I'm traveling to Italy later this year for a stay of a few weeks. Because of debt issues in my past, I have only two credit cards, each of which has a $300 spending limit. So I'm mostly relying on cash for my hotels, train tickets, etc.

I mentioned this to a friend last night and she seemed surprised and told me that it would be a mistake to go to Italy without a credit card with a $2,000-$3,000 spending limit.

Now I am concerned. I think I have plenty of cash for my trip, but my friend thinks that hotels are going to want to charge a valid credit card when I check in, and that if there isn't enough money on the card to cover the cost of the room, they won't let me check in. I had figured most places would just have me settle up in cash when I leave, or if they wanted payment in advance, I could simply give them cash.

I'm not renting any cars, so using credit cards for car rentals will not be an issue.

PS: Oh, and when I refer to cash, I'm not talking about carrying over a wad of several thousand dollars. I'd be using my debit/ATM card.

There's no simple generalisation possible about this, except that your friend is, mostly, talking nonsense.

Depending on the kinds of places you're planning to stay at, some - but by no means all - hotels will put a hold on your card when you arrive (and possibly if you reserve in advance). My experience is that most won't if you pay cash in advance. Occasionally (but very, very rarely in family-run places in Italy) paying in advance might mean you can't charge meals etc to your room - though actualy I've never had that happen.

If they do put a hold, that hold's taken off when you check out. So, as long as you keep one card with a net balance of zero all the time, you shouldn't have a problem anywhere.

Apart from some hotels sometimes, there's no circumstance in which you ever need credit cards.

All this might be different at the kind of overpriced poncey places (like the Hassler Villa Medici) most of us pay good money to avoid.

One more general observation. It's my experience that the kind of anal prat who's never taken a risk in his or her life - and therefore has always had their credit in perfect nick - is always resentful of people who've actually stuck their neck out. Such people love inventing the kind of claptrap your friend's just dreamt up, because they really feel you ought to be punished for the way you've chosen to organise yourself.

This doesn't make them bad people. Just not worth listening to.

In my experience, Italian hotels prefer cash -- they will accept it either way, but some offer a discount if you pay in cash.


Has your friend been to Italy? I think that ``scan your card'' when you check in thing is mostly a U.S. convention.

When we have had problems with the withdrawal limit (only so much allowed per day), hotels have agreed to let us pay the bill on a rolling basis, a little bit each day, so we didn't have to carry the cash around.

I wouldn't worry about it.

They would probably accept the debit card, actually. I think I've used that in similar circumstances (I don't have a credit card).

The only times I use a credit card is to reserve something (i.e. flights) as a matter of principal. We always pay in cash. In all our European travels we have yet to encounter any such issues.

You have had good advice from Fodors folks. Your debit card will do just perfectly!

I think the worst scenario is that you are asked for a cash deposit to cover your entire stay. Granted it has been a few years, but my first tour of Europe was before I had a credit card of any kind. I used paper currency to pay my bills all the way.

I sometimes had to pay for the room before I occupied it, but that was no big deal.

I'm also wondering whether your friend has ever been to Italy? She is talking complete nonsense! The hotels will be happy to accept cash. When paying cash, I have always paid when I check in. That just means you're withdrawing your ATM money at the beginning of the stay instead of at the end. No problem.

Hi A,

You will be all right.

We have stayed in hotels where they wanted cash and let us pay a few hundred E/day until the whole bill was paid. That way we didn't have to withdraw the whole amount at once.

Some places even give a discount if you pay cash!

You'll be OK paying in cash, though some places may ask for the full amount at check in. If you use the credit card to hold a reservation, just mention that you will be paying in cash when you arrive.

My parents have always traveled with cash. I know cash is a vampire to some here, but for some people, that's the way they like to do it. No one has ever turned down their money, even poncey places!

I'm one of those weird people. I do not have a credit card, don't want one and refuse all of the offers. I only use my debit card. I refuse to pay interest. If I can't afford it, then it doesn't need to be purchased.

I have never had a problem, whether renting cars, plane tickets, whatever. Now, I do take several debit cards from different banks, just in case one doinks on me.

So, I wouldn't be concerned at all, unless you want to buy something you can't pay cash for.

dave

>I do not have a credit card, ... I only use my debit card. I refuse to pay interest.

If you pay your bill on time, you get the float and you don't pay interest.

I have 2 CCs with closing dates 15 days apart. I use one until the closing date of the other. That way I get an interest-free loan of up to 30 days at no cost.

Hello ammelynn, in Italy I have always found that hotel owners (locally owned hotels) and restaurants actually prefer cash and often hotels will give you a discount on the room rate if you do pay by cash. With your atm/debit card and also two credit cards (a total of $600.00 total in credit limit) you will be fine. Have a wonderful time in beautiful Italy!

And as far of the "cost" for credit cards as Ira said..if one pays the total balance of their credit card statement before the due date one does not pay any interest. And there are credit cards that do not have an annual fee. I have four credit cards and do not pay an annual fee for any of them. And because I always pay the total balance due before the due date I have never paid one penny in interest on any credit card.