What is the standard fee charged by a bank in Italy for withdrawing money using a debit card at at ATM? I have a Visa check card and the U.S. bank does not charge on their end but they could not tell me the fees of the Italian banks.

The ATMs charge no fee. If there is a charge for use of the ATM, it would be your bank that would impose it. I just returned from Italy last week and used ATMs several times.

No fees charged by European ATM's.

No fees from the European bank for using an ATM. There may be fees if you use an independent 'money machine' like you'd find in a shop, etc. (same as home).

I hope someone is knocking on wood . . .

Brian, What do you mean? That there will be fees charged by Italian banks?

Brian is either trying to be funny or doesn't know what he's talking about, I can't decide which.

NO BANK IN ITALY WILL CHARGE ANYTHING FOR AN ATM WITHDRAWAL WITH A CARD FROM A US BANK. Period. End of story.

The expression "knock on wood" goes along with the superstition that good luck will end if you talk about it. If you knock on wood its supposed to keep your good luck intact (no ATM fees in Italy) I have no idea where the expression originated and I use it all the time.

There are no fees because it is illegal according to EU regulations. So no fees, nowhere.

I am going to Italy with two ATM cards next month.

My primary bank will charge me $1.50 per transaction no conversion fee.

The other bank charges $1.50 plus a 3% conversion fee.

Guess which card I plan on using?

I understand the folksy expression, I just don't know what it has to do with the fact that Italian banks do NOT charge a fee for ATM useage.

Yes, I know the expression too, and assumed it was being used here to say "don't hold your breath" or "with LUCK you won't be charged fees". I don't understand what knocking on wood would have to do with weather or not Italian banks charge fees for ATM withdrawals.

The one thing you do need to be aware of is that if you were to use your Visa check card for a cash advance instead of a withdrawal from your checking/savings account, then there would be fees and interest. We ran into 2 commercial cash machines in Italy that appeared to have the setup for cash advances. Needless to say, I was very careful to be sure that I was doing an ATM withdrawal.

I meant it exactly how kemarshall64 put it: I hope our good fortune doesn't change.

Laws can be changed, and at some point I would think all the European banks will lobby together to get that law changed. Why, after all, should they be forced to provide a free service to non-customers?

The answer stands - ATM's at banks in Italy CURRENTLY do not impose a charge to use their machines.

Brian, I don't know why this is, or if it will change in the future, or what's it to you anyway, but that isn't the question asked here.

Suze, take a deep breath and calm down. I never contradicted what you said. And you don't control what is posted here.

I understand what you're saying Brian, but here in Europe the tide has turned away from banks being able to charge as they like - it's now a European directive, to protect the customer, and no amount of lobbying is likely to overturn that decision. In fact, in the UK, the banks are increasingly falling over themselves to be more of a 'customer champion' in the face of competition from new finance players, so certainly wouldn't want to attract any bad publicity.

Gotta love Europe, inconceivable isn't it that a country would actually require a corporate institution to do something for the good of the people?

Brian, I am perfectly calm and no one except Fodor's controls what is posted here.

That said, IMO it is most helpful to post current information, rather than confuse the issue with a vague reference implying that it could change at any moment, when there are no facts to support that view.

The expression "knock on wood" comes from "touch wood" - meaning the Cross - to bring good luck, no harm to come!