How much American Dollars to bring to Italy

I usually take about $100 US in cash. And by "purchasing euros" you mean using an ATM, right?

Great! That's just the amount I was thinking of. My son gave me $20 in Euros already and yes I plan on using the ATM machine to get more.
Thanks!

When you say you are going to use your credit card to buy euro is this card also an ATM card? If you use a credit card to make a cash advance you will pay interest from the first day you withdrawal the cash. The best, safest, and most efficient method for obtaining euro is to use a bank ATM from your checking account using an ATM card. Buon viaggio,

Take along as much US cash as you wish to return with because you won't use it over there. Check your banks fees for international withdrawals, some charge nothing and some charge a lot. Notify your bank and credit card that you are going out of the country.

Way ahead of you. Got my ATM card in the mail yesterday. All I have to do is change the pin number they gave me. I also got duplicate credit card and debit card. I made copies of them and also my passport. Oh I even took a copy of my drivers license which I'm taking in case I need to rent a car after my trip. Good idea about having extra money for my trip back. Didn't think of that. I followed Rick Steves packing list and got most everything done on it. The only thing I wish that was on that list was electronics, like camera, batteries etc. I had to look in the pretour book for that. Thanks, and I'm getting excited about my very first trip to Italy next month. Of course would you believe that I got a summons for jury duty on Monday!!!!

Gloria, call the jury clerk and see how they handle this. Prepaid tickets, especially for foreign travel, will generally excuse your jury duty. In some states you can ask for a deferment ahead of time, so you don't have to show up on Monday and hope your excuse will be recognized by the judge. With a deferment, you agree to appear at a later date.

Same thing happened to me. Simply call and ask for a deferment. I have a wonderful first time trip to Italy.
Bella Italia!

Use money belt to carry the cash, CC, DC, and PP.
Have a good trip!

I am not sure if I understand you can not use US dollars in Italy you must use ero's?

Yes, you can only use Euro's in Italy and parts of Europe. It's recommended to use ATM and Credit Cards for all transactions.

I wouldn't take any US cash. I always show up in Europe with whatever Euros I have left from my last trip (which I why I never change them out upon departure) and hit an ATM shortly after arrival. I've never found a use for $US on any of my trips over there. Maybe in your returning airport if you're dying of starvation and can't locate an ATM... ;-)

I bring about $20 on international trips because I buy lunch/early dinner in American airports during my layovers on the way out of the country and when I have arrived back in the U.S.

Gloria, You said you are bringing your license in case you need to rent a car while you are here. A license is not sufficient to do so, you will need an International Drivers Permit (IDP) from AAA. I would keep a credit card for emergencies, but focus mainly on using cash from an ATM. Italy is a cash-based society, and using cash is the most efficient and easiest way to pay for things (rather than credit cards).

So should I contact AAA for that license? I am a member.
I had read where you should use a Credit Card for all purchases as it automatically does the exchange rate. No?

The best way to avoid too... many ATM fees is to withdraw as much as you can, until you need more. When you're almost done with your trip, try to calculate how much you will need for those last days and withdraw that amount. It's hard to estimate what an exact amount for everyone is. Taking $$'s is useless. Just take enough $$'s for the US airport. Ask yourself "how much money do I use on a regular basis for a snack, food or drink"? If you need something very, very special that you could only buy at the airport, use your CC or Debit Card (I have never bought anything else but food or drink at the airport). That should be what you need at the airport. My mom that is in her 70's, was very frustrated trying to use her $$'s in Italy. I told her that $$'s were useless, but, well... she's old and stubborn.
Purchasing or exchanging Euro's is the most expensive way you can go. They are thieves in those kiosks that exchange money at the airport. Don't throw money away! No matter how much you spend on ATM fees or CC fees, they won't be as steep as exchanging money.

Yes you need an International Driver's license to rent a car in the EU. You get them at your local AAA office (about $15.00). I keep warning post's about ZTL's in Italy. Ask your hotel or rental car agency to inform if you will drive into one or where they are in the town or city? Fines can be expensive. You didn't say where you were going to in Italy, so here's an explanation for Rome's. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/654/98894/ZTL's+in+Rome?destId=359975

You will definitely need an International Drivers Permit. It's not up to the rental company, it's the law in Italy (and nearly any foreign country). You will need this with your license as it translates and supplements it. Like another poster has said, you go to AAA and pay $15, bring two passport photos (or pay to have them taken there, sometimes for free depending on your level of membership) and you walk out with the permit.

