$ CASH $ - How Much ?

Check the daily limit on your debit cards. I ran into a problem here at home yesterday, forgetting the $300 daily limit on our debit card. That could have been a real problem if we had been traveling!

Be sure to alert your bank and card companies that you'll be traveling. They'll ask where you're going and how long you'll be gone. This is for your protection.

We always like to take about $300 US with us, and an equivalent amount of whatever the currency in our first stop. Many folks don't bother, and get along just fine. I'm just more comfortable know that if there is a problem (can't find ATM, ATM doesn't work, card is rejected - all of these have happened to us) we're covered.

To put it bluntly: use the exact same common sense you would use at home. The same. Don't overthink this.

Leave your Amex cards at home, they're not widely accepted outside the USA.
Otherwise, virtually any Visa or MC will be accepted at 99% of any business you may stumble across. Occasionally, you may find some shop or small service place that doesn't accept credit cards. Same as at home. Just have some cash on hand in case you find a random kid selling lemonade in front of their house, or a Chinese restaurant that wants cash only.

I typically travel with a small emergency reserve of US dollars stashed in my moneybelt-like device (after 10 years of frequent overseas travel, have never once had to use any of that). I typically pull US$100 to $200 in local cash (Euros, Yen, whatever) upon arrival in Europe from at ATM. Other than my small stash of emergency US dollars, the only cash I bring from home is any Euros or Yen that I have leftover from a previous trip.

Of course, use credit cards that do not charge a foreign transaction fee, and before you leave be sure to give your banks a heads-up that you will be using your cards overseas (for both your bank ATM card used to pull cash, and your credit cards).

Except for the occasional ATM that decided it didn't want to return my card, all my ATM technical difficulties have been caused by my local credit union. I'm living proof that you can sit right in front of the employee who makes the entries about your travel plans on the computer, and still your card may not work.

• Solution #1: Travel with a contact phone number (assuming you'll have a phone you can use) and a contact email address so you can rattle the appropriate cage.
  
• Solution #2 (and highly recommended): Open a secondary account at an institution that doesn't charge fees when you use a foreign ATM. Capital One 360 accounts are fee-free I believe (verify!), and I've received mailings from TDBank promising no fees. It's really a good idea to have a second ATM card, even on a short trip. And on a trip of this length, it's even more important. Having a back-up is very helpful if an ATM eats your card Friday night and you know you won't be able to talk to anyone at that bank until Monday (if it's not a holiday).

It's smart to use an ATM physically attached to a bank during the hours the bank is open, just in case the ATM malfunctions. I haven't always done that, I became a lot more consistent about doing so after a French ATM ate my card and nothing I did changed its mind. On two previous occasions (both in Salamanca, Spain) I was able to get the card back by myself, once by pressing the "Cancel" key and once by performing another withdrawal. It's helpful if you don't panic. Having a back-up ATM card helps reduce the inclincation to panic.

It's important to read all ATM screens and credit-card device screens carefully, because offers to conduct the withdrawal or purchase transaction in dollars will be common. Doing that will cost you extra money. Be sure your transactions are in the local currency.

Fee-charging ATMs are also becoming a lot more prevalent. Those fees can be 5 pounds, 5 euros or more, so they are worth avoiding, especially on a trip as long as yours.

I can tell you what we do and we spend 6 to 8 weeks a year in Europe.

We leave home with reserves of currency from prior trips, usually €100 or £50 or 100 CHF. If we don’t have reserves, we hit the ATM (bank associated, not at a money exchange) for cash on arrival. We typically take out €250 or £200.

We carry 2 different Visa and/or MC cards, both accounts with no int’l fees and I take my business AMEX gold card as I have learned over the years that it will work in some situations that other cards won’t (Trenitalia I’m calling you out!) and my AMEX is the ultimate emergency card in case we need to evacuate or something horrible happens.

We carry debit cards for two accounts just in case, but our primary bank card, Charles Schwab, has no ATM fees anywhere in the world, so it is our go to.

First trip ever, you might want to get £100 before you fly just for comfort, but be aware you’ll pay a higher exchange rate in the US than you would at an ATM in England.

The Italian government is trying to crack down on the use of cash in order to thwart rampant tax evasion and money laundering. There are new rules affecting the use of cash that will be effective in 2020. Basically there will be a limit of €2000 per transaction on the use of cash and all merchants will need to have a POS machine. Merchants with no POS machines were going to receive a fine, but that sanction apparently was ruled unconstitutional by the courts last month, so although the obligation to have a POS machine persists however there is no fine for merchants who don’t comply with the law. At the same time there will be tax advantages for merchants who have one and also tax incentives for Italian consumers who pay by credit card rather than cash.

The point of all of the above is that more and more merchants will be able to accept credit card transactions, even for small amounts, because most bought the machines to comply with the new law.
My suggestion is to just have enough cash you would keep in your wallet at home. If you just buy an espresso (1.00€) or a 2€ gelato you may not want to bother to pull out your credit card. Use your judgment for transactions under 10€. However you should be able to use a card at virtually all restaurants and shops. They may be reluctant to accept cards because of the 2% commission they have to pay, but virtually all merchants have POS machines now.

