CarolA

The ONLY place I have ever traveled where I could not find an ATM....

Denali, Alaska!!!!!! Yes, folks ALASKA! There were about two ATMS in the town at the time and they were out of cash.... (by some miracle we had travelers checks LOL!)

Greece, no problem
Italy, no problem
Crotia, no problem
Turkey, no problem

and so on....

humptynumpty

Caroline

It isn't just the lack of ATMs in rural Greece, it is the non provision of credit card facilities by food outlets ie restaurants/mini markets.

on Meganissi we eneded up paying £15 for a Pizza as it was all we could afford?!? ie the poshiest place was the only one that excepted cards.

I agree, coastal Sicily is easy.

humptynumpty

ps try to make it to Elba or Sardinia they are beautiful.

TDudette

One more thing! ATM outside of the bank wouldn't accept his card. The ATM inside did. It was in Perugia, Italy.

We mostly traveled in touristed areas of Italy and France. Only the smallest restos wanted cash only and one hotel (run by one person but she showed us where the ATM was located!)

We bought some euros from triple A-that way we had money when we alit from the plane.

flirtinfilly

I stayed 7 days in Genoa over New Years. Three weeks before I left, I called all my banks/cards to notifiy them, find out what their charges were and what ATM network they belonged to. I them mapped out where the closest bank was in relation to my hotel and printed a copy to take with me. I ordered $250 E through my bank prior to leaving since I was arriving New Years Eve. Upon arrival, I locked the US dollars and "backup credit cards (the one with the highest fees for Euro transactions) in the room safe. I took out another $300E while there and still had some to bring back. I paid for meals with a no-fee credit card, and tipped in cash. The one thing that I found to be REALLY expensive was sending post cards - 12 cards with postage was around $50! Meals were easy - grabbed a piece of fruit from breakfast for mid-morning snack, usually had a light lunch ($20E) and whatever I wanted for dinner. Since I'm a food/wine person, I wasn't going to deny myself in that area! My most expensice meal was in Alba - about $80E with wine, grappa and all courses - but so worth it. Looking forward to hearing about your trip when you get back especially the stay in Arezzo!

TDudette

flirtinfilly, Oh my yes about the post cards. I had forgotten. We really cut down on those because of the price. We also encountered many lines at the P.O. if we went after everyone got out of school or work.

(flirtinfilly, did you write a trip report about Genoa? Welcome!)

raincitygirl

I have just returned from Italy and other points around the Western Med. There seemed to be no shortage of ATMs everywhere we went, although some businesses wanted cash not credit cards.

As I do on every trip, I alerted my credit card companies and my bank (several times to make sure, and also had my daily limit from the ATM increased). Well,I had nothing but trouble, could not withdraw as many funds as I wanted (nothing huge, maybe 400 euro per time),some banks rejected my card outright even though they were on the same system as mine and some were in my bank's alliance so there are no fees.
Also had trouble with my VISA card several times and when I called the so called customer service 24 hr help line I got the most unhelpful person in the world.

So sometimes, despite your best efforts to do everything right, your bank and credit card company do not do the right thing by you.
In Corfu we were told that this happens a lot to American and Canadian customers and never happens to European, English or Australian customers. Something about our banking systems in North America? Anyway, it was frustrating and embarrassing.

So I was wishing I'd brought more euros with me, I had about 500 at the beginning of the trip but next time I'll bring more.

Believe me, the first place I went the day I got home was straight to my bank to speak to the manager and he is looking into it and has given me a gift card for a dinner and drinks.

So,just based on personal experience I'd say have some euros with you and all the 24 hour phone numbers you may need plus your bank manager's direct line.

janisj

"<i>the 24 hour phone numbers you may need plus your bank manager's direct line</i>"

Not the 800 number you'd call from the States. Be sure you know the <u>international</u> number. For some banks it is a number you can call collect from outside the USA, for others it is a 'European' number that gets transferred to the stateside system. 800 numbers won't work.

Some cc/atm cards list both numbers, Stateside and International, on the back. But for others you'll have to look at the small print on your bill or call them before you leave to get the info.

TDudette

Great point, janisj.

annhig

There seemed to be no shortage of ATMs everywhere we went, although some businesses wanted cash not credit cards.>>

i ran into this same problem for the very first time last night when i was settling my hotel bill in southern Tuscany. I owed €350, but when I got the bill, it was only for €200 - she was ok with me paying that by credit card but wanted the rest on cash. Of course, I didn't have it and it was 9pm. there was an ATM nearby, but i don't like using them when the bank is closed incase the machine eats my card - it never has yet but there's always a first time.

Fortunately it worked, but i was cross that she had done this without asking me or letting me know in advance.

I can say that i have never had problems drawing money or using my credit card - and i have never informed my bank/provider where/when I'm going. If UK banks can manage without being told, why can't US ones?

alihutch

Italians are big on cash. One Lake Como restaurant (in Argengo I think) didn't take credit cards but was more than happy to give change form a €500 note!
A friend who had divorced from his wife had to take €30,000 to the lawyers for her, as that was the only acceptable form of payment.

janisj

"<i>If UK banks can manage without being told, why can't US ones?</i>"

Some American Banks will freeze a credit card or ATM card if they see unusual activity. Part of their fraud prevention policies. If there is 'unusual activity' -- like if a card is used in Topeka Kansas one day and in Paris or London the next morning.

