Paying for things in Italy

Many places take cards but pkemty only take cash. Bigger stores, restaurants, hotels will almost certainly take them, but food in small shops probably won’t. 200 should be good for a start

Do you use Apple Pay or Google Pay? I used that almost exclusively in 2022 including for 3€ gelato. The kids manning the counters didn’t even blink when I held up my phone.

I think you might not need as much as 200 euros, but I'd want some cash.]

I used cash for gelato because the locals seemed to be doing that a lot, and there were some pay toilets that didn't seem to be set up for cards. The boxes in churches the control lights on mosaics and frescoes are coin-fed (usually 1 euro coins, but some will take others). If you happen to want to buy transit tickets from a newsstand, you'll need to pay in cash. Restaurant tips can't necessarily be put on the same credit card you use to pay for a meal. Finally, when I stopped in a little corner store to buy something like an apple or a banana, I wasn't going to ship out a credit card.

This brings up a question. I pay lodging with a credit card, but they have always wanted (last trip to Italy was in 2022) the city tourist tax in cash. It’s typically about 5€/person per day. Is that still expected to be paid in cash?

When we go to Italy, we start with about 250 euros so we can cover unexpected expenses, like cab drivers who prefer cash over credit cards, if you want to leave a couple of euros for good service, or if you want to get a coffee or gelato.

I was just in Italy for three weeks. I needed cash for: A cab when its satellite link for the credit card reader didn't work, but I could have been more patient, Gelato because there was along line... Ahhhh... That's it.

We were recently in Italy for the month of March. It was surprising, but every lodging took the city tax and put it on on the card as an add-on to the room fee. We used the card for everything, even a couple of gelatos and one pastry at a bakery that wouldn’t take cash.

The only thing we had to use cash for was the vaporetto pass. The machines would not process our card, which we knew worked, so we put cash in and all was fine.

The 3 group tours we took required cash payment to the guide. Other than that, almost everything was by credit card. Some places even refused cash payment because they didn't have enough cash for change. Pompeii was one where I tried to pay with 2-€20's for a €26 cost.

Withdraw 400-500€ to pay for purchases under 20€. if you have any left when you get home, mail them to me. I’ll send you my address via private message. Don’t worry. Nothing goes to waste in this forum

The advice would depend on the expenses the poster expects to have. In another recent thread I asked a similar question.

Taxis in Italy: Two responders warned me strongly against paying taxis in cash. The law requires them to have point of sale machines. Unless in a remote area, there should be no issues with getting a signal for the machine to work. They also warned against tipping taxi drivers in Italy.

Other purchases: I was told that it is rare to need Euros for payment. Even small purchases can be paid with a credit card. As already mentioned euros are sometimes not accepted as they cannot make change.

Two exceptions: #1 Tips often cannot be added to restaurant bills. Service is included in the bill. Any additional tips to waitstaff must be paid by cash. #2 Cash euros tips for hotel housekeeping.

I will be on a tour with my guide paying the local guides' tips and the tips for waitstaff for included meals

Paid city tax in cash in venice and orvieto. florence hotel took credit card. Travelled three weeks ago.

only other time we absolutely needed cash that I can recall was the bell tower elevator in venice (san magiorre, spelling wrong sorry -- island just opposite saint marks), great views and no crowd -- worth it.

You will need some Euros. Lots of people wait to get Euros until they arrive in country. That's fine if they are comfortable doing so. On the other hand, we prefer to have some cash in hand when we land. We don't have to search for an ATM, wait in line to use it, hope it works (they do malfunction at times), and doing all that while tired, sleepy, jet lagged, and on new turf. If you decide to get Euros before you go, contact your local bank or AAA and get a couple of hundred. It will cost just a bit more, but well worth it for the peace of mind knowing you're good to go as soon as you land. Regardless, check with your bank and credit card people and see if you need to put a travel alert on your accounts. Some do and some don't. You do not want them to see a foreign transaction, think it's fraud, and lock down your accounts.

You will need hard cash in Italy for the occasional small purchase or public restroom. However get them in Italy at a bank ATM (bancomat), as in most cases you get a better exchange rate. But don’t use the ATM in Italy that say ATM instead of Bancomat. Those are not attached to a bank, they are run by EuroNet, a company similar to travelEx, which manages many currency exchange kiosks at airports. You will pay more in fees and get lousy exchange rate. Use only Bancomat attached (or often inside the lobby) of a bank.

Take more than you think you need to be safe. I would take €400 for your trip. If toward the end of the trip you think you have too much left, then pay cash for stuff in the last few days. Besides Euros are not yogurt. They don’t have an expiration date. You can use them for your next trip to Europe or exchange them to a friend or relative you know who might be headed to Europe.