My nieces are going to Italy next year -- for a stocking stuffer I'd like to get them some lira -- but I don't know what denominations they come in -- is there like a 2,000 lira note or a 10,000 lira note? Help! - RB

What a neat idea - Lira come in 1000,2000,5000,10000,50000 and 100000 notes. Current exchange approx = drop the zeros and divide by 2, i.e., a 10000 note is about $5 USD. May take a week or more to get from the bank depending where you live. Hope this helps.

Rebecca, <BR> The smallest bill is 1000 Lira which is worth about $0.50. As with most European currency the bills get larger(physically) as the denomination gets larger. They are also different colors. You could get them a nice variety without breaking yourself. If you live in a large city you might be able to get them at a large bank. Also most International airports have money exchanges although the exchange rates aren't very good.

A mix of smaller bills would be highly desirable. ATMs usually spit out the big suckers that are sometimes tough making small purchases with.

I would recommend smaller bills, such as the 10,000 Lire note- about 5.00 bucks... as anything over that, if it gets lost, could be an expensive loss. The exchange now is very good, I was getting 2250 lire to the dollar yesterday before I left to come back to the states. The bills not only come in different colors, but different sizes. As some practical advice, when exchanging, try to get smaller bills such as the 50,000 or 10,000 if you are doing sightseeing, as the museums usually charge 6-8000 lire to get in, some 12,000 lire, and hate it when you give them a 50,000 or 100,000 lire note to pay.

Ditto Brian & Jon's advice, the big bills are a pain to unload except at restaurants, gift shops, etc. I tend to hoard my 10,000L and under bills and break the big ones every chance I get. Also tell them to hang-on to their 500L & 1000L coin/bills for the toilet/wc tips and also for the panhandlers. If you're going thru your your bank tell them small bills only, I have in the past even if it takes a couple of transactions over time. Regards, Walter <BR>