In Florence until Sunday, would like it to be bank connected, not a high priced Travelex etc.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Have you looked around?
Every Bancomat we’ve ever used in Europe has English
I'd stay away from anything with a bancomat on the machine ... look for ATM's affiliated with an actual bank for better rates and lower fees. Every machine I've ever used in Europe has an option for english.
ATM is not a term used in Europe
Bancomat is attached to a bank
Bancomat is the generic European term for ATM. Nearly every ATM will have bancomat on it. I have not seen a Travelex ATM outside of the airport. Every bank in Florence will have an ATM attached to it. Ask your hotel for directions. Often they will a little room on the side of the entrance with the ATM terminals. Use you debit card to open the door to the room.
I'm not sure if all bancomats are affiliated with banks. I do know that not all machines are equal. We just returned yesterday and when my BIL used a machine and I used a different machine on the same block it looked as if he did not get as a good of a rate or he was charged a higher "fee" or rate. We took the same amount and when we compared our home bank account websites - my statement showed my 200 euro withdraw was 6% in USD and his was almost 10%. (if that makes sense)
The machines that are best to avoid are the ones operated by, and labeled Euronet. They are not connected with a local bank, and were ubiquitous in Portugal this spring. Even then, it's not going to be a huge mistake for a one time, smallish withdrawal if that's all that's available.
Please note that BANCOMAT is the name of the Italian circuit of debit cards, like MAESTRO is an European circuit for debit cards. So any machine in Italy labeled Bancomat is linked to an actual Italian bank.
Many ATMs/bancomats do charge fees. Those fees can vary, but they will be clearly disclosed on the screen before the transaction is completed, so you can always cancel, walk away and try another machine. You may see a flat fee, or you may see something that's a percentage of what you are withdrawing; maybe some ATMs charge a combination of flat fee plus a percentage.
Your bank at home may also charge a fee when you use an Italian ATM. That fee will be the same for all ATMs, but it may well vary with the amount of the withdrawal. Donna, if you and your BIL aren't customers at the same bank, that may cause a difference.
Finally, there's the invidious practice of dynamic currency conversion (DCC), under which the ATM offers to lock in a specified exchange rate. That will always be disastrously expensive for you, because the ATM owner will use an exchange rate that favors him, and the difference will not be trivial. You should always choose to complete the withdrawal in the local currency, just as you should always complete any credit card transactions in the local currency.
Poste Italiane has never charged me a fee. They have ATMs in Florence. See the list here. Check each address on Google maps and find one that is convenient for you.
Reminder that with a Schwab account they refund all fees from anywhere in the world
There are other options just as good as Schwab if not actually better. Most credit unions are free or nearly so.