How much cash?

Never in 15 years of travel all over Europe. A couple of time, the ATM would not work and just moved to the next one which did. Now I kind of make a practice of using an ATM just after someone else has used it. If it worked for them, it should work for me. We normally carry between 100 and 500E on us at one time. Generally get more when we hit the 100 mark.

I use atms all the time, never had a problem. I do tend to like to arrive with about 100 euros in my pocket so I can skip finding an atm on my first day,, I'm so tired after a 12 hour flight I just want to go to hotel and flake for first day, hit a cafe, wander about a bit. You can however find atms in the airport and many people just use them before they go into city.

"...how much cash do you recommend we carry with us..."
For the whole trip? Each day? I go to Europe every summer and have never had a problem getting local currency using a DEBIT card tied to a CHECKING ACCOUNT at an ATM machine.. I get local currency every few days and do not carry more than about $300 US at any one time. What will be your financial demands when you are there? Rent, food, transportation, etc.?

Also note, tell your bank and credit card company that you will be using the card out of the country,, they will freeze accounts when they see out of the country activity that is unaccounted for.

Are there any issues yet with respect to the "smart" credit cards they're starting to use in Europe? As most Americans, I don't yet have one and don't believe my bank offers one.

The only issues you will have with a regular credit card is at automated ticket machines, toll booths or gas stations. In those cases, you may need to go to the ticket window or pay the station attendent. ATM machines accept standard debit and ATM cards. You need a numerical pin (there are no letters on European ATM machines). Sometimes a machine will not process your card. Simply go to another machine, usually of a different bank. Forewarn your bank of your trip. Often they will temporarily increase your daily withdrawl limit too so you can minimize withdrawls and the subsequent fees charged by your bank. Unless you want peace of mind having a small amount of local currency in your pocket, do not exchange money before you go. The best rates are withdrwaing cash at the ATM on your arrival.

I've never had a problem finding ATM's in airports, big train stations, near major tourist sites or medieval city centers. If anything, Europe has a lot more ATM's than we do. I had some difficulty finding an ATM within reasonable walking distance of cruise ports (probably because I didn't find a local to ask). In that case, it may be worth biting the bullet and buying enough local currency for a bus or taxi before getting off the ship.

I agree with other posters: ATMs are fine and plentiful. If you have a Bank of America debit card, you can use Deutsche Bank ATMs in Germany, or BNP Parabis ATMs in France for fee (ie. " no transaction fee") as they are sister banks. Just look up their locations on line before you go. Make sure your PIN code is a 4-digit numeric code, even if you have to change it before you leave. Also, call all your credit card / debit card providers and give them the dates and countries you will be in, so they don't cut you off on their fraud detection systems, and see about getting them to raise your limit, if you don't already have a higher one. My wife and I walked around with an average of 3-500 euros each (in a money belt!); hit an ATm when we got down to 1-200; but then we also used our Capitol One Visa credit card for rooms and meals, but if you use a credit card, make sure they charge you in euros, not dollars, or the conversion will kill you. Most merchants take debit or credit, but they don't like the credit cards. Some will try to tell you they can't take them. Just smile, don't argue, pay in cash, or put the goods back on the shelf. Use a money belt for your large bills; you probably won't need more than 50 - 75 euros each day. You can put that in your front pocket each morning, so you're not having to undress each time you want to pay somebody! Self serve gas stations probably won't recognize your card at the pump, because European cards use a Smart Chip technology. If not, just take it inside for the clerk to swipe. We were also told the tollbooths wouldn't recognize our card, but we never had a problem using it on the fast lane / "card only" lanes, even with no chip!

Oops! in my prior post, I meant to say "free" not "fee" concerning the Bank of America debit cards!