Rome money exchange
 

A little surprise at the airport...exchange rates at 18%.....no where near the rate in town. Concierge stated airport exchange companies are allowed to set their own rates.
Bring a few Euros and exchange in town.

I hate to tell you this, but no seasoned traveller would be surprised that the airport exchange counter offers the worst exchange rate in town. That is the norm just about everywhere you go, but thanks for the post in case anyone out there needs a reminder.

I do not get euros in advance because the exchange you get in the US is pretty bad too. I use the ATM at the airport and in town, througout my trip, and this is by far the best exchange you will find.

Totally agree..exchanging money no matter WHERE you do it will bring you a poor rate compared to using an ATM.

Oddly enough, there are a lot of folks, here on this forum who think that 18% TIP is reasonable when you buy a cup of coffee at a restaurant.

Food for thought.

Best wishes,

Rex

airport exchange rates are always the highest you will find in a city. Even though, 18 pct is an all-time high that I've ever seen for airports in Europe. Why wouldn't they be allowed to set their own rates, though, they're just a business.

I don't recall using an exchange kiosk or bank for currency exchange since about 1997.
I rely exclusively on ATMs for local currency. Sure, they don't all work OR they may give you a "not valid" message. So you just look for another ATM OR wait a little later OR use a different card.
Only once have I had to search for a 3rd ATM before I could pull out cash.

My approach is a simple one. So what if they raise the margin to 18%?
Let them go to 100%. They'll just put themselves out of business that much sooner as more folks will be pushed into using ATMs to save money.
OR, these exchange booths will have to lower their rates to be competitive and get the business back.