Suggestion? Bank of America or Credit Card ?

$8 per ATM withdrawal is outrageously high. There are banks that change much less than that for withdrawals overseas.
Buying Euro in the US is just as expensive due to the high commissions.
Open a bank account at another bank and use that ATM card. Do not buy euro in the US, except for maybe what you might need for the first day or two. It is best to withdraw cash at the ATM in Italy (but with a bank card that charges you less than BofA).
Also have a credit card that charges no foreign transaction fees. There are several in the market and credit cards give you a good exchange rate also.

Don't use a credit card to withdraw cash - use an ATM card. Find a credit union that will not rip you off on ATM withdrawals ($8 per withdrawal is a rip off). I pay 1% withdrawal fee using a credit union ATM card - so that's $1 per every $100 taken out (as opposed to $8 per $100, or 8%). Also Capital One credit card with no foreign transaction fees (many credit cards have at least a 2.5% fee built in on top of the exchange rate).

You can compare credit cards at www.bankrate.com

Even Bank of America has credit cards without foreign transaction fees. Still, use an ATM card, not a credit card for ATM withdrawals. I work for a bank but not BofA.

Lets be sure we are understand common terms --

A credit card should NEVER be used to withdraw cash from an ATM. When you withdraw cash with a credit card it is a short term load against your credit limit. You will be hit will high fees, interest rate, etc. DO NOT DO IT !!!!!

The best credit card to use in Italy is any card branded with either VISA or MasterCard. Some credit cards may charge as much as 3 to 5% for using the card so look for a card that has a low to no currency conversion fee. AND never allow the European merchant to charge you credit card in dollars. Another BIG NO, NO. As charge in local currency.

To obtain local currency for daily use, a debit card at a bank owned ATM is the cheapest and most convenient way to obtain local currency. Some debit cards may charge fees to obtain currency but still cheaper than any other method. So find a debit card that charges low or no fees. Credit unions are a good place to start. It is not necessary to bring Euro from the US as that will also be an expensive option.

If you have a Bank of America ATM card, you can find out what banks in Italy are affiliated with Bank of America for no service fees. We also used Bank of America's Credit Card the last time we were in Europe as it doesn't charge the foreign transaction fees.

Bank of America is affiliated with BNL banks in Italy. There is a discount fee or no fee (on BofA's side) if you use their card at a BNL bancomat. I'm pretty sure this is true (about the fees) but you should call BofA.

I have a Bank of America Visa card but it is a credit card, not a debit card (I do not have a bank account with BoA). I do not use the BoA Visa card at ATMs (called Bancomat in Italy) because it will be treated as a cash withdrawal and interest will accumulate immediately - with a high rate.

My local bank issued me a debit card, and that is what I use in Italy at Bancomats to withdraw money (sometimes there is a Bancomat-imposed limit per transaction, but you can do multiple transactions - however, if there is a fee, it will be applied to each transaction).

More complexity - there are two kinds of potential fees when using a US debit card at a European ATM. First, there can be a flat withdrawal fee (for Bank of America, it's $5 unless you are using a "partner bank"). Then, there's a foreign transaction fee, which is often 1-3%. So, while BoA debit cards used in partner banks will not have the $5 fee, they still incur the 3% fee.

I don't know where you live, but if you're near a TD bank, they offer debit cards that have 0% foreign transaction fees, and the withdrawal fee is either $3 (for basic accounts) or $0 (for accounts with a higher minimum balance). Furthermore, they will give you a working debit card right away (not like some banks where they mail it to you; TD has a machine to make the cards in each branch).

Credit unions are another good source of low or no fee cards.

For all the money information you need, read each of the links on Rick's money page, and you'll be an expert: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money

Charles Schwab investor checking has a no ATM fee Debit card that also has no foreign transaction fees. I use this at ATM machines when traveling and love its convenience and lack of fees or costs.

I just checked it out myself to call Bank of America.

In Italy, BNL D'Italia Bank is partner Bank of America.
If I use BOA Debit Card, No Charge fee if I use ATM when I need cash at BNL Bank.

Unless If I use different Bank , yes it will charge $5.00 fee each transaction.