If I understand correctly, I can use a prepaid contactless credit card for public transport use in Italy. I don't like the idea of doing this with my usual credit cards that have large credit lines so I was thinking of buying a prepaid card with maybe $150 USD credit. Will prepaid cards work? And is there one that you recommend that can be bought in USA? Thanks
Posted by
Washington DC
29781 posts
There have been reports here and elsewhere that prepaid credit cards do not necessarily work overseas. In addition, some of them have fees that make them costly to use. I would proceed with extreme caution.
There is virtually always an alternative to using a credit card--individual tickets, single- or multi-day passes, reloadable smart cards from the local transit system, etc. Especially if you're in one place for multiple days, one of the alternatives might be a practical solution for you.
I'm with you on not being thrilled if I need to pull a credit card out of my purse frequently, so I sometimes use a reloadable local transit card instead. I'm mostly a walker, so day passes don't usually make sense for me.
In situations when you have to tap out as well as in, it's important to use the same payment technique for both parts of the trip.