Cash payment for accommodations in Italy

We have paid by cash many times and have had no problem. We get money from an ATM and put it in a money belt until we pay the hotel on check-out.

Anytime you hit up the ATM you're going to want to take out the maximum, just for convenience. Do what you do with your cash at that time?

As long as your money is tucked securely in a money belt under your clothing no one is going to be able to run off with it. :)

OccasionallyI have been asked to pay on checking in, after seeing the room.

As for thieves, I think loiterers would become easily identifiable outside a small hotel, therefore prefer crowded public spaces. The vast majority of thieves are pickpockets, you won't be approached at gunpoint like in the U.S.

Are you often held at gunpoint in Ohio?

rick,

I've never found that to be a problem. I tend to use hotels which are a bit larger, and they've never asked for payment at time of check-in so I just pay when checking out. What I often do is start taking out larger amounts of cash when I first arrive in a location and store it in the Money Belt until needed. By the time I'm ready to leave, I've accumulated enough to pay the hotel bill.

I very much doubt that thieves will be waiting for people checking into hotels which only take cash, and mugging them before they get to the front door.

I store Euro cash for lodging inside the hotel safe in my room. Don't like putting that much in my money belt. Too bulky. And No reason to carry it around anyway. Can't spend it.

On one occasion we did a partial payment part way through the stay and the balance the night before checkout. Less cash to carry around. Made sure to get a receipt for the first payment.

We rarely pay cash even with a small discount. We have a Visa card with no fee's, we pay much more fee's taking money out of the ATM, so we take enough cash for the small stuff but usually charge everything else because we are given the lowest rate of the day and pay no fee's, I can keep better track of how much we spend on the trip this way. And of course we both carry separate cards from different accounts as back up in case something gets stolen or compromised.

We are staying in a small (recommended by friends) B & B in Italy in May this year. They do not take credit cards. Period.

I paid our deposit using Paypal, so EASY, and they will need cash for the balance. I will just find an ATM the day I have to pay them when I check out and get the money needed. We usually get to an ATM every few days. Our bank (Compass) doesn't charge foreign transaction fees (and if we get them, we just show our bank the receipt and it's credited back)

Stop worrying about thieves and being targeted. Italy is no worse than anywhere in the US. You can just as easily get robbed in NYC or LA as you would in Rome or Florence or Milan

Judy, a lot of smaller family-run hotels in Italy accept only cash payment.

Rick, we've had no problems with having to have a large amounts on us for a hotel bill, and you won't find light fingers loitering around their entrances looking to relieve you of it. As the others have said, just have the amount safely tucked away underneath your clothing. If you are traveling with a companion, split the wad between you if you wish to add another level of (probably unneeded) security.

All of them operate differently so some will require the amount at check-in, and others when you depart. If you have the full amount on you when you arrive, you might ask if they'll accept payment up front simply to unload the stash.

Jtraveler, I said the U.S., not specifically Ohio. Is twice often enough?

Yes, I also pay Euro cash in full at check-in if requested, or at another point during my stay as requested. In many cases, the managers are Not around when I'm ready to leave. In fact, I have stayed at B and Bs where the manager checked me in and then vanished for the duration of my stay.

Then too if managers do tend the office 24/7, they may be in No position to check me out when I'm ready. Often there is just enough space for me to turn in my keys as new customers crowd the desk for service.

We use cash about 98% of the time. Just so much easier and convenient for us. Sometimes we will have 1000 Euro on us but generally closer to 4, 500 Euro at a time. Never had a problem. A properly worn money belt keeps everything very secure. You are not going to find pickpockets hanging around front door of hotels. You are over thinking the problem.

DeutscheBank ATMS can be very useful in Italy for withdrawing larger sums of money in one transaction. Be sure to have your daily withdrawal limit raised by your bank, if necessary.

Our CC gives us 2% back on travel so we only pay cash when it's a better deal. Also it's an NTF card.