Changing Money in Sicily

Get ready for the flood of comments that you should use the ATM machines to get euros, not bring US currency to exchange once you get there.

I have never done that, exchange actual cash for Euros in Europe, but it is the same postal service in Sicily as the rest of Italy so I don't see any reason it wouldn't work there.

But why? No matter how much better the rate is at the post office, it is still not as good as using an ATM. And you don't have to drag all those dollars around with you until you convert them risking theft or simple loss. I am uncomfortable carrying large amounts of cash anywhere. Using an ATM in Europe is just as easy as at home. And most don't even charge a fee (as long as it is a Bank operated ATM and you refuse the offer to be charged in US Dollars).

If you have a bank that charges huge fees for using your ATM/Debit card outside the US, I can understand that might wipe out any savings. Maybe open a travel account at a bank that charges no fees for using your card in Europe. There are a surprisingly large number of those.

I'm assuming you need lots of euros up front to pay off those hosts upon arrival. Instead of exchanging actual currency, as the previous poster said. Use ATMs. But you will probably have to raise your withdrawal limits and perhaps get two debit cards depending upon how much you need. Or bring two cards on a joint bank account. That will double your cash availability. I personally have not exchanged actual cash since about 1994.

Poste Italiane has ATMs in Sicily so use your debit card.

Don't change money. Use an ATM just like at home. Works anywhere in Europe. I went to Sicily in 2015 and had no problem with any ATM dispensing cash. I'm wondering why Post Offices are involved in money exchanges...is this still true?

I will join the crowd and suggest you use the ATMs, including those at the post offices.
The Italian Postal Service, like most European postal services, is for all intended purposes, a “de facto” banking Corp which happens also to deliver mail and also be a mobile phone provider.
Sicily, the last time I checked, is in Italy, and things work the same. But maybe they are playing with the idea of replacing the Euro with their own currency: the Coso Nostro.

In addition to the better rate with the ATM, the post office lines in Sicily were so long last fall. It took a friend an hour in line to mail a package within Europe, and that was with our Sicilian guide helping him.

To answer Agnes, yes national Post Offices have traditionally had savings banks within the structure. This was from back in the days when these were post, telegraph, telephone, and post office. Today most countries have spun these services off and they function like any other commercial bank but you can still deposit and withdraw from your postal account (those of us who still have them). And the lines can sometimes be long!

I always use ATMs when I travel all over the world. I just let my Credit Union know when and where I'm going...

Post offices doing banking was also true in the US in the '50s - early '60s, according to elderly family members.

Are post offices in Italy public or private, or a mix? Are they allowed to make a profit like banks?

Be certain that your ATM card has a chip! In Sicily last fall toward the end of our visit, I suggested that my husband use HIS card to withdraw money from his account. It would not work, so I got my card out and got some cash. His card did not have a chip. The bank sent one with a chip after our return home.

Thanks, everyone! We will re-think our strategy... (Very funny, Roberto da Firenze!)
Martie

The Italian Postal Service (Poste Italiane SpA) is a for profit corporation listed in the Milan stock exchange. The government is a majority shareholder with about 60% of stock. They can make a profit like any corporation, and they do currently. They are involved in postal delivery, package delivery, financial services, mobile telephony, Insurance, real estate management, and even airlines, being the sole shareholder of Mistral Air, a regional airline.

That's interesting Roberto - thank you for the clarification.