Diana

My husband and I are leaving for Italy in 3 weeks, and we want to know if someone has had any trouble with traveler cheques in Italy. Is it better to take Euros in cash?<BR>Any advice about the weather in Rome, Venice and Florence last week of Nov. first of Dec?<BR>Thanks a lot in advance!

Eye Spy

Your question is part of the on-going debate. I say take some Euro travelers checks to be safe. You can use them without problem in large dept. store, upscale boutiques, some restaurants (depending) and you'll have added security. Leave with some Euro in hand before your flight and use your ATM in Europe. Just make sure your bank is not charging you hefty fees per transaction; if so, you might want to take out larger amounts. Find out your daily ATM limit overseas from your bank AND make sure your checking account is adequately funded before you go to Europe as many times the ATM will default to your checking account without giving you the option of linking to savings. I hope this helps you.

ira

Hi Diana<BR> There has been much discussion of this question. <BR><BR> The consensus seems to be that it is better to have one or two debit cards to get daily cash, one or two charge cards for big items, a reserve of TC's in dollars for emergencies.<BR><BR> You will be able to cash your TC's at local banks, but there is a 2 -3% commision even for those denominated in Euro.<BR><BR> If you want a local merchant to accept your TC's they should be in Euro and close to the amount owed.

Bob Brown

My finding has been that traveler's checks are close to useless, except as an emergency reserve just in case a card does not work. So my question to you is why would you even consider taking any?? <BR><BR>If you take them in euro denomination, what will you do with the ones left over?<BR><BR>I take along a few American Express checks as an emergency, doomsday type of reserve. They are in US dollar form so I can cash them when I get home. This year, we had so many left over from previous trips that we did not buy any new ones to take with us, and we came back home with the ones we left with. I don't think any of mine even came out of my passport case. <BR><BR>We got paper money with our ATM cards at banks in 4 countries, and we used our credit cards extensively for large purchases, and some not so large purchases.<BR><BR>I can assure you that a credit card is usually much more welcome than a traveler's check. <BR><BR>So let me suggest you recycle your thinking. Start at the other end, and ask yourself why you would bother with them in the first place. The only time in 4 extensive trips that I converted a check was in the airport in Z&uuml;rich.<BR>My train was about to leave, I wanted something from a little food shop that did not take credit cards, and the ATM at the branch bank near the train was not functioning. The man behind the bank window was functioning, however, and he took my check in exchange for paper and metallic money, but at a goodly fee.<BR><BR> <BR>

xxx

You will also find that many merchants will make you spend a minimum amount to use them and they will charge you for them. Whatever you don't spend, you will surely lose money when you exchange them for dollars back home. In this day and age, these are kind of obsolete. The idea of a few for dire emergencies is a good one but the reality as many have posted is that they are not really welcome.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Bob Brown hit the nail on the head. TCs are only a 3rd level backup. I have not used on for my last 5 trips.

bill

On my recent trip to Ireland I decided to take just a few TCs in Euros. This was more out of curiousity than anything else, as I planned to use ATMs and credit cards most of the time. I bought 100 Euros, two 50Euro checks. They cost me $101.25 US to buy. OK. So when I cashed the first one in Ireland I was charged 2 Euros to cash it at a shop, so I only got 48 Euros. Well, I thought a bank would be better, so I cashed the other one in a bank. Was I wrong - the bank charged me 2.50 Euros to cash it. My finding is that I paid a premium to buy the checks and then on top of that paid service charge to cash them. I was hoping that since they were in Euros there would be no service charge, just as if I walked into my bank at home and cashed a $100 American Express TC I will get a $100 cash, no service charge. Not so. Pretty worthless to depend on them. Have a small amount for emergencies but other than that use the ATM and credit card. You are better off.

