Has anyone had any problems cashing travelers checks in Italy? I plan on buying them in Euro but don't want any surprises when I get there.
Also has anyone used the cash cards from AAA? Thanks

Perhaps, seeing as this is a "Europe forum" we could try to observe the correct spelling of this form of finance as "traveller's cheques".

Just take cash, it's much easier, and no risk of commission for cashing these cheques.

I was a new traveller to Italy last fall and took Euros in cash, USD traveller's cheques, one ATM card and two credit cards. No problem in finding locations to cash the traveller's cheques, but the fees charged when cashing them widely varied. Next time I'll only take Euros in cash, an ATM card and the two credit cards - traveller's cheques aren't relevant anymore IMO. Have a wonderful holiday. Cheers, Linda

DO NOT take tons of cash - that is just nutty. But also don't take euro travelers' cheques. Use your ATM card to get cash as you need it at the best exchange rates.

If you want to take a few euro with you just buy the currency from your local bank or at the airport before you fly out. But don't get much because that will be your worst exchange rate.

euro TCs don't really work well because most merchants don't accept them. You end up haveing to go to a bank and pay to convert them to currency.

I agree that it is not a good idea to have a lot of Euro cash in hand, but I liked having E200 or so on me for transportation from the airport to the hotel, meals at stopover airports, etc.

LOL at everyone falling for m_kingdom's insistence on spelling "traveller's cheques" because this is a European board!

Perhaps if this was an England or UK board, that might be appropriate, but this is a board sponsored by an American company and frequented by many Americans, who spell it "travelers' checks." In the US, the term "Travelers Cheques" is used only as a brand name.

Furthermore, I'm doubt they're known as "cheques" in the Europen nations that don't speak English!

I don't understand why people are adverse to carrying large amounts of cash on them. Perhaps I should clarify, carry cash from your home to the airport, from the airport to your hotel. Once in your room, deposit most of it into your personal safe. When out and about travelling, carry small amounts only. This way there is minimal risk of losing large amounts at once.

m_kingdom:

Things must be worse with British English than I imagined if you don't distinguish between "adverse" and "averse."

I'll defend my every action:

I was toying with how to open it, and was going to start it with people being adverse to not...., but changed at the last moment, however, none the less my advice remains the same.

If you would like some ideas on how to pay for your travel while in Europe instead of a grammar lecture, I suggest taking a small amount of cash - enough to get you from the airport and perhaps eat a meal. ATM and credit or debit cards should cover the rest.

Another lame and pathetic excuse, m_k. If you're going to keep butting in on these threads with your impression of the south end of a northbound horse you'll just have to work harder on the grammar and spelling bit.

I try to offer advice that I follow myself. The trouble with ATM is that the rate, is of course, variable, whilst it can vary in your favour, often it won't. Furthermore one can usually judge when a currency is at a relative high (or conversely low) to another, buy a relatively large sum amount say 5000EUR (if you intend to travel to Europe for a long time, frequently, or will have a large account to settle at your hotel). This way you can cost everything exactly regardless of fluctuations that occur daily.

If you take traveller's cheques, consider them not as cheques but as an alternative to ATM cards (which we had to when we realized we had no cards with us that would work on the Cirrus network.) We went to various exchange bureaus, banks, etc. and converted them to straight cash. We never attempted to use them directly with vendors, which was just as well since I've heard they're not widely accepted by vendors.

While we have since made sure to have ATM cards with us that work on a variey of networks, it still can't hurt to have TC as backups. Cards do occasionally fail to work for all manner of reasons.

I can't see the point of pre-paid cash cards from AAA, though.

(By the way I've always spelt it 'cheque' and variously, 'traveler' or 'traveller' - just as I spell it 'colour' and 'endeavour'. Nothing to do with the board or any given poster, just personal habit and local custom.)

H flygal,

You will get a poor exchange rate buying TCs denominated in Euro.

You will get a poor excange rate cashing them back to dollars if you don't use them all.

You will sometimes be charged a fee to cash TCs, even denominated in Euro.

I suggest that you get about $100 at the departure airport (it will cost a few dollars extra) so that you won't have to get euros immediately upon arrival. After that use your ATM card, (it will give you the best exchange rate) for cash. Charge as much as possible.

Check with your bank for their charges for using ATMs. European banks don't charge.

Have fun

Is the adverse of averse reverse, or perverse?

I once got a paper back from my teacher with a cheque mark on it. Does that mean it was worth money? I would not be adverse or averse to that possibility.

Glad the British language cops are out.
Do we now have to use petrol rather than gas? And call vaseline petrolatum?
Z is Zed, etc?

To that I have to make the sign of peace, well, half of it at any rate.

Always listen to Ira.

Taking >$200 in cash is ludicrous. Take enough cash for the first few days and then use ATMs.

Gee, I guess even if I wanted to buy them, (which I don't) I wouldn't be able to. In the US I don't think it's even possible to buy "Traveller's Cheques". All the ones sold in the US seem to say "Traveler's Checks" (although some will say "Traveler's Checques". So I guess if you were buying them in the US to spend in Italy they wouldn't be any good according to the "expert" "m_kingdom.

By the way, like Sue, although American I tend to write cheques. I also always write "theatre" not "theater" and "moulding" not "molding", among many other words. But I think it's more than a little pompous for someone to suggest that an American going to Italy has to change his language to match the standards of the UK.

Well, I guess I should have given a little more detail. First of all, I am not well educated and can't spell anyway. So check, checque, cheque ,etc. doesn't mean much to me if it is an American or European board.

I will be traveling totally alone. I have no family and I was afraid if I were to lose my ATM card I would be up a creek. Or is it creak?

I was warned that I would look like a tourist and might run into gypsie pick pockets.

Anyway, thanks to all who replied. I do appreciate it.

Please circle miss spelled words in red!!! Thanks ;-)

1flygal-

Make sure you wear a money belt, esp if you're traveling alone. So even if you get surrounded by the gypsies, it'll still be hard for them to steal from you.

Koshka is right about taking no more than 200USD (or its foreign equivalent). More to worry about and/or lose/have stolen. Just use debit cards in ATMs and CCs for purchases.