Money problems in Rome July 2016

Bank of America international number for ATM/debit card

The number to call for inquiries regarding your ATM/debit card is: 315-724-4022. This is a collect number. You can call this number for any problem you are having with your ATM/debit card – whether there is fraud on your card, your card is stolen, or if it’s simply not working while you are traveling.

Call & see if they can turn on ATM use on your card or overnight you one that will

Where does the money comes from if it's not a debit card? I've never heard of an ATM card that didn't take money, ie. debit it, from my credit union account.

Yeah, unusual for sure. Bank of America does not have a good record of protecting people from unauthorized transactions on debit cards in my town. One person had her entire savings drained by someone who filled up all their friends gas tanks in the hood after she left the card on the convenience store counter. She never recovered the funds. My card is set to only work at the ATM with my pin and cannot be a debit card at any other device. I use AMEX because if I have a problem they protect me.

you don't need to tip, not compulsory in europe

Thanks Christi! I'm calling right now....

I am unable to call Bank of America collect without incurring
International fees.

AT&T has an local access number in Rome which will allow you to call collect with out additional charges:

http://tinyurl.com/hyt5gkr

unclegus,
Both my travel agent and Travel guides give tipping guidelines. 5-10 percent has been recommended. 3 euro per day for housekeeping, 40 euro per tour for private guide. 20 euro for the driver. Less for group tours. Placing a cash tip of 5-10 percent on top of Credit card payment for dinner has been suggested. When you are in Italy... No tips anywhere....ever? Thanks.

Really, your travel agent gave you those tipping guides?

Oh my...Europe is not a tipping culture and none is expected - that is why there is no place on a credit card receipt to add a tip.

For service in restaurant - none

The tour guide sets a price - if they are exceptional then maybe 5 - 10% at the end.

OK - housekeeping...being a former maid I have a soft spot - 3 euro a day is what I leave too!

I hope BOA can help you

Those tipping guidelines are ridiculous and way out of line, especially in Italy, but even for other places in Europe. Don't pay any attention to them.

Just spoke to BOE. My card cannot work at the ATM without the credit card link. Now I can stop trying.
I need to find a reasonable money exchange for the dollars That I brought. If I'm not tipping I should be okay together with my credit cards. I also maybe eligible for emergency cash.

Could someone wire you money from home? I will be traveling next spring. I am leaving my daughter money to wire me through western union. I didn't read good reviews about money gram. You could take a cash advance on your credit card. They start charging a very high interest rate from the date you withdraw the money. However, if it is an emergency, it is an option. I was also told to tip the bus driver and tour guides.
Good luck and try to have fun!

This is one reason why it's prudent to carry a "backup" ATM card when travelling in Europe, or some other means of obtaining cash if your primary card doesn't work.

On the question of tipping, what type of "travel guides" are you using? Also, I'm not sure your travel agent gave you the best advice. You may find this information from "the master" to be helpful.....

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/tipping-in-europe

As you have an AmEx card, I vaguely recall that they offer currency exchange. I believe they have an office at Largo dei Caduti di El Alamein, 9 · +39 06 7290 0769, but you'll have to check that. That might be a good place to get your $320 converted to Euro.

One other point to mention. When you're using your AmEx card for purchases (hotels, etc.), you may be asked if you want the transaction processed in your home currency or in the local currency. That's called Direct Currency Conversion (DCC) and will cost you more in service fees, so always choose the local currency option.

Great suggestion but the AmEx offices are too far away and not linked on transit routes. I'm just astounded that I can not walk into a BNL bank with my partner BOA bank card and at least exchange dollars. Hopefully my guide or the American embassy will help me tomorrow. I made calls to the bank before I left and even asked for a back up card and if the credit option was needed. This is maddening but part of my learning curve. The wire transfer is not going to solve my dollar problem. Can I tip with dollars? I have a private 4 hour tour today with a guide and driver. Give the guide $20 ( even though my travel agent suggested 30-40 euros) but what about the driver? I have no change. Thanks.

Amex can wire you emergency cash, I think up to $500 on the green card.

Tipping: none expected, usually. A clue: if your bill is €15 and you pay with a €20, you will get a €5 back. In the US, if your bill is $15 and you pay with a $20, you will get back five singles most of the time, to ensure that you have change to leave a tip.

Do not tip with dollars, that just passes your money exchange problem on to your server/guide.

Tipping in US dollars would be seen as a joke. You might as well hit the tour guide with a carton of Luckies and some nylons.

Nobody tips in euro in the States, the reverse also applies.

Can you do a cash advance on your AMEX card? You would need to have set up a PIN when you got the card or sometime along the way.

