debit or atm card in Italy

What difference are you referring to here? I use my DEBIT card at bank ATMs in Italia. I do Not use my CREDIT card at bank ATMs in Italia.

When I pay bills in Italia, I use the Euro I obtained from the bank ATMs. When I have to use my Credit Card to hold a room say, i still pay the bill in Euro so my card is not charged. But that's me.

Your own local bank where you have your Accounts should be able to help you with this. You will need to give them dates of card usage in Italia anyway, and they can tell you about any fees attached to using different cards at bank ATMs and paying bills.

my card works both as ATM and debit. you might want to check with the card issuer to see if there is anything that might cause you problems. the one thing I know for sure: let your bank know where you are going and when are going to be there otherwise you may find yourself without access to anything.

My Schwab debit card (carried only for travel) has a VISA logo; my day-to-day-use BofA ATM card does not (I had to get it reissued to make it ATM-only) I carry both and ONLY use them for getting cash at ATM's. (Schwab is main card because no ATM fees; BofA is backup in case the ATM machine doesn't like the first card.) And the Schwab card accesses ONLY the checking account where my travel money is stored, limiting my exposure.

For anything outside walking-around-money levels such as hotels I use a no-foreign-transaction-fee CREDIT card which has better limits on fraudulent transactions than a debit card.

You should use the resources on this site for info. Here's a link with great info re: money. http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money

I travel with my United CC that now has no foreign transaction fees, and I use my ATM card from BBVA Compass Bank for cash withdrawal. While the Compass ATM card is also a debit card, I will NOT use it that way, and I've informed my bank about our upcoming travel and specifically told them I would NOT use the debit option, and to note that on my account.

Debit cards open you up for a world of hurt. Credit cards will protect you...

My BBVA Compass card has no ATM fees, but they do charge 3% transaction/foreign conversion fees for each withdrawal.

Used to use the Capital One card, but since I use my United to earn miles more frequently, and now that there are no foreign fees, I only use the United Explorer card - especially since I have to pay $95 a year for it (for the other benefits, 2 free club passes, early boarding etc.)

Go with a Credit Card.

Most ATM cards are debit cards and carry either the Visa, MasterCard or other logo to be used as a debit card. When used as a debit card, you are limited to your daily cash withdrawal limit in the USA as the charge goes directly to your checking or other cash account. That's why you see it on your checking statement and not on your credit card statement. The one exception I am aware of is the Schwab Bank ATM/Debit card. We have one. Your limit is the amount in your cash account. Quite different. When we travel, we put our money into our Schwab Bank account. For ATM use, we can withdraw what we need. For debit or Visa charges, we can do that also. We've paid $1,200 hotel bills with no problem. Again, the limit is what is in your cash account. No ATM fees either. Note that many places in the EU are beginning to not accept debit cards for debit purchases. Too many problems.

My ATM card does NOT have a Visa or MasterCard logo. My banker says it "should" work in Italy. Hmmm... Do I need to set up a new account somewhere just for a better cash card for our trip?

My husband & I have a separate account from our bank, Key Bank, that we use for travel. This separate account has an ATM card that looks like an ordinary card except that there's no name imprinted on it, and it has no credit card logo. This account is not linked to our savings or checking accounts. So, if someone steals our card, it's virtually worthless to them. We use that exclusively for ATM withdrawals for cash (that goes directly into the moneybelt). So, restaurants are paid in cash. I reserve & pay for all of our hotels upfront through Expedia, so we don't risk using a credit card in Europe. Never had any issues. But, I do notify our bank when I'll be in Europe.

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful advice. I so appreciate you taking the time to help me.

Sue