kramca

At least in Tuscany, Florence and Rome the ATM machines do not take cards with the Plus or Pulse symbol--Cirrus seemed to be on several machines.

bozama

No Plus???
Eek, can anyone confirm this?

kramca

You are welcome to get confirmation. Believe me, I tried every bank in every town..... We did take some euros but discovered this fact on a Saturday, banks closed. Sunday banks closed, Monday was June 2 national holiday, you guessed it....got a cash advance on Tuesday from a bank. Maybe your can get confirmation from your bank as to what Italy locations take Plus.....I certainly could not find them.

Travelnut

Florence - Visa/PLUS ATM locations:

http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/...95690-ac120e64

Rome - Visa/PLUS ATM locations:

http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/...95769-ac120e64

happytrailstoyou

In May, 2008, I had no problem with my Capital One Plus card in these places.

I did have a problem when I thought my limit was $1,000 in a "day" period. It was only $500 (300 Euros).

I also discovered that my bank's "day" is not the period that ends 24-hours after my previous withdrawal. In Venice, I had to try ATMs for two full days before one coughed up the 300 Euros.

J62

In July 2007 I had no problem at more than 10 ATMs in Florence, Siena, Rome and rural Tuscany with my CU ATM (debit) card. It has Visa logo on the front and Plus symbol on the back.

The moral of the story is
a) It is very good to relay personal experience, but one should be cautious making blanket statements like "XX doesn't work" or "YY always works".

b) it is advisable to have multiple ways to access money, as kramca's experience and that of many others shows.

ter2000

My mother was on holiday with a group of her friends in Garda a couple of years ago and several of their cards were "skimmed". For security, make sure that whatever ATM you use is attached to a bank branch. To be extra sure, only use your ATM card during banking hours - this way, if there are any problems you can just go into the branch to clear them up.

Henry

kramca,
There are many ATM locations that take Plus. You may however have problems when machines are out of money during long weekends. The ATMs in Italy are not very good at telling you why you can not get money.

Henry

StCirq

Why would the banks being closed on Saturdays and Sundays be an issue? ATMs aren't tied to bank hours. Of course, as mentioned, sometimes the machines run out, particularly on long weekends.

But I had no problem in Tuscany and Rome with innumerable ATM machines,using a card with Plus symbol, except for that nebulous period on Sunday mornings when the ATMs always seem to be shit down because they're doing whatever it is they do to update their systems in synch with the banks in the USA.

bozama

You see karmca, I was not doubting your experience, but, it could have been a problem with your card or your bank only. Plus is such a big network that for three major places not to be part of it at all would be very difficult for me, so of course I would have to alter some of my plans. That is why I asked for confirmation.

kramca

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry if I caused alarm....I should not have issued a blanket statment.....just relating our personal experience. After returning yesterday I did an ATM location search for Italian ATMs supposedly displaying the Pulse and/or Plus symbols.....the site may say they have the symbols but that was not my experience.

I stopped at every ATM in San Quirico, Pienza, and Montepulciano from several Italian banks. Never once saw a Plus or Pulse symbol. The attempt in Montepulciano--just testing--was rejected. My PIN is valid. Checked it before and after going.

I did not look anymore in Siena, Florence or Rome since I had cash from the San Quirico bank before I visited there. Perhaps the Pulse and Plus symbols don't have to be on the display to work with a Visa.
Next time I will most certainly pack a Cirrus card.

The bank issue was germaine to my post because the only way to get euros was as Visa cash advance-- from an actual bank teller.

kramca

My bad for including Siena, Florence and Rome in my initial post. Maybe the larger town ATMs were different.

I quit looking once I had cash and made the perhaps wrong assumption that if the banks whose ATMs I had tried (Servizi Interbancari, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, a Florence bank whose name I can't remember.....as well as a Rome bank which I pulled over and checked while leaving Montepulciano) would have the same symbols displayed regardless of the size of the town.

My problem did not relate to machines being out of money on a weekend....we just never saw the symbols in any ATM in those three small towns.

Truax

I've noticed the general opinion here is to rely on ATMs almost exclusively for cash needs while in Europe, and people who ask about carrying Euros/whatever from home are discouraged (sometimes rather stridently). I travel often to Europe on business and have lost count of the number of times I've had trouble with ATMs. Most of the time, it's a minor inconvenience to find another working machine. Occasionally, it's a real pain to spend time and effort, as kramca did, seeking the Magic ATM. So, crazy or not, I take a minimum of $1,000 in foreign currency and hit the ATMs if/when necessary, especially if I'm traveling outside of large cities or approaching the weekend.

Henry

kramca,
I have found that many of the ATMs in Italy will take either Plus or Cirrus cards, they subscribe to both networks. If all you were doing was looking for symbols you may be right. I don't remember if the ATMs I used had a Plus symbol I just inserted the card and pulled out money.

For information:
I don't believe the Pulse network is international.
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena does take Plus cards. As does Intesa, Unicredit, Toscona, and Nationale del Lavoro. I got the names off my receipts. At least one ATM in Pienza works with Plus.

Henry

luv2cthings

I understand everyone will have there own preference, but I like to take US currency as my "backup" in case I have problems getting cash from ATMs. I just take a few $100s and put them in my wallet in my back pocket (okay, just kidding about that part .) I personally haven't had any ATM issues, so I've never had to actually exchange the cash and just bring it back home with me. I figure that if needed, I can find a better exchange rate in Europe than at home, so why not just take US currency as my backup?

kramca

I trust all these informed opinions and probably caused myself needless problems.

Lesson learned here is: do not worry about the fact that there are no Pulse or Plus symbols. Put in the card, enter the PIN and try and apparently you will get cash.

Sadly, the time I tried that in Montepulciano, it did not work. But that could have been that particular machine, my card, etc. I had convinced myself that the honored symbols displayed needed to match those on my card.

I should have tried every machine regardless of symbols or lack therof.

J62

I don't recall ever looking for or seeing a PLUS symbol on an ATM. I just looked for a Bancomat and used it.

happytrailstoyou

Me, too.

BarbaraS

I was able to use my ATM card that has the Plus symbol on it in all of those areas, but it also has three other symbols, access 24, interlink, co-op network.

The problem I had in Italy when I withdrew money at the ATM from my account was that it was taken out of my savings account and not my checking account. I bank at a credit union and the primary account is a share savings account, but ATM withdrawals in the US always come out of checking. Of course I transferred most of my money from savings to checking so I wouldn't have a problem. Frustrating! But it was easily corrected with online banking!

ellenem

This thread got me thinking, so I pulled out my bank card to check its symbols. I used this card up and down Italy--Florence, Pesaro, Molfetta--in March without a problem.

Imagine my surprise--my "HSBC Premier Debit Card" has "pay pass" and "MasterCard" on the front and NO symbols on the back, aside from a foil "Debit" security seal.

Plus? Cirrus? Who knows? . . . but the card worked every time.