Another post prompts me to ask. If you run low on cash in your checking account, can't you transfer funds into it from say your savings account or your LOC into checking account during your trip on ATM machine? I can do this at home so wonder why there would be any concern about enough $$$ in your checking account?

Good question, but I have not found a way to access my savings account while <BR>using atms outside of the US. On the Plus and Cirrus network, the only option I recall having is to withdraw money from checking, but maybe I didn't explore all the options.

Personally I wouldn't risk doing that overseas, you never know what can go wrong. If you were unable for some reason to get to the money, then what would you do?

If you set up internet banking you can do it. Plus you can see your actual balance. <BR>

I'm set up on internet banking..so I guess the trick would just be to find internet cafe or some such thing and log on?? How would you keep track of the $$ coming out of your account? I guess if you took out say 500,000 lira, it would show it as the equivalent in $$?? Good plan Lidija...anyone know of internet cafes in Florence/Chianti/Siena area?

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You can arrange with your bank to have your`ATM card tied to as many accounts`as you want. Just do it before you leave home. <BR> <BR>

I'm no banking expert, but I think the problem is not the atm card connections to your accounts at home in the US, mine gives me access to all the accounts I have at the bank. The problem is accessing anything other than Checking while using a Cirrus or Plus network atm in non-US locations. My experience is that I am not offered any choices, all I can do is is get money, and it comes out of Checking.

Yes <BR> <BR>Europeans do that quite easily associating bank accounts to mobile telephones. <BR> <BR>Typically you may associate 1 to 5 accounts to a telephone and do almost every bank operations (except eventually withdrawing hard cash) just pressing a few keys. <BR> <BR>The beauty of that is that you may check account balance, transfer between accounts, even paying bills in your home country, and everything done in the quiteness of your hotel room. <BR> <BR>

Money: <BR>Have you thought of asking your bank? They're supposed to know or be able to find out these things for you. Of course some banks....

I don't understand this. Isn't the simplest way just to have always (ALWAYS)some extra $$ in your checking account?

I fall into the "why take a chance" category. Why not just withdraw some "extra" money beforehand and put it in your checking account? Better still, have two ATM cards and keep extra money in both, in case one card doesn't work. The amount of interest you'll lose on that money taken from your savings account is a worthy investment for a greater peace of mind!

I have NEVER encountered an ATM machine in Europe that gave you any choice of account or option to transfer funds from one account to another. It is easy to do in the US but not on european machines. I always transfer extra funds into my primary account before I leave home so there is plenty there. If you don't need it all you can always transfer it back when you get home. Better to be safe than sorry.

In May in Barcelona I used various ATMs to access my account in UK. Of all the machines I tried (about 6 different financial institutions), the only ones that gave me a choice of withdrawal from a savings account or a checking account was the ones belonging to la Caixa (with a blue starfish logo). I still couldn't transfer funds, though.