Obtaining Euros in Rome

[atlaturne]

Going on cruise out of Rome.Staying in Rome for three days prior.I have American Express Platinum.I have a few Euros but need to get more before the cruise departure.Is it possible to get decent rate and exchange U.S cash to Euros?Best way and place in Rome if anybody has done this.Thinking that the rate in Rome would be better than ship?Thanks

[cruise kitty]

Best way is use an atm to withdraw euros from your bank account. You might want to notify your bank ahead of time that you'll be traveling

[Formerly known as Seabee]

As Kitty said, best to use an ATM. But not just any ATM; only use one outside a bank. Just like in the US, "private" ATMs typically charge a higher fee. And definitely let your card issuer know you will be in foreign country.

[Clarea]

If you have or can get a Capital One debit card, they don't charge foreign transaction fees and reimburse ATM fees up to $30 per month.

[cruza]

Going on cruise out of Rome.Staying in Rome for three days prior.I have American Express Platinum.I have a few Euros but need to get more before the cruise departure.Is it possible to get decent rate and exchange U.S cash to Euros?Best way and place in Rome if anybody has done this.Thinking that the rate in Rome would be better than ship?Thanks

 

I suggest to bring Visa/MC cards with you as well. Almost nobody is accepting AmEx in Europe.

[loeb]

There are several AMT's as you exit the terminal at FCO (after immigration and customs as you walk out near baggage claim area 8). There were two on the right hand side, you will probably see a line or ask one of guides or drivers hold up signs for arriving passengers If you see any ATM's before you exit immigration and customs do not use them, they are private. You can select English on the terminal so you shouldn't have a problem. I also used the AMT's in a couple of the ports without a problem. I bank with Citibank and there was no service charge and the exchange was very good..

 

Although you didn't ask, the Reflection and I assume other Celebrity ships have ATM's that disburse Euros, but they have a service charge and I'm not sure of the exchange rate. I would recommend only using them in an emergency.

[Tiggertastic]

We got €1.29 to £1 using the cas machines and the interbank rate was €1.31 at the time. We put the card in credi before leaving and used the cash machine last week and hit a better rate than at home.

[atlaturne]

I called American Express-I had gone to a special branch in Atlanta a few years back and was able to obtain Euros.I was told today that American Express no longer has a currency exchange service.Hopefully I can use atms in Rome-Europe.Thanks to all for input.

[Hlitner]

I called American Express-I had gone to a special branch in Atlanta a few years back and was able to obtain Euros.I was told today that American Express no longer has a currency exchange service.Hopefully I can use atms in Rome-Europe.Thanks to all for input.

 

AMEX has closed just about all their offices around the world. Most frequent travelers to Europe (including moi) get their Euros out of ATM machines which are even more common in Europe then in the USA. In most cities it is hard to walk 1 block without seeing at least 1 ATM. If you have a bank debit/check card that works in ATMs at home, it should also work in most ATMs in Europe. Look at the back of your card and see if it has a logo from Visa, STarz, Plus, etc. If so, your card should work. However, it is wise to contact your issuing bank, tell them of your itinerary (they can note it on your file to avoid security issues) and you can ask them any questions. Most cards have a daily withdrawal limit (usually somewhere between $300 and $500). European ATMs give you different language options (on the first screen) and English will usually be a British Flag. Most European ATMs only work with 4 digit Pins and you need to know your Pin in numbers....as there are no letters on their ATMs.

 

We recommend sticking to bank owned ATMs (avoid Travelex or most other privately owned ATMs) and if your card fails to work, simply walk away and try a different ATM (you usually do not have to walk far).

 

Hank

Edited June 2, 2016 by Hlitner

[Langoustine]

And leave your Discover Card, if you have one, at home; it's even more useless in Europe than AMEX.

[lisiamc]

Some places in Europe will take American Express. It's worth a try if you get points/don't get charged a foreign exchange fee. But I would definitely also bring a Visa or MasterCard as well.

[Keith1010]

As mentioned, the first choice for an optimal rate is using your ATM card in country. Be sure if you do this that you contact them ahead of time (same for credit cards) to give them your travel plans and be sure you know how much you can withdraw daily.

 

If for any reason you are concerned about this and are only going to get a few hundred Euros than another option is to make arrangements with your local USA bank to get some Euros. While this is not optimal say you need $400.00 in Euros. If you go to your local bank you will end up paying about 5% more versus using your ATM in country so it will cost you another $25.00 doing it this way which in the scheme of things is really not that much for the convenience.

 

As mentioned for credit card transactions I would not rely solely with your American Express Card. Be sure to take a couple of other cards with you and like the American Express Platinum Card be sure they don't charge you a foreign transaction fee. With that said, I have been able to use my American Express Card in a lot of places in Europe without a problem.

 

Keith

[Hlitner]

Some places in Europe will take American Express. It's worth a try if you get points/don't get charged a foreign exchange fee. But I would definitely also bring a Visa or MasterCard as well.

 

With the exception of the AMEX Platinum Card, AMEX assesses a 2.7% foreign exchange fee on every transaction. Given that the points are worth 1% (at the most), using AMEX is not a good idea (except for those with Platinum cards). As to Visa and MC, it really varies with each card. Some cards will hit you with a 2-4% exchange fee and your bank will sometimes add an additional fixed price per transaction. Other cards such as the CapitalOne MC or the Andrews FCU Global Trek Visa only impose the standard 1% international transaction fee (built into the exchange rate) with no additional fees.

 

So, many frequent travelers have learned that its a good idea to have a CaptialOne card (they are easy to obtain if you have a decent credit rating and have no annual fees).