It can usually be straightened out w/ a quick phone call, but w/ the time differences - that isn't always convenient during US Business hours.

Has never happened to me personally --but my cousin who travels several times a year allover the world-- they froze her cards when she was in Beijing.

She was furious (after all she had used the cards everywhere from Orkney to Egypt) -- and when she called them after arriving in Hong Kong - the answer was "Well, you have no history of visiting China or anyplace else in Asia, so we assumed your #'s had been skimmed or cloned."

annhig

Some American Banks will freeze a credit card or ATM card if they see unusual activity. Part of their fraud prevention policies. If there is 'unusual activity' -- like if a card is used in Topeka Kansas one day and in Paris or London the next morning.>>

yes, jj, but how prevalent is that type of fraud, really? i can't remember reading any threads about it, but I have read loads of complaints where US fodorites have had no end of problems with their cards being frozen by their banks.

and are only US citizens the potential victims? why would that be? surely UK banks would be following suit if they and their customers were regularly being scammed in this way. I do feel that there is perhaps an element among the US banks that "abroad" is nasty and foreign and they/we are not to be trusted.

caroline_edinburgh

Just in the last couple of years, I've had a UK card frozen briefly in Italy (after maybe a week or even two already there !) but my bank has always rung me within a couple of hours to check that I am where I appear to be, then 'uyn-frozen' it again. They now have a section on their website for informing them of travels abroad, so hoping using that will prevent this happening.

uhoh_busted

The only time I've had fraudulent activity on a credit card was after a business trip to Florida! Apparently someone at the hotel (in Coral Gables) used a swipe or a copy to create a dummy card. I was called by the CC company (I think it was Diners Club back then) and asked about a $3000+ charge at some restaurant in a city where I hadn't been. Checking my charges, there had been an earlier small charge at a gas station for about $5. Not having rented a car on that trip, it clearly was not mine either.

I was concerned as we were leaving for a vacation (in France) within a week...but the cc company Fed-exed me a new card w/new number within about a day. Obviously I wasn't responsible for the fraudulent charges.

I decided the moral was to continue to use specific cards and have two or three that you've maintained a long history with. We also notify them before going on a long trip. Seems to work well, but the crooks keep coming up with new ways to steal, so you just need to watch your bills and track your accounts.

Christina

I've had some charges on some CCs questioned at times, they left a message and told me to call them back to verify them (unusual activity according to them, not me), but they've never actually been frozen. I do travel a lot, though, so that's in my history.

I'm not sure anyone has ever reported having an ATM card "frozen", though, due to it being an ATM in a foreign country. I think people just talk about notifying their banks because they think they should, but I don't recall ever reading a post on here about a bank freezing an ATM card, just credit cards.

At least I don't ever remember reading a post about a bank freezing an ATM card, only credit cards. It would have to be instantaneous, actually, not sure exactly how that would work. Credit charges are a lot different because it takes so long for them to go through and I'm not sure when the merchant actually gets paid. But you get your money instantaneously with an ATM card. So your ATM card would have to somehow be set up to never work in a foreign country somehow. I suppose that is possible. A lot of people dont' even have ATM cards, but I do, actually. A lot of peole only have debit cards which have some Visa/MC logo on them so maybe they act differently than an ATM card. I never wanted one of those and don't have one, I only have an ATM card.

caroline_edinburgh

Christina, it was my UK combined debit & ATM card which was frozen or perhaps I should should say blocked - I found out when trying to withdraw cash from an ATM. The ATM would have detected the block when the Italian bank's system sent an online authorisation request message to my bank's system.

chartley

The only UK credit card that I phone up about before travelling is my John Lewis Partnership card. They seem to want notification, and always ask which countries I will be going to, how long I will be away, and if all the card holders (3 on this account) want to be able to use their cards. They are always very polite, know what I am talking about, and wish me a good holiday.

I only started doing this when a friend had his Partnership card blocked. He used it in Perpignan and then in Girona, and they were confused by his being in two countries on the same day!

I don't bother notifying First Direct about my debit and credit cards from them, and have never had the cards blocked.

I did once arrive in Palma, Mallorca and find all the ATMs down. Fortunately, I invariably carry €200 or so with me, so there was no problem in having enough to buy lunch and some groceries. Although many places accept cards, I like to have enough cash on me to pay restaurant bills, etc, in case there are problems with a card transaction. We all have our comfort zones.

Annie1091

I always take all cash, lock up in room safe what you don't want to carry around with you. Word to the wise, credit cards, ATM are subject to fraudulent charges when you are travelling in Italy, happened to me and that did it for me. I came home to a bunch of fraudulent charges on two of my cards. This is even after I notified the credit card companies of where I would be and the dates. The bank let the charges go through even though they all originated in SO. America, where I was NOT. After allowing the charges the bank then froze my cards. This was a nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone, stick to cash only and lock up in the hotel room safe, carry around only what you need for the day. Some people may think me crazy but how would you like to be in a foreign country with little to no cash and credit cards that have been frozen, not funny, I'd rather take my chances with cash.

vjpblovesitaly

Both cash and credit/debit cards have pros and cons. I also had some fraudulent charges on a card in South America when I had not been there. And last year one for a foreign airline when I had not been out of the country. I don't think either situation had anything to do with Italy (particularly last year's).

"Some people may think me crazy but how would you like to be in a foreign country with little to no cash and credit cards that have been frozen"

Nobody would like that obviously.

FYI, the thread you brought up is almost 4 years old