currency in Italy

If you have read any of the prior postings on this subject you would see that ATMs are everywhere, just like the US. Any debit card works provide it has access to either the Plus or Cirrus network. The STAR network is not available in Europe.

As long as your debit card has the VISA logo on it, you should be fine to charge things, but there are some downsides. For example, hotels and places like gas stations often put a hold on your money which is not a problem on a credit card, but can be really inconvenient on a debit card. Availability of ATM's should be plentiful in the cities, but smaller towns may not have as many.

Another thing you need to be aware of is the fees. Call your bank and ask them what fees they will charge for currency conversion and if they have any other fees for using the debit card in Europe.

There are many conversations on this topic on this forum. Just search on it, or review the Graffiti Wall- there is a whole section on money topics.

Now I have to look up Hamel on a map.....

Thank you for your help! I've been scouring the graffiti wall, etc. It's a lot to go through, Frank, so I apologize if my question is repetitive.

Good luck finding Hamel on the map, Angela. It doesn't make most of them. :)

Angela,
If a store puts a hold on my card, does that mean I cannot use it again until the money has cleared? How long could that take?

i have a similar question. will i be able to use my ATM card in italy? its from a small bank, its not affiliated with any credit cards but it does say The Exchange, Cirrus, NYCE on the back. any feedback will be appreciated. thnx

This is very simple question, yet everything seems to what to make it very complicated. Don't bother looking up locations of ATMs -- you never find if you are looking for it and you will probably walk by several others before finding it. ATMS are everywhere include small cities. After all the locals have to have access to money. Just ask for a bank or a post office if you are having trouble finding one.

All debit cards are tied into networks -- have to be or they would not work beyond the front door of the bank. And generally more than one. However, for Europe it is important that it be tied to either Plus (owned by mastercard) or Cirrus (owned by Visa) Every ATM in Europe that I have seen will take either Plus or Cirrus. And some others but those are the important ones. ATMS in Europe DO NOT charge fees. It is your card issuer who solely determines the fees to be charged. So talk to them.

Holds are typical placed on debit cards for hotels, rentals, and self service gas station who don't know how much will be charged. They can be slow to clear and that does cause a problem. A regular purchase not generate a hold. Best solution -- pay in cash. Generally you will get a discount especially hotels and that save you money.

Debit card/ATMs is absolutely the best and cheapest to obtain foreign currency.

Hi Rachel,

I would highly recommend that you take a back up ATM card to a separate checking account and/or a credit card. You may end up with holds on your account that exceed your funds, an ATM could eat your card, you could lose your card, your bank could put a hold on it without you knowing and then it could take time to reach them to remove the hold.....etc. It is never a good idea to only have a single source of payment when abroad.

Have fun in Italy! :)

Rachel,

I'd also like to strongly recommendation that you have a "backup" ATM card. If your primary card is lost, damaged or has "technical issues", you'll be thankful for the second card.

I had problems with my primary ATM card on my trip last year due to some kind of a "coding problem" which took over a week to resolve. That was surprising as that particular card has worked perfectly on past trips. However, I had no problems with my backup card, and was able to easily make ATM withdrawals.

Note that your travel funds must be in a chequing account with a four-number PIN.

Happy travels!

love this site. thnx for the info guys.

Steve,

At the Credit Union I deal with, my primary account is my savings account. However, the staff have indicated that I can only access my chequing account from overseas. That fact has been proven by my experiences on past trips.

I based my reply not only on my particular circumstances, but also on Rick's advice in Europe Through The Back Door in which he states "Plan on being able to withdraw money only from your checking account."

Cheers!

Yeah at my Credit Union the "primary" account is also the savings account. Yet I've never had a problem withdrawing from the checking account while overseas.

At my Credit Union the savings account is indeed the "primary" account, it says so right on the statements. I don't know if it's the same in all parts of the country, but in my neck of the woods, you can't become a member of a CU unless you open a savings account first.

I recommend using the ATM for cash with your debit card and paying CASH for lodging, etc. I feel more in control of my card and its use this way. If nobody touches the card but me, there is less chance that info will be stolen or mis-used. I've stopped, almost entirely, using a credit card for this same reason.

While the above advice concerning checking account is accurate I have actually saw two ATMs in Rome - nowhere else -- that gave a choice of saving or checking. They appeared to be tied to something similar to our credit unions. It scared me enough that I backed out of both ATMs because I do not like dealing with unfamiliar set-ups so don't know if they would have worked or if I could have made a choice. While the odds appear to be very low of finding a choice, it might happen.

Hi,
My bankS operate the same as Ken's. I have two checkings and two savings accounts with two different banks. They have both informed me that in Italy/Europe, most ATM machines do not have the ability to withdraw from different accounts, and that all withdrawals will be from my checking account.

regardless of primary/secondary accounts. Happy travels!