OK Miguel, you gotta give me some slack:):). I had a good chuckle reading about your Mom being 70 and old:):). I'm 69 and I'm taking my very first trip to Italy on my own! How's that for an old person:):). Rest assured, no offense taken:):). I plan on only taking enough money just for the US as in a case I might need some. I fly back into JFK and have a long layover so might want to buy some NY Souvenirs. I won't be renting a car in Rome but in a small town south east called Campabosso. I've already looked into the rental car there and will look into it further today on their Web site to see if I need an International Drivers Lisc. Oh and my Mom is 95 and all she uses is her debit card:):). My Dad, 96, still has to have his bank statement mailed from the bank:):) Ciao,
Gloria

Miguel is right. Except for Canada and Mexico. You need a International Driver Lice to drive car in any country of the world.
He is also right on about the ATM and CC too.

Gloria the same rules apply on the IDL, whether you go rent a car in a big city or a small town anywhere in the EU. One more thing,; most cars are stick shift. If you don't know how to drive stick, you must specify an automatic before you get to the rental agency. They have never had an automatic for me to rent anywhere. Maybe some body has had better luck than me.

Oh great! and I don't know how to drive a stick shift! This is getting way too complicated! Luckily I only need a car for a short drive from Campabosso to Celenza. I am going to look up the car rental agency in Campabosso and see what I can come up with. I don't drive a stick shift cause I'm short and can't reach the clutch:):) Maybe I could walk huh???:):) Gloria

It's kinda rare but you may be able to get an automatic. Email 'em to find out if you can get one and cross your fingers that it'll actually be there when you pick up.

SITA bus line might take you where you're going. My Italian is not that good to be certain that anything I write you is correct, but there are others in this web-site posting that might be able to help. The bus is an alternative. http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal Don't worry about being short. Italian cars were made for short people. Have you seen the Fiat 500 imported into the US now. They make the VW Beetle look like a Cadillac.

She may be tall enough for stick in small Italian cars, but if she's never driven stick before I wouldn't suggest trying to do it in a foreign country. Using SITA I found that you could use the bus to go from Campobasso to Foggia, transfer over to Celenza Valforte, but it would take hours to do so. There may be a route that is more direct, but I don't have time to research it right now, sorry.

Going to look into that SITA site but I still think I'm better off renting a car. And "sigh" I am too short for a stick shift. You know, us Italians are all short:): I did view the rental car agency in Campabosso and it sounds like I won't have a problem renting a car. I heard that the roads are narrow and in some cases high grades. I am use to traveling those kinds of roads anyway so I think I could handle the drive. On the rental car agency it said that you only need an International drivers license if your drivers license is in an unreadable language like Chinese. But I am contacting AAA for more information.

If you are too short for the clutch pedal, then how do you reach the brake pedal. Both are the same height along with the gas pedal or do you have one short leg that doesn't reach the ground.

I'm not suggesting that she attempts to drive stick for the first time in Italy (can't imagine what a nightmare that would be for her), but I had a hunch she wasn't aware of that small detail. The IDP, interesting all the different opinions that we get about that subject. TOOO... many stupid and lame regulations.

Gloria - It's not a matter of contacting the rental agency for more information about an International Drivers Permit - It IS Italian law that you have one. The rental agency may not care (unless you have their insurance and are in an accident) but the police WILL care if something happens. And the insurance WILL care if you are in an accident and not legally permited to drive. I would not recommend learning to drive a stick shift in Italy. An accident or ruined clutch will ruin your vacation and the chances of one of those things happening because you don't know how to drive the car is very high.

I'm headed into town tomorrow to the MVD to get my IDL. You all can rest easy now:):). I sure do appreciate everyone's advice and help.

gloria go have some fun, I feel your stress.

So I go into town yesterday to the MVD to get my International Drivers Permit and they have no idea what the heck I'm talking about! Today I called AAA and they told me that their office is the only place you can get an IDL. Of course the closest office is only 110 miles away! I was going to mail my application in but afraid that I would not get it back in time for my departure on Oct 2nd. So I'm going to head down to Phoenix on Monday and do it in person.
Might was well bite the bullet and do it right!

One more thing: call or email the car rental company a few days before you pick up the car and confirm that they have an automatic for you.

We brought $200 in 50's for emergency in case we had a problem with ATM's. Every ATM transaction worked flawlessly. So we used the $200 to pay for parking after arriving back in the states. ATM's give the best rates. ATM exchange rates a couple weeks ago were around 1.36-1.37, but we saw "Cash" exchange windows with 1.48-1.49 for USD. Don't exchange USD unless except as a last resort.