To re-iterate.

• $ (USD) are about as much use as Spanish doubloons are where you live. Use local money, £ (GBP) in the UK and € (EUR) in Ireland and Italy.
• Most places will take cards. You may find some that only take cards for amounts over £/€10 or £/€20.
• Visa and Mastercard are good, others frequently not accepted.
• Be sure you have told your bank you will be using your cards in UK, Ireland and Italy; so they don't block them.
• Local credit cards are all Chip-and-PIN. Locals enter their PIN, nobody signs. It has been this way for over 10 years. If your card is old-fashioned "swipe and sign", the person may be unfamiliar with the process, be patient.
  • Unmanned machines (Ticket machines etc.) expect a PIN. You may not be able to use your card there.
  • "Contactless" payment is prevalent for under ~£30. With that you don't need a PIN.

• If the machine asks if you want to be charged in $, the answer is NO. Cheaper to get charged what you withdrew, same amount in same currency.

• Get cash from Cash machines (ATM), using the same debit card you use to get cash at home.

What Chris F said except:
If using your everday debit card, know what fees your bank will charge on foreign cash withdrawals to decide whether you want to do fewer large withdrawals or more small ones. And look out for local bank fees. I use a Schwab debit card which charges no fees and reimburses any fees from the local bank.
Also note that each local bank may have its own per-transaction limit on withdrawals -- if your withdrawal is denied, try asking for a smaller amount or go to another bank.

In addition to at least two different credit cards ( and we use our Amex cards more than others), open a second bank account for a second debit card. If one account/ debit card gets squirrelly, you have a second one to use. Use the debit cards only for cash withdrawals.

I ready all the earlier posts and found some excellent advice. Also, I have a few issues that I don't agree.

1) We lived in Germany from 87-91 and traveled by car and train in several countries, including Italy. Since then, we have traveled even more and find cash to be less necessary, even when planning self-guided trips where we rent a car and stay in B&Bs.

In Norway and Sweden soon cash will be no more. Everyone will have to use a debit or credit card.

We rarely use cash when home in the USA or overseas. Still, I always take $4-500 in cash with me as a backup. I wear a money belt if we are out and about with no safe in our hotel or B&B room. Depending on what countries we are visiting, I take euros, pounds, or US dollars. Buying foreign currency in the USA has few good options. The best rates are with Bank of America or Wells Fargo, and you must have an account with either to exchange money. The rate is better that at our local bank, but still not great. Best is to use ATM overseas to get cash, if needed.

We fly Delta and use our AmEx sky miles credit card as much as we can for miles. AmEx is not as widely accepted in Europe, but in Western Europe most places accept AmEx. Still, I always take a visa and MC as well. Also, both my ATM cards.

If you plan your trip, you can book your B&Bs and hotels in advance. If you like, you can pay in advance and usually save. I normally don't do this, but sometimes the deal to pay in advance is just to good to pass up.
If you are using airb&b are you close to the downtown areas. When we did a four week drive tour of Wales and England, we always found that the apartments on that site were always farther away from the city or town center, requiring finding a taxi or bus, instead of walking.

Still, in the Cotswolds (we stayed in Chipping Campden), parking should not be an issue for you in most towns. Not sure about Cirencester?

When renting a car in Ireland, you will have to pay for your insurance, unlike most places. I think Italy may be the same. Frankly, I would not rent a car in Italy.
I suggest taking some back up cash with you, but protect it with a money belt when out and about. You will be able to charge nearly everything on credit or debit.

Here is my writeup with details on our four week drive tour of Wales and England, perhaps you are going to more places that the Cotswolds.
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=599139

Amazing:

My concerns are eliminated. EXCELLENT advice.
Thank you ALL so much - I learned from everyone.
On to the next obstacle :-)
Warmest Personal Regards,
Calvin.

When I travel to a foreign country (NA, Europe, etc) I get some cash in the local currency from an ATM that is connected to a bank. Most airports have a number of ATM's scattered around. The only reason I ever, ever take my own currency is to use at home airports on either departure or arrival - never in a foreign country.

If you need to pay cash for some of the accommodations, you'll need to plan ahead to withdraw sufficient funds from ATM's. As mentioned by other posters, most banks have a daily maximum total.

Just a tip on the car rental front. Depending on the agency and/or the value of the car you may be required to provide two credit cards to place a security deposit on.

There's a good summary of all this, right here on this very website. Go to Travel Tips: Money and explore all the sections.

We typically have some currency left over from a prior trip which we take with on the next trip (100-200 Swiss Francs, Euros (no GBP)).

We have two ATM cards.
We only use the one that has no fees. The second one is for backup.
Get the cash out as you need it.
If you use credit cards, the cash will go a long way. AND your AirBnb is paid for 'already', so that major outlay is done.