Dollars to Lira
Jul 4th, 1998, 11:24 AM
#2
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Today the rate is 1,800 lire to the USD. So, 180,000 Lire = $100 USD. <BR> <BR>A very cool website to make conversions is <BR>http://www.xe.net/cgi-bin/ucc/convert. <BR> <BR>The ATMs are very easy--they give you the amount in lire and I believe you do get the best rate. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. We used ATMs all over Italy without a problem. we did change trveler's checks but you always have to pay some kind of charge or fee. That's why I prefer the ATM. You can use your debit card or credit card.
Jul 4th, 1998, 11:37 AM
#3
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Another good site is www.oanda.com There you can print out a "cheat sheet" which gives you the conversions of various sums of money into the currency of your choice. Richard is absolutely right about the ATMs. There is no way you are going to get a better rate of exchange anywhere as they give you the commercial bank rate. Same with Visa charges, but not cash advance on a Visa. In other words, use your ATM card for all cash withdrawals (comes right out of your checking account at home) and charge everything you can on your Visa. No need for travelers checks or cash whatsoever, other than what you might want upon return to the U.S.
Jul 4th, 1998, 12:05 PM
#4
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The last posting is right on. Two other precautions are as follows: <BR> <BR>1: Make certain that you have a four digit PIN. No letters allowed. <BR> <BR>2: It is wise to call before you leave the country and advise your credit card people that you will be using the card overseas. There are some companies that will block the card based on unusual usage with the worry that the card may have been stolen. In such a case it is necessary to call the company and unblock the card. This you can't do at an ATM. I always take a few travelers checks just in case of any problems. I have never had any in Europe.
Jul 4th, 1998, 03:42 PM
#6
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Louis, your advice on contacting your credit card company before your departure is so good. Someone else here on the forum stated his card did not work in France until his hotel called Visa and had it cleared. He said this was a new procedure by Visa in Europe. This really shook me up, because I can't imagine a waitress in a restaurant agreeing to call international Visa, nor a clerk in a store, etc. I called my Visa and was told they knew nothing of this requirement, so you have really cleared this up for me in that it is just SOME Visas that require it, but it would certainly be the thing to do to check with your issuing institution at home before you leave. By the way, I always enjoy your advice and comments.
Jul 5th, 1998, 12:22 PM
#7
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The exchange rate I received while in Italy the last 2 weeks in May was 1741 lira to the dollar. I used my Visa/ATM card and Mastercard. It was very easy to use the ATM machines! I expected a better exchange rate (1780) based on what I had seen over the internet prior to our trip, but the average was 1741. There's really not much of a difference between what I figured and actually got. I also took travelers checks but never used them. My bank charged me $1.50 per transaction of my ATM card (two were free). In doing a quick conservative calculation, I would just multiply 6 by the lira price: L20,000 = 6x2 = $12. I carried a calculator, but it was very easy to estimate by this method.
