Everyone want to be paid in cash in Italy

This is normal when using smaller hotels and renting apartments. To make sure you have enough cash make sure to have your bank raise the limit you can withdraw every day. Also let them know your travel dates and places so they don't put a fraud hold on your card. Also, most ATM's will have a transaction withdraw limit so you may have to make more than one transaction to get out enough money.

Make sure to check out the apartment before handing over the money. Make sure to find out where the breakers are in case you trip them, find out how to work all the appliances and where the washer/dryer is. I read complaints all the time from people who could find things or work things and couldn't get in touch with the rental agency. You might also want to see if you can pay them with PayPal upon arrival. This will give you a little security if the apartment isn't what you were led to believe it was.

Donna

Smaller Mom and Pop type places want cash for rooms. Italians, in general, don't like paying the credit card processing fees. Cash is King! Sometimes, if a place does take credit cards, you can get a discounted rate for paying cash instead.

Be sure to let your bank's SECURITY DEPARTMENT know that you will be using your ATM/Credit Card overseas. Don't count on an automated system or a regular customer service representative over the phone to handle this for you. Ask to speak with someone with the security department or you might find yourself with your ATM/Credit Card blocked. Have your daily withdrawal limit raised to the maximum also.

I always bring a backup ATM card linked to a separate account just in case my primary card is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised. If my primary card is compromised, I can then transfer my funds to the secondary account and use the backup ATM card instead.

Most of Europe is not as credit card driven as the US. Depending on your cash needs, getting enough cash can be tricky and require some planning. A 250E withdraw limit is common on many Italian ATMs especially those in heavy tourist areas - like Rome -- and on the weekends. And then you need to know your banks withdraw limit for 24 hr withdraw period. That limit is often in the range of 500 to 1000 DOLLARS. Ask your bank to give you the max limit. Take at least two debit cards tied to two different accounts. With a $500 limit you could get about 800E daily with two accounts. I have generally found that an ATM attached to a bank during the week does not have the 250E limit. But if you hit the limit just move to another ATM or do another transaction at the same machine. The big issue is -- IF you bank charges you a per transaction fee, then you are increasing your cost of money. But you may not have any choice.

We did 33 days last year from Amsterdam to Rome and only charge two items. Everything else was cash. One charge was a hotel that would not give a discount for cash and another time was near the end when we were trying to conserve cash. And for those people who worry about credit card security, there is no better security than not using the card.

What Scott suggests, talking with the security dept, can't hurt. However on 8 trips to Europe I just talked to whoever answered the phone in customer service and asked them to make a notation on my card. I never had trouble using a credit card or ATM card.

Don't think about it too much. There is a great deal of "under the counter" that goes on in Italy.

And Yes, it can become a problem to secure enough money to pay off a lump sum at the end of a long stay. This is why you need more than one ATM card and to be vigilant about taking out the max allowed per day till you've matched the hotel bill. Don't wait till the last few days.

On our next trip, I'm just going to get the best exchange rate I can in the States and take a much larger amount of cash with me. I figure if I get the 5% discount, and pay fewer ATM charges, that it will balance out. But with a little less headache. We'll pre-pay the hotel. That way I'm not worried about keeping money in the room or pickpockets.

Some banks don't charge a transaction fee so it may pay to find one in your area. This way you can get euros in Italy and not pay the higher conversion rates they charge here in the States. Having your daily limit set to the maximum will allow you to use the ATM less often. The only problem you may encounter is that the ATM has a set transaction limit. This simply means you make more than one transaction to get out the funds you need. If your bank doesn't charge you a transaction fee then you can use the ATM as often as you like until you reach your daily limit without paying an additional fee because Italian banks don't charge a fee.

I never travel to Europe with more than 100 euros in my wallet. I don't like carrying a lot of cash and it's too easy to get cash when you're there to risk having it stolen while in transit.

Donna

This kinda seems like a "whatever makes you feel comfortable" question.
Myself, I felt better landing in Italia with a couple of K (in Euro) in my pocket. My line of reasoning is that it would not be an immediate worry if something were to go wrong. I didn't worry about travelling from the US to Italia with the cash. I did get a bit paranoid when I landed though.
Dunno, whatever feels best to you. BofA offers(or at least they did a few months ago)a straight up exchange. You just pay the conversion rate. Don't even have to be an account holder.

Credit card companies scalp the small businesses, which gives them a strong incentive to use cash. The tax system also drives a lot of the economy "under the table".

To make sure you have enough cash, you may have to open multiple accounts with a debit card from each. Some banks will change your daily withdrawal limit, but most won't.