Hi everyone. I'm traveling to Italy and I need to know where I can purchase Euros. I live in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Any ideas?

The best place to get Euros is in Europe. Use your ATM card upon arrival. ATM machines (Bancomats) are ubiquitous.

Bankofamerica.com sells foreign currency online though the currency exchange loses a few points. They send you the actual cash in the mail. I agree about getting the foreign currency when you arrive, and definitely don't use a Visa/MC as all sorts of fees are attached.

Pull them from ATM machine in the airport after you arrive to get the best deal on the exchange rate.

If you're not comfortable landing without any euros change $100 at the bureau de change at your departure airport just before you leave. The rate will be bad - but not as bad as B of A - and for so little it doesn;t matter that much.

If you want to buy Euros before you leave, the best place is most likely at the airport. AAA and American Express offices sell them too but you will pay a hefty premium. It is a good idea to have some with you before leaving (about $100 worth should do it)just in case. Otherwise, use ATMs as others have said - they are all over. Make purchases with you credit card. Some hotels give discounts for cash so if you want to take advantage of that you will be using ATMs anyway. Make sure that the powers issuing your card know that you will be in Italy and the dates. Otherwise they may block your card if foreign purchases start to show up. Also, get a 4 number pin if yours is different.

Try the bank where you have an account. We always get $100 in the currency of the country we're traveling from our bank before we go.

We went to Europe this summer. We took a few Euros with us purchased at the local AMEX travel office with a terrible exchange rate. We exclusively used ATM machines for the rest of our cash needs. We had an ATM card from our credit union. They did not charge us any fees to use the card and every machine we used in Europe only assessed a 1% fee. That was very reasonable. Just make sure you have a four digit (numbers, not letters) code for your pin. It was very easy to find ATM machines, even in small towns.

if you "must" get some early - no need to order them from your bank. Just take the $100 cash w/ you to your departure airport and buy € in the departure area. Banks may say "no fee" but they get their fee by giving a nasty exchange rate.

Then use your ATM card when you are in Italy.

Thanks everyone, that was so helpful. I want to pay a few hotels in cash...will the ATMs in Europe allow me to get 400-500 euros out in one transaction or in one day?

probably not inone transaction - since many will have around a €250 limit. But you just re-insert your card or go to a neighboring machine.

Be sure to inform your home bank about your itinerary, and have them raise your daily limit if necessary.

Saloumeh,
We just returned a few weeks ago - here is what we found out - we have a 500.00 daily limit on our ATM card - (which we raised thankfully before we left - if you can do it) - the ATM in Italy we could only get out 250 Euros from one ATM and then about 125.00 from another - due to the exchange rate.
We did have to keep hitting them to get the money for our apartment in cash.