Is there a good rule of thumb as to how much cash to have on hand when arriving in Italy? We were thinking about converting some US dollars to Euros before we go to have some on hand so we wouldn't have to go to an ATM or a bank as soon as we got there.

I like to arrive with about €100. It's just enough to get transportation out of the airport to my first desitination, get lunch and perhaps even dinner. I don't usually have to worry about getting more cash for a day or two, depending on if I buy or charge anything.

You will probably get as many different opinions as there are participants in the forum.

Here's one: enough to get you to your accommodation by your preferred means of transport plus about €20.

Changing $50 worth of money should be plenty. The nearest ATM should spit out as much as you need as soon as you get there.

Buying euros in the U.S. is the best way to get ripped off.

A hundred or so Euros is plenty to get you to your first European ATM. Convert dollars at an exchange bureau in your departure airport or on arrival in Europe. The exchange rate will not be favorable to you, but for such a small amount, that would only be a few dollars difference.

It is entirely OK to land in Europe with only dollars and plastic. There are ATMs and exchange kiosks near every arrivals hall.

I usually travel with:

$300-400USD cash
$200-300 currency of the country I'm arriving (optional)
1 ATM card
1 credit card

Depending on the destination and length of the trip sometimes Travelers Checks (also optional).

I never get foreign currency in advance. Credit cards and ATMs have served me well-enough throughout Europe.

My husband and I split about $1,000 in cash. I'm scared my ATM card won't work when I get there. Then what? Charge everything? It's just a fear that I have (irrational or not).

I've traveled enough to know that smaller shops and restaurants don't always take credit cards.

I know the exchange rate is not great for cash, but to me it's a small price to pay to know that I have cash in hand. I also budget in that horrible exchange rate for cash transactions.

We did primarily credit card on our 3 1/2 week trip last year and found that everything worked out just fine. For having walking around cash, we never had any issues in any of the cities we were in (Venice, Florence, and Rome). Seemed to me that whatever small markup there might be on the exchange rate more than made up for the discomfort of walking around with a wad of cash.

YMMV
K

Hi S,

Many folks like to bring about $100 worth of Euros.

You can get it at the departure airport for about $4 more than if you used an ATM in Italy.

Also, if you hang around the exchange booth for a while, you might be able to exchange $ for E with an arriving traveler.

I got 50E for $70 that way. The official exchange rate was $1.56/E, and the exchange booth offered him $63.

So when the money exchange booth at the airport offers a better rate/the more money you get, is still a rip off?

I arrive with only the Euros I had left over from my past trip (20 or so), and 2 ATM cards for 2 separate bank accounts -- one in the Cirrus Network, ONe in the Plus Network -- and $100-$150 in US cash.

THe cash is in case for some unusual reason the ATMs aren't available, then I would exchange about $50 at a currency exchange bureau.

In 7 trips I have never had to do so.
I think buying Euros in advance in the USA is unwise and unnecessary. WHy? WHy?

WHY?

Let me try to answer

1) I am a nervous Nelly so must have some local currency

2) what if I can't get cash right away? happened once when the line to the only ATM I saw was too long, and I was too jetlagged

3) I find it more convenient not to worry about money the first day

I usually bring only one day worth

Why but euro before you leave the US...

Because the apartment rental exceeds the daily limit on both my cards. Because the last time I arrived CDG the ATMs were empty and I had a suttle service waiting.

Clea

One good idea is to always bring home Euros to use on your next trip. I try to bring home around 100 Euros. Then on my next trip I do not have to worry about exchanging money the moment I arrive. I think it is very positive thinking that I will return sooner rather than later.

Yipper

mark me the nervous nelley too.

I dealt with the ATMS and getting enough Euros for our apartment in Rome and it was a bit of stress and always remembering "hit the ATM, Hit the ATM" and the first day in Paris I was so jet lagged from our crazy delays (it tooks us 2 days to get there from the states and a few different time zones) that I did get cash for my trip in September with dd.

Not the most economical. I totally get that. I am just too worried. And I did have 2 different bank accounts (it seemed like I got nailed on the fees as well through my bank and my credit card company).

I am also trying to pay everything up front that I can (not dh's way of doing things (his motto is why give them my money in advance??).

Anyway - to answer your question it really depends on the type of person/traveler you are and what you need upon arrival in Italy. Meaning, do you have to pay cash for an apartment within a few days and what is the rate?

I took enough pounds to pay for our car from the airport plus dinner that night, only to find out the next day that the bank had cancelled all of our cards because of an unfamiliar transaction.

We'd bought a camera lens in Japan on the way over, and although I'd twice given the bank my travel details and was assured everything was OK, they still cancelled the cards without calling us on the numbers I'd given them.

My DH had a 'lovely' chat with the bank and all was fixed by that afternoon, but in the mean time we had to rely on our friend to buy us lunch and lend us some money.

Next time I'll take more money with me and open an account with a second bank as a back up.

My rule of thumb is to have no local currency in hand no matter to what country I travel, and it has served me well.

There are ATMs everywhere.

If your taxi driver tells you he needs cash, tell him to drive you to an ATM. It's that easy.

I always go to Europe with carry on only and E100 or so. I get through the airport quickly, avoid lines and empty or broken ATMs, grab a snack, pay for my transportation to the hotel, unpack my ziplock bags from my carry on, shower, then I'm off to find an ATM and start my vacation. If you are concerned about the cost to pre-buy some euros, it's a great indication that you might rethink taking the trip at all. You probably can't afford it.

<i>If you are concerned about the cost to pre-buy some euros, it's a great indication that you might rethink taking the trip at all. You probably can't afford it.</i>

Now that is good advice.

I still don't think you need to get Euros before you go, and I find it more of a hassle to pre-buy than to get them upon arrival, but if one feels more comfortable with some local currency in their pocket, then buy the currency before you go.

<i>his motto is why give them my money in advance??</i>

Your husband is a smart man.