Gas stations in Italy

Not exactly clear about your question, but if you are curious about info on a post you saw in a closed topic you can always send a pm to the poster in question.

The last time we were in Tuscany, I didn't have a chip card. I had to use a manned gas.station and physically sign the receipt. I.would think any pay at the pump now will take a chip credit card. Just make sure you know the four digit security code. One funny thing we discovered is that little English was.spoken outside the tourist areas.

When you say 4 digit security code do you mean a pin ? My security code on back of my card is only 3 numbers so I assume you mean a pin ?

I think I am figuring out what the poster meant- automated machines do not give change back when you use cash. They must have put in a 50 euro note ( if there is such a thing ) and only pumped 10 euros of gas , hence lost the rest.

Kathy, yes, he meant your pin number.

Yes, there are 50 Euro notes. Very commonly dispensed from ATMs, sorry to say.

David said “...little English is spoken outside of tourist areas.” Well, it is Italy. While Germany and Scandinavia have extensive English instruction, Italy lags behind. Be prepared!

There have been extensive discussions on this forum about the use of American cc’s, with or without chips, in Europe. The bottom line is that even with a chip, your card may not work. Another issue you need to be aware of is that service stations, especially out in the countryside, may close for some hours mid-day. They will almost certainly be closed on Sunday, leaving no option but the automated one. Here are a couple of strategies you can employ to protect against running dry. Fill up as soon as you can after hitting the half-way mark. Stations on the autostrade have much longer hours, usually including Sundays. They also usually have someone, somewhere who can run your card or take cash and give change. That person may be in a booth near the pumps or inside the shop that all rest stops with food and fuel include.

• Except for on the autostrada (toll freeways), gas stations are unmanned on Sundays, Holidays, nights (7pm to 7am), lunch break (a couple of hours after 1230 generally). At all other times stations are manned and you can generally choose between the full serve pumps and the self serve pumps. The price difference between full serve and self serve is usually so ridiculously insignificant that I often use the full serve, when manned.
• The self serve pump works 24/7 but requires credit/debit card with chip and pin or cash
• If you use cash, the pump does not give change and that is clearly stated in the cash machines, I think also in English, so too bad for the person who lost 30€. .

David, one funny thing I discovered is that very few foreign languages are spoken in rural Alabama, although the English spoken there does sound like a foreign language to most people’s ears.

The knowledge of foreign languages in any given population is directly proportional to the need to speak it.
People in tourist areas will speak it more than in other areas.
People in countries with small populations will speak,it more. So Greeks, Scandinavians, Dutch, speaking a language that is spoken by few and in a restricted geographical area wiil tend to speak better than those in a big country like France, Spain, Italy, Germany

I am currently in Santa Maria di Leuca at the far southern tip of the “heel” of Italy where thee Adriatic meets the Ionian Sea.

I just filled up my rental car this AM at an Agip station. My card didnt work in the machine (I doubted it would but I always try) so I went in to the attendant who despite my primitive Italian spoke great English (yes right here waaay off the tourist track.)

He pulled 70 Euros from his cash and gave to me to put in the machine and said come back and I will run your card here. My experience in Europe in general is: I try my card first (It often works) if not go to an attended station or start out at one.

And a note on the difference in price between Self Serve and Full Serve: at two stations this am it was betweeen .10 and .20 centissimo higher. That is not insignificant that amounts to as much as .77 Centissimo (Euro) Per US Gal. That means $0.90 Per Gallon more. If you are filling a small 10 gallon tank that is $9. To put this in perspective a decent bottle of wine can be had in the store for 2-4 euros.

Any way sorry you lost your 50 Euros.

Yes, change from machines is iffy. It’s better to pay by card if possible, or to pay the cashier inside in cash. If cash in a machine is your only choice use a 10euro note. You won’t fill the tank, but you also will not need change. I’m betting you are right, the person used a 50 euro note and did not get change. 50s are common, I get them from ATMs all the time and try to break them asap. I will pay a 20euro meal with a 50 so I have smaller bills (no one wants a 50 for a2 euro coffee!)

Anecdotal experience is that my credit card without a pin worked in some automatic gas stations in Sicily. Others I had to go inside and the person ran the card with no trouble, but the machine couldn’t. This never caused an issue, but to be cautious fill up during the day, not on Sunday, so you don’t risk finding only machines (stores with attendants may be closed Sunday and late night).

Wow ! All this information is awesome - even from someone currently in Italy.This is why I love this forum.We have Rick's book but you guys are the travel warriors and I learn as much from you as the book ! Interesting about credit card and pin.The credit card I use has no pin attached - so,I went to the bank that issued it and they said they could not issue the pin there.They sent a message to Visa and supposedly I will receive a pin in mail in a few days .We leave in a week so I hope it gets here in time.Going with other family members and none of them have pins attached to credit cards,just their debits.

Don't worry about the pin too much. After more the two months in Europe using rental cars, gas stations, grocery stores and everything else the lack of a TRUE chip and pin card has not been a problem.

Also keep in mind that just because Visa may issue a pin number that may NOT make your card a TRUE "chip and pin" card readable by some pos here.

I am one of those that has come to the conclusion this is one of those over-hyped topics on the forum.

Just be smart and carry a mix of cash, your debit card (mine has been accepted almost everywhere) and a credit card.

Have fun

Haven’t driven in Italy but haven’t found any place where my chip and pin card wouldn’t work. Are the petrol stations behind the times? Will be driving through gli Dolomiti in September so I’ll report back. 😉