My husband and i are taking our first trip to Europe. We are starting in rome and as we look for accomodations, I am surprised at the number of hotels that do not take credit cards. Is this a red flag we should stay away from. And if not, how do most people pay. I certainly dont want to be traveling with that kind of cash?

I think it is fairly common in Italy. Credit card companies charge businesses a % of the amount collected.

We paid cash numerous times. We didnt carry the cash, we pulled it out of bank machines as we went. Hope this helps!

jerrylee I have usually paid my hotel bills in Italy via my CC but have often been told there is a discount if I pay by cash. Cash..besides the charge that the CC charges the hotel there is also the fact that the hotels do not pay the government tax for cash payments of hotel bills. Believe me, I KNOW!!!

Many B & B's don't accept credit cards, but every hotel we've ever stayed in accept them. We never stay in large or chain hotels either, we like to find places that have less than 15-20 rooms if we can.
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Jerrylee, it is very common in most of Europe for the hotels to give a 5%, sometimes more, for cash. We have always found that most of our hotels WOULD take a CC but preferred cash. Use a CC to check in, determne the total bill including the discount, go around corner to an ATM and use a debit card to withdrawal necessary cash, and go back an pay them. Everybody is happy.

We will be in Rome at the end of May, and I know our hotel wants about 250 Euro and there is a bank between the hotel and the train station that we walk by. I will withdrawn about 400 Euro on the way to the hotel. You will be fine.

Our hotel in Rome offered a 10% discount if we paid in cash (they also didn't take credit cards) all at once when we checked in- for five nights, that was a boon! I went to an ATM just down the block from the hotel when we arrived- they are everywhere- so if you don't want to get that much money at the airport on arrival, just wait. But, you should also always use a money belt, and never, ever access it in public. Then you can safely carry larger sums as needed.

Have never stayed in a hotel in europe that wouldn't take a CC. Typically these would be very modest, often family run B&B type places.

You take the money out of your checking account with your ATM card - at one of the machines you will find in any bank.

You just need to be sure that you have enough $ in your CHECKING - you can't access savings - account - and that your bank will let you pull enough for each day.

Better - take ATM cards from 2 different checking accounts (most investment groups will give you this free with access to your cash reserves).

I don't think it's a red-flag, unless perhaps signaling that it is a small hotel or family-run kind of place.

You can take travelers checks or withdraw cash from an ATM machine.

Almost everything written in this thread has been correct, with one exception:

Forget about travelers cheques in Europe! They are not widely accepted, and banks charge outragous fees to cash them (like 10 to 15 dollars for a 50-dollar-cheque).

Cash and no receipt is (and has always been) very popular among hotels. The reasons are quite obvious, but it's getting more difficult every day. ;-)

Some people seem to contest credit card charges when they get home. It's a lot of work for the hotel.

Check if the hotel would accept travelers checks in payment, was what I meant to suggest. Some do.

Nothing to worry about in France. Merchants pay only 0.65%-0.75% commission on Visa and MasterCard. From what I have read, it is the lowest commission in the world, so it makes credit card acceptance painless for store, restaurants and hotels. (American Express commission, on the other hand, runs about 2.75% in France, which explains its sparser acceptance.)

"Nothing to worry about in France. Merchants pay only 0.65%-0.75% commission on Visa and MasterCard".

What they pay depends on what they make. In other words, they negotiate the commission with their bank depending on sales volume. It can be 0.65% for department stores and 3% for smaller shops. There is no fixed rule.

Of course not. But as my job includes credit card negotiations, I kind of know what I'm talking about for France.

Of course not. But as my job includes credit card negotiations, I kind of know what I'm talking about for France.

Of course. But being French, living in France and in close commercial relationships with several French shop-owners, I kind of thought the information you gave (0.65/0.75% commission) was not accurate.

I've always paid cash for hotels, and have always gotten a receipt, without asking for it, whether or not they offered a cash discount.

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Nothing to worry about in France. Merchants pay only 0.65%-0.75% commission on Visa and MasterCard.
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yes, but what is the tax savings on undocumented income?

I also have French citizenship, Pvoyageuse, and I certainly can't imagine why American Express would be so poorly accepted in France if carte bleue (VI/MC) was higher.

Hi J,

You do not bring that much cash with you. You get it from the ATM using your ATM card.