Before others go ballistic about the cost, with AMEX, and most other cards it will run you a $10 fee or 5% of the transaction (whichever is more). Interest does start right away, as opposed to after a billing cycle, but even if you wait a month, the interest will be about 2% of the transaction, meaning your cost is about 7%. That compares to exchanging Dollars, and about the same as if your BOA card did work ($5 fee plus 3%), and certainly less than someone wiring you money. If you do not have a PIN, you may be able to do an advance at a bank. For your situation, you need cash, so figure whatever method is going to cost you.

Regarding access to the AmEx office, it appears to be close to the Cinecitta station on the Metro "A" line (direction Anagnina), so it shouldn't be too hard to get to from Termini. There's also a bus stop Torre Spaccata - Tuscolana / 213 in the area close to AmEx, but I'd have to research the route for that. The staff at your hotel may be able to provide some assistance. If your budget will allow, there's always a Taxi.

Both my travel agent and Travel guides give tipping guidelines.

Then it's time to fire both your travel agent and travel guides!! Italy is NOT a tipping culture and for them to tell you otherwise is irresponsible and just wrong. Italians don't tip. If anything, they might round up for very good service but they certainly don't use the guidelines you were instructed to use. I simply find it hard to believe that they would instruct you to tip a tour guide 40 euros and the driver 20 euros. I get the feeling neither of them have ever been to Italy.

*When you are in Italy... No tips anywhere....ever? *

That's correct. Italy is not a tipping culture so you don't need to tip ever for anything.

Donna

AMEX will give you a cash advance, won't they?

I'm going to take your advice wonderful travel people.
The wiring money thing is crazy. I have a full schedule and no interest in getting lost or confused trying to find the pick- up office. Same thing for dollar exchange. I'm just going to use the place my guide suggests. I think the guide book suggests using the post office. Pompeii the next day so I'll need some local currency. I already tipped the private driver who delivered me from the airport in dollars and now I understand the strange look that I got.
I'll keep trying the ATMs but I have a special restricted card and am not counting on it working. I will have to pay for a shuttle to the airport and things I need that I can't buy with my credit cards. Next time I'll have a better plan (and a different bank). Thank God I brought some cash.

I'll just leave a tip of 3 euros per day for housekeeping if I have any left over.
Thank you all for your help!

RE: My card is set to only work at the ATM with my pin and cannot be a debit card at any other device. I use AMEX because if I have a problem they protect me.

Second (AMEX) first. As a credit card, you should be able to obtain EUR cash:
https://network.americanexpress.com/en/globalnetwork/cash-access/

Cash Access at over 1.2 million ATMs worldwide.

If Card Members need cash, American Express can help. Through our bank
partnerships, we can provide your Card Members access to more than 1.2
million ATMs worldwide.

I suspect that AmEx will be happy to charge you for the cash privilege, but if you need the Euros and have no better alternative, its called the business of being in business.

The first, second. I use to have a BofA account with an ATM (not Debit) card that I could use to obtain local currency at foreigh ATMs. I did have a 4-digit PIN, but it was not a Debit card. (BofA sold me to a regional bank so I am no longer a BofA banking customer.) See: https://www.bankofamerica.com/student-banking/resources/debit-cards.go

Some banks offer you an ATM card that allows you to withdraw money
from your checking account, but only through an ATM machine. Unlike
debit cards, ATM cards do not have the Visa® or MasterCard® logo and,
in most cases, may not be used to make store purchases directly.\

ATM cards give you easy access to your money, but be careful because
that easy access might cost you. For example, if you withdraw money
from your account at your own bank's ATM, you probably won't pay any
fees for that transaction. However, if you withdraw money from a
different bank's ATM, you could get charged a fee from that bank as
well as from your own.

So sorry you are facing this challenge. At this point, you simply need to find the way that will work for regarding getting cash, and pay whatever fees there are. I'm confident that you will use this learning experience and have a no fee debit card specific for travel the next time you go.

I admittedly overprepare when I leave the country. I bring 300 dollars in case of an emergency, 2 different ATM cards and 2 different credit cards. I have never had an issue using my ATM card in Europe, so I have never used my emergency cash.
On my last 3 trips to Europe I even went to my local bank to get enough foreign currency to last the first day or so. I understand that I won't get a great exchange rate, but for me it is all about having the most convenient stress-free first day of my trip after a long overnight flight.

I just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate the tips (for our future trip) but also how much I appreciate how helpful all of you are-- what a great support system, I do hope you are able to resolve your money problems. What a gift to find this forum. Following to make sure we take advantage of some sage advice..

