taken. I stayed in B&B and ate in small mom pop establishments. Many take cards. Little shops in hill towns, when buying sausage or slcie of piza etc. used cash. When buying Morano class etc. used cards.

Cash is best - getting it from an ATM machine. Using a credit card will just add bank charges to an already poor rate of exchange.