How to get A LOT of cash in Italy??

First, get debit cards that do not charge high fees. Second, find out exact what you withdraw limit is. My is a $1000. Third, carry two cards tied to two different accounts. That is smart anyway should one card not work. Even with lower limits get 300 the day before and 300 the next day. Wire transfers are expensive and you cannot set up an off shore banking account in Italy or elsewhere.

Since you are going to be in Siena first take out as much toward the 600 euros you can before you get there, break it into a few transactions if you have to. Having a Capital One card, Schwab account or Credit Union ATM card have the lowest to no foreign transaction fees. Usually if you take 200-300 euros you get 50's and 20's.

We had a similar situation in that my wife and I were to be in a cooking class on day 2 of our trip. The cost was about 500E. They even wanted us to wire the money in advance but the costs at each end made it unreasonable. The school agreed to let us show up with cash. We just couldn't have amassed the needed cash in 2 days. We ended up getting 350E before leaving from Wells Fargo. We paid about 2% for the transction. We were able to get the rest by the morning of day 2 with two different ATM cards.

Some suggestions: Go to your bank, talk to someone that can help you. Find out your current daily ATM withdrawal limit. If it is too low, ask them to raise the limit for you because you are going overseas and will need access to a higher amount because of the euro to dollar rates. They should not give you any problems. If they do, find another bank. As mentioned, make ATM withdrawals and stash the cash in your money belt. You are using a money belt, right? In addition, inform your bank and your credit card companies of the dates you will be overseas. Otherwise, when they see the foreign transactions they may freeze the accounts, thinking it is fraudulent activity.

Bob, ATMs (bancomats) are the easiest and cheapest way to get euro. Check with your bank to verify your limit is high enough to cover the amount you want, if not, ask them to raise the limit. On joint accounts sometimes the limit is per card not account so two cards could each take out the limit on the same account. Open another account to increase the amount you can withdraw. It is also a good idea for a backup. Look for the best deal for this new travel account. See http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange You want a low(or Zero) foreign transaction fee and a low or zero charge for out of network fees. Italian banks will not charge you for using their bancomats. On the back of your ATM or debit card you need a Visa - Plus or MasterCard - Cirrus symbol.
The Italian bank ATM may have a transaction limit (the amount you can pull out at one time), usually between 250 and 500 euro, but you can perform multiple transactions until you reach your bank's daily limit

A word of warning about the ATMs in Cinque Terra though - there aren't many and with the high volume of tourists, they tend to empty out quickly. The one on the main street in Vernazza especially is not reliable, I've been there on more than one occasion where it wasn't working, presumable because it was out of funds (there is a second one in Vernazza all the way up the road byond the train station). So even if your ATM card limit is very high, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to get more than a couple hundred at a time. Best have a backup plan.

Did you ask your B&B if you CAN pay by credit card? I did that with all the places I stayed in Italy, even when they said that only cash payment was accepted. I figured that since they gladly took my reservation with a credit card to hold the spot and would charge it if I didn't show, they would most likely accept payment by credit card after I DID arrive. Of course they prefer cash; but when pressed, all of them agreed to take a credit card (tho a couple really emphasized they'd like cash payment, they would take CC if absolutely necessary).
I paid cash in Venice and Lucca because they were small totals; but all the rest (Verona, Florence, Rome) we paid with credit cards. The cost per night was a little bit more expensive, but it was worth it for us not to have to worry about getting, and then carrying, so much cash.

Just do the ATM thing, but be aware- most ATMS have limits on withdrawls and will give you "this card is not authorized for international withdrawls" warning if you exceed their daily limit (which can be about 350E). If you get the warning, just try for less- I've been panicked on previous trips when I've had NO euros and needed money at the Milano Centrale ATMs and by taking a breath, exhaling, asking for less worked. In addition, some ATMS run out of money during the weekend, so it's best to get your money on Friday if you need it during the weekend. Finally, put it in your MONEY BELT, don't trust any other secure method. You will be glad you did!