Bob Brown

I do have one funny story about traveler's checks. They came in handy once even though I did not actually convert one of them. (It came home with me.)<BR><BR>We had eaten in a little Paris restaurant named La petite Leo, as I seem to recall. It is located on a diagonal street on the southeast side of the intersection of Raspail and Montparnasse. When I wanted to pay, I handed the waiter my credit card. In about a minute he came back all excited, waving my card frantically, and jabbering in French I could not understand other than to conclude that my credit card was not satisfactory.<BR><BR>After a brief discussion, my wife arose from her chair to get some money at a bank ATM across the street. When she stood up and slipped on her jacket, the waiter about popped his circuit breakers. I guess he thought she was skipping out, although I was still seated.<BR><BR>At any rate he was jabbering even more excitedly, if such was possible.<BR>Sort of a sticky wicket. My credit card did not seem to work, I did not have enough French money in currency form, and the waiter was threatening apoplexy if my wife went to get more money, even though I was remaining behind as a hostage. <BR><BR>Suddenly I had a flash of genius. I pulled out my traveler's checks and spread them on the table. The waiter stopped jabbering when he saw that I at least had money. <BR><BR>Then my wife and I both recalled that I had my Visa debit (check) card with me. That worked, and the waiter was all smiles.<BR><BR>The moral of the story is this: have two plastic forms of payment in case one fails. And perhaps a cold compress for overheated French waiters would come in handy.<BR>

ellen

I agree. Haven't used a traveler's check in Italy in years. ATMs abound, give good rates, and avoid the delay and larger fees when cashing travelers checks. <BR>Another option: along with your ATM card, bring a few $100 bills for emergencies. Be sure to bring Big Bens, the newer design. Italian banks won't accept the old design.<BR>Thanksgiving in Rome! Perhaps I'll see you there, since I'm heading there as well. Rome is quite temperate--springlike. Florence can go either way--it might be sweater weather or I've seen freakish snow and cold weather at that time of year. Venice is further north and on the water--colder. Keep in mind that in all places you will be visiting unheated stone buildings. It may often seem warmer outside than inside.

BT

I disagree. TC's are not a bad idea if you are going shopping at a nice store and don't want to put it on your card. If you have a Gold AMEX, you get them for free. But does it all really matter? Everyone is analyzing so much. Do what your heart tells you.

Diana

Thanks to all for your advice! We already decided not to take traveler cheques, just AMEX card, some cash in Euros and use the ATMs.<BR>

Bob Brown

When it comes to ATMs, I have a friend who got upset with me over that issue.<BR>He claimed my advice cost him xteen%, etc.<BR> <BR>Turns out he did not know the difference between a credit card and a check (debit) card and between a credit card and a standard ATM. In fact, he did not have in his posession at all a regular ATM card. So all over Europe he stuck his his credit card in the slot to get out money! He got the money; I got the blame!!<BR><BR>I asked him how he got spending money at home. He went inside the bank and wrote a check!!<BR><BR>You mean people still do that in the 21st century??

Lucy

TC's have fallen out of favour over the last decade but as banks put in hefty transaction fee increases I wouldn't be surprised if they start to reappear. If you do decide to rely on credit &amp; debit cards make sure you have mroe than one &amp; keep them separate as teh magnetic stripe on both of mine was mysteriously wrecked at teh same time leaving htem useless - I was fortunate it happened on the 2nd last day of my trip &amp; I had enough cash to tide me over.

Bob Brown

Let me make one or two more comments on the traveler's check issue. Although I don't rely on them, and don't plan to use them, let me emphasize that I DO CARRY SOME because of the reasons Lucy cited. SO FAR !!I have not had my plastic money cards eaten by a voracious machine, or damaged by a misaligned one, but it can happen. Therefore I have my &quot;doomsday&quot; reserve. And I think if your money plastic is non functional or missing, it is indeed doomsday in Europe.<BR><BR>I know I was in Europe on September 11, 2001. We did not know what was going to happen. We could not get home, and for several anxious days we did not known when we could. In my nightmares I could see the banking system being interrupted. I woke up and found it was only a dream, but somethow those traveler's checks in my passport case assumed new status as a security blanket. <BR><BR>So call them dinosaurs, a thing of the past, an old fashioned way of doing business, archaic pieces of paper or what you will BUT, if you have some, you have money!!<BR><BR>

Joyce

Take all your traveler's checks in USA currency, not in Euros. Having the checks in Euros will not make them easier to cash: Most stores in Europe do NOT accept travelers checks even when the checks are in Euros (or whatever currency the country uses). You will have to go to a bank or Money Exchange place to cash your travelers checks, and these places all accept checks in USA currency.<BR><BR>By taking checks in USA currency you will not have to re-convert unused checks when you return home. This will save you from having to pay unnecessary conversion fees: The conversion fee for getting the Euros in the first place, and then another conversion fee for converting the unused Euro checks back into USA money.