I'll just leave a tip of 3 euros per day for housekeeping if I have any left over.

Not necessary! Not expected! Please do not tip where it is not required. MAYBE a small tip to a tour guide that is an employee of a big company. Your travel agent has clearly not embraced Italian culture. No tip to housekeeping! This is not the U.S.

Thanks for the tough love. I'm walking a few blocks to the nearest money changer in Barberini square. The front desk has warned me off the "crazy" post office. They also confirmed that Americans are possibly expected to tip by guides used to working with them but that no other country would be. He suggested 10 euro for the driver and 20 for the guide if I felt so inclined. My guide works for Carrini tours/ Ciao Italy. Not sure why someone mentioned "if they worked for a big tour company". I want to be culturally sensitive and respectful. Now it's time to worry about the 97 degree heat today! Feather weight ankle skirt with sandals or SPF thin wicking pants and sturdy hiking shoes? Thanks to an earlier forum I have EVERY choice with me. UV umbrella and water pouch in my backpack today, the adventure of travel continues.

Your attitude is great - don't let the challenges ruin your trip - in later years these will be great travel stories!

If a guide is employed by a tour company, and is not the owner-operator-guide, they only receive part of what you pay for the tour, the owner gets the rest. Hence, if you want to tip an employee, it would be appreciated.

Second the applause for your attitude!

Changed $100 at 81.5. Painful but better than 77 the hotel offered. Now I can pay for the cab to the airport! After a BIG breakfast and a beautiful walk around where I discovered places to dine, I can see no more problems to care about. I feel completely comfortable wandering and eating by myself. Beautiful city! Now I'm adding a tour of Ostia Antica to my trip. The heat experience isn't even as bad as I expected. Back on track!

Three cheers for you for such a graceful recovery from a bad experience! And, thanks for sharing each step of the way so that we can learn from your difficulties. Love your attitude!!!

deesal2014

Have you looked at the fees to wire money? Last I checked both Money Gram and Western Union charge quite a hefty fee to send anything more than about $50 anywhere. While I would not have any issue paying the fees if it was an emergency situation, just to send the money as a convenience it just doesn't make sense to me.

You have time. Why not open an account at a bank or credit union that offers a no fee international debit card? Several options have been mentioned around here. My choice is the Capital One 360 account. Open online, fund online, no fees for anything, exchange rate is what is posted on Google and the card works in every European ATM I have ever tried.

Back when B of A moved from ATM to Debit cards ten years ago, I protested and said that I didn't want a card that could be used for retail purchases. They said, fine, you can keep your ATM, but it won't work outside the USA. Period. The End. Too Big to Fail. But they told me clearly.

If your bank doesn't do what you want, get another bank. Or in this case, a Credit Union that also offers VISA cards (I mean, credit, separate from their ATM card) that have ZERO Foreign Transactions fees.

"I'm walking a few blocks to the nearest money changer in Barberini square."

I hope the nearest money changer on Barberini Square is not a Travelex office? They're not known for providing good exchange rates and you'll probably pay more than if changing at a bank or whatever.

Having said that, I have used them very occasionally more for a matter of convenience, but I knew what I'd be getting when I walked up to the window.

Good luck!

Ugh. Good luck! We had trouble finding a BNL in Rome and found 2 but one was closed for construction and the other boarded up and neither had ATMS. We did later find out we could have found a Deutsche Bank that is in Rome and in BOA Global Alliance.

Glad you got it figured out.

Towards the tail end of our trip, we were running out of cash so I tipped 6 euros for a 3 hour tour for two of us. Mainly I tipped tour guides anywhere from 3 euros to 10 depending on lenght of tour and my impression (there were 2 of us).

Happy traveling!

In the lobby at 6:30AM this morning to be picked up for a day trip. Mixed national group with the accents to prove it. We returned from Pompeii at 9:30PM. Bathroom attendants on stops along the way and at site were aggressive about tips. Tour guide invited us to tip if we liked the service and said that it would be appreciated. There was a big pile of cash on the bus dash as I left. Same vibe from the driver yesterday. I think Americans have corrupted the tip system. Still following orders from this thread and not tipping.

Got lucky with cloudy skies and a breeze at Pompeii. You'd need a bathing suit and a sprinkler to survive otherwise. I would seriously consider carrying ice packs to stay cool on a sunny day. Pompeii is also so vast you could get lost. I had no idea.

actually toilet attendants is one exception I forgot to warn you about. If there is a basket or plate you are expected -and I do - to put €0.50 or whatever the sign says in. If I don't have that much I won't leave €1 but will leave something smaller, but pretty much always something. This is the case throughout Europe.