Some Italian B&B's will accept checks from the US. Doesn't hurt to ask.

We have a similar problem. Landing in Milan at 10 pm, catching a train to Vernazza the next day at noon, three days in Vernazza and have to pay in euros in cash. The innkeeper said the ATM in Vernazza is not a problem. I think they should know. I'm planning on getting 300 Euros before we leave Milan then getting the rest of what I need (Our room is only 90 Euros a night) from the ATM in CT.

I know that many folks don't agree with this approach, but when we travelled to Italy last month and knew before we left that we had to make several large payments in cash (for private tours, etc.), I bought Euros at my local bank and my wife and I each carried 50% of the lot in our money belts. We had absolutely no problems and didn't have to deal with the hassle of daily ATM limits, fear of having debit card info stolen electronically in a bogus card insert slot, cards getting demagnetized, etc. Of course, on the flip side, my bank did charge about 9 cents above the official exchange rate, but it was a much better rate than AAA offered and far better than what one would have gotten at Travelex and the like. And, one other point is that we also used credit cards when possible and were pleasantly surprised to discover that, at least in major cities, our Bank of America AMEX card was accepted in shops and restaurants AND had no (i.e., 0%) transaction fee.

Bob, it's a non-issue, don't even worry about it. Finding an ATM will become a simple daily routine, there are PLENTY of them. I always withdraw the max amount available, I separate hotel payments into my money belt and put my day's need of cash in my pocket. I usually find myself having enough for the following night's hotel costs too, so I tend to only need an ATM every other day. If I have an extended stay, I ask if I can pay the hotel daily so I'm not hording a bunch of cash. For places that DO take credit cards, ask if there is a cash discount and spend your savings on a nice dinner. As someone mentioned earlier, having two different bank ATM cars is a nice backup.

Thanks everyone! Great advice all. So you'd suggest actually carrying around that much cash in my money belt? If, say, I have to withdrawal $300 (well, the euro equivelant) a day for a few days in order to pay for the B&B on the 4th day, I'd be carrying around $600 to $900 on my person for those few days. It would be in my money belt of course, but carrying around that much cash always makes me nervous. Is it safer on my person than "hidden" back in my hotel/B&B room?

If you are wearing your money belt properly, then they would have to strip you to get it -- right ??? The probability of that happen is ????? I often have 500 or more on me and in 18 years have never had a problem. Pickpocket is a small but persistent problem in Europe that impacts a minority number of travelers. Muggings -- someone physically holding you up and demanding cash are very rare and might occur in some very isolated places very late at money. Don't carry your money down a dark alley at 3 AM. While pickpocketing is constantly discussed on all travel sites, the true is that is relatively speaking small potatoes.

Bob - I agree with Frank and the others. Go to your lending and CC institutions and let them know of your travel dates both arrival and departure. Have then increase your withdrawl limit to say $1000. Carry a secondary card in case one card doesn't work. The most important thing is use your moneybelt.

I'm with Robeert of Happy Valley after researching both of my banks where I have my 2 debit cards - it is much cheaper to buy $600 worth of euros locally rather than in Europe to an ATM where my banks charge a feww plus a another fee for converting plus the ATM in Europe also charges yet another (3rd) fee. I am wearing my safety belt under my unders plus with large safety pin to unders on each side of belt. Before going out, I will put a smaller sum in my backup safety belt around one side of neck, over the shoulder and under my arm for smaller daily spending. Credit card for hotels. I am open to any better solutions.

EUROPEAN ATMs DO NOT CHARGE A FEE FOR USING THE ATM. This has been posted hundreds of times, and is supported by our experience that we have never seen a charge in the ten years or so that we have been totally dependent on ATMs. All fees, all fees, are solely determined by the card issuer and no one else. Unless you have someway to get Euros from your bank at the interbank rate, you will pay more getting money in the US than from an ATM with fees in Europe. Math does not lie.