I am thinking of getting traveler's cheque when I visit Italy for two weeks in June. Does anyone know whether they are widely accepted by hotels, shops and attractions? And if not, is it easy to get them exchanged to money? I have heard that the line up in Italy bank is long.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23307 posts
Historically there has been a HUGE fraud issue with traveler checks. Almost no one will routinely accept them. Some banks will but the fee is high. The smart traveler today uses a debit card tied to a checking account -- cheapest and most convenient way to obtain foreign currency.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Travelers checks are so 20th century. :-) Seriously, no one uses them anymore because so few businesses accept them. Take two debit/ATM cards and two credit cards instead.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7570 posts
I did see value in Travellers checks as a safety net when Atm's were somewhat hit or miss and I did not want to carry a large amount of cash as a back up. But as others have said, their time has passed, Networks for debit and credit are much more robust and available even in the smallest towns, and I have my credit cards for cash in a pinch (either through an ATM or bank). Now I suppose, if you have a debit with low limits and young enough that credit cards are not an option, then carrying some as back-up to cash in a bank or AE office (if there are any left) might still be an option.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9101 posts
Travelers Checks are dinosaurs -they come with high fees and it's hard to cash them. It's best to use ATM cards and cash:
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
Search below for letters regarding use of travelers checks in Italy. Also read the archives. Seems that I remember travelers having trouble using them in Italy.
Posted by
Petaluma, Northern California
345 posts
Hello Chalina, The answer in NO to travelers checks, no to using money exchanges, no to waiting in lines in banks. This is not the way to go about getting money in Italy, you will be very frustrated and waste a lot of money.
Not only are travelers checks not widely accepted---well, actually I admit I've never tried--Italy is a cash economy, and even credit cards are not as widely accepted you are used to and large bills are also undesirable. (See previous thread about breaking large bills.)
Your trip is coming up very soon and you still have much to do prepare for it-- more than we can provide in our short posts. I am not in sales in any way, but if you do not buy the Rick Steves "Italy" book, read it, and make a checklist of financial tasks to take care of before you leave you are going to have a difficult trip.
Don't get me wrong, we love to procrastinate from our day jobs and help you with your questions, but the helpline is no substitute for a travel guide. And a travel guide is not a list of hotels and phone numbers, it's a comprehensive guide of logistics and information you must know (and would never even think to ask about!)
Have a great trip.
Posted by
OP
Edmonton, Canada
2 posts
Thank you all for your advice. Much appreciated.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
Chalina,
As the others have said, Traveler's Cheques are not a good option. I agree with Rick, "I've cashed my last Traveler's Cheque"!
If you decide to use ATM cards, be sure to have your travel funds in a chequing account, acessible via a four-number PIN. Be sure to notify your Financial Institution that you'll be traveling in Europe so they don't "flag" your ATM card!
It's a good idea to take two ATM Cards on different account, in case there's a problem with one of them.
Happy travels!