areinert

All my hotels in Italy are requiring that I pay cash. Not a big deal except at an average of 80E per night and 4 nights a stay (240E) that adds up fast. Based on the advice of this board I use ATMs for cash using my debit card. The limit is $250 per day, so in Euros that isnt much. I dont want to have to constantly hit ATMs and hord the cash so I can pay the hotels.

Also, many of the tours require cash payment as well.

Any suggestions? I have asked the bank to raise the daily limit and they wont, even with $4000 in my account for the trip.

What about TC in Euros? Have I missed anything?

Why does eveyone in Italy want cash?

Patrick

What a pain. I can only recall one hotel ever asking us for cash only, but we've had to get cash for apartments. I can't imagine why your bank won't increase your limit, they did ours no problem. But an equal problem is that many Italian ATM's put a 250 euro limit on what you can take out at one time anyway. Surprisingly more than once after getting 250 I put the card back in and got another 250 -- but that won't work if your bank has also limited you to that amount.

It's hard to imagine that you'd be able to get euro TC's as cheaply as you can get euro from an ATM, unless your bank also charges huge fees for each withdrawal.

areinert

Exactly my problem Patrick. My bank has few fees, I think an out of network fee, maybe a few dolars per transaction, and a conversion fee, but thats it. The fees are pretty good based on what people here say. But all hotels require cash, maybe cause I am going Feb 2005, the winter season.

I agree about the TCs, I would think they would be very costly with fees.

Christina

It sounds like maybe you need to go to an ATM perhaps every other day. That should do it, shouldn't it? I wouldn't carry it around, but if you've already stayed at the hotel two days, there is no harm in paying partially on the bill, is there? If your hotel refuses to accept your money until you check out, I would find that odd. I think that would be cheaper than buying TCs in euro.

If you can get out $250 a day and your hotels are about 80 euro a day, it doesn't seem too problematic if there is an ATM close to the hotel.

The alternative would be one of those prepaid ATM cards, but I think the fees on them would not make them very attractive, either, in comparison to just going yourself every other day.

areinert

Great idea, I hadn't thought about paying a few days at a time. I didnt want to be hording it like you mentioned. Thanks

Henry

areinert,
Call around to other banks in your town. Find one with low out of network ATM fees, no conversion fees, and no monthly fees on checking (fees levied by the check)and free ATM cards. Deposit half your vaction money in the new checking account and now you you have doubled the amount you can withdraw.

ira

Good advice from Henry.

I always take 2 ATM cards.