 

ATMs are really a great option, as long as your own bank does not charge a transaction fee (if so, we suggest finding a new bank or credit union). When you use an ATM card in Europe, the international transaction is nearly always handled by Visa International who tacks on a 1% exchange fee (simply calculated in their exchange rate). Since the ATM uses the current real exchange rate and you only incur that 1% adjustment, it is the best possible rate you can get when you want cash. No cambio, bank or other exchange medium will even come close to these ATM rates. On the other hand, for a typical cruiser who is only changing a few hundred dollars...convenience might trump the rates.... But for those of us who spend a lot of time out of the country and spend thousands of dollars (or more) these exchange rates/fees are quite meaningful.

 

Hank

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Many banks no longer need to be notified when you travel--mine doesn't, for instance.

 

Thanks for the information about where the ATM's are in FCO, we'll be doing this in September, although we usually have a few euros lying around from our last trip.

 

Amex, ah Amex--I take my card since I use it onboard if I'm taking a cruise. Otherwise, I agree it's fairly useless. Gone are the days when the Amex office in any major European city was where you went to cash traveller's cheques and pick up your mail!

[slidergirl]

I suggest to bring Visa/MC cards with you as well. Almost nobody is accepting AmEx in Europe.

 

Has this changed in the past 12 months? I use my AMEX as my primary card. I only use my backup Visa when a place doesn't accept AMEX. I'm more than 50% on being able to use my AMEX.

So, "almost nobody" is inaccurate, I will say to take your AMEX and another card AND the card that you use to access your ATMs at home. Just like you do in the US…

 

With your Plat, be sure to make good use of the Global Entry offer (AMEX will pay for it!).

[Keith1010]

Has this changed in the past 12 months? I use my AMEX as my primary card. I only use my backup Visa when a place doesn't accept AMEX. I'm more than 50% on being able to use my AMEX.

So, "almost nobody" is inaccurate, I will say to take your AMEX and another card AND the card that you use to access your ATMs at home. Just like you do in the US…

 

With your Plat, be sure to make good use of the Global Entry offer (AMEX will pay for it!).

 

Nothing has changed. Often people say you can't use the Amex in most places in Europe and that has not been my experience either. We've been able to use it in many places.

 

Keith

[Hlitner]

Agree that AMEX is accepted in most hotels and decent restaurants. But many other places (especially smaller cafes and shops) will only accept Visa/MC because AMEX charges a higher percentage to merchants. But again, we would point out that with the exception of the AMEX Platinum card...users will find a 2.7% foreign exchange fee on their statement for every purchase. When we had the Gold Card we tried not to use it outside the country. Now, with a Platinum we use it without hesitation...where it is accepted. But we have been in numerous European restaurants (we do a lot of lengthy driving trips in Europe) where the restaurants, upon seeing we want to use AMEX, will politely ask if we have any other credit cards (this happens in places that do accept AMEX). I should add that we also have a Visa and a MC that have no annual fees and zero foreign exchange fees. Using those instead of a regular AMEX card would save us 2.7% on every transaction...which is easy found money :).

 

Hank

Edited June 3, 2016 by Hlitner

[Keith1010]

Hank, the Platinum is not the only Amex card with no foreign transaction fees. For example, their Starwood Card has not foreign transaction fee.

 

Always wise to have a couple of different credit cards that have no transaction fee. Not just because one might not be accepted but also just in case one gets compromised during the trip.

 

Yes, there are many cards without annual fees that also don't have foreign transaction fees. Capital One has offered one for years and some of the other Banks have followed suit.

 

Keith

[AmR87]

Going on cruise out of Rome.Staying in Rome for three days prior.I have American Express Platinum.I have a few Euros but need to get more before the cruise departure.Is it possible to get decent rate and exchange U.S cash to Euros?Best way and place in Rome if anybody has done this.Thinking that the rate in Rome would be better than ship?Thanks

 

I went to chase this morning and it was as easy as pie to order euros. The rate was actually very good too!

[atlaturne]

Going on cruise out of Rome.Staying in Rome for three days prior.I have American Express Platinum.I have a few Euros but need to get more before the cruise departure.Is it possible to get decent rate and exchange U.S cash to Euros?Best way and place in Rome if anybody has done this.Thinking that the rate in Rome would be better than ship?Thanks

 

We were able to order@$ 500 Euros through our local bank-rate not great,but I feel better having a small amount in my pocket.Will use local ATMs at banks while in Rome to get more Euros as needed.Thanks to all for input-you're a great help.

Edited June 4, 2016 by atlaturne

[Hlitner]

Keith, we understand what you say...but stayed away from the various AMEX partnership cards (like Starwood). Our issue in Europe is somewhat different then many cruisers since we often will spend up to 2 months doing long driving trips (before or after cruises) and often need to get large amounts of Euros in order to pay for various rental properties. We can normally get about 1500 Euros per day with our fee free cards, and more if we want to use other cards that do charge fees. The alternative for us would be to carry thousands of Euros on our trip....and this is just not our style :). One nice development is that more and more rental agencies (and individuals) in Europe are now accepting Paypal...which is a Godsend when we need to pay large sums for rentals. In one case, our agent met us at a Paris rental property and then she waited 5 minutes while I transferred a significant amount of Euros via Paypal. Those fund transfers go through in seconds and are at very attractive rates (although Paypal does charge a small percentage).

 

But as we said earlier (and in previous posts) it finally occurred to moi that exchange rates and fees are not really very important to most cruisers. The reality is that if one is only getting a few hundred (or even a thousand Euros)...the differences in exchange rates are de minimus. Even AMEX would only charge $27 per thousand Euros...and give a darn good exchange rate. If course one could spend $450 a year for a Platinum Card....and not pay any foreign exchange fees... :).

 

Hank

Edited June 4, 2016 by Hlitner