sun&sea Posted July 25 #1 Share Posted July 25 We will be in Rome a couple of days before our cruise as well as a couple days after. I have a couple tours that require payment in Euros at the end of the tour. (as well as the shuttle) So I will need at least 500Euros along the way. Where is the best place to obtain these? At the airport ATM? Do you ever get them at a bank at home? Also, will we need much cash for food or shopping while in Rome? Or is a credit card more widely used? And lastly, where do you get coins for restrooms? Or do you need coins? Thanks, Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro cruiser Posted July 25 #2 Share Posted July 25 (edited) In some places you do need coins for restrooms, you get them by purchasing something with bills and holding on to the change. Small purchases will require currency, like a coffee or a gelato. Restaurants and shops will almost always accept credit cards (a big difference in this post-Covid). Check your cards to see if you have one (or more) that do not charge exchange fees, no point in incurring those charges if you don't have to. Also check to see what your withdrawal limit is from an ATM, if you don't arrive with what you'll need for your tours you may have to waste time withdrawing the maximum each day for a few days. Note that you can only solve for one half of this equation, the Italian bank where you make the withdrawal may also have a daily limit. When I have had a large fee in cash I bought the currency from my bank at home and took it with me. This is less of an issue now that apartment rentals are not allowed to accept cash. Finally, be sure to use a bank ATM and not a private one. Unless you need the money immediately after landing, don't bother with the airport ATMs, find one at a bank in town. Edited July 25 by euro cruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted July 25 #3 Share Posted July 25 The question for the OP is whether they would travel in the USA without carrying any cash? I would not go anywhere, in a country, without having some local cash (i.e. Euros). Ideally, you have an ATM/Debit card that does not charge you ridiculous fees (if they do it is time to find a different bank or credit union). In Europe, ATMs are everywhere (even more common then here at home) and you would want to only use bank ATMs (avoid private ATMs such as Trevelex). There are some folks who feel more comfortable getting some Euros at home (some banks will sell them and they can also be purchased online). But in over 50 years of extensive travel, we have never bothered to obtain foreign cash in the USA. Why not? You will usually not get a good deal in the USA, and we have never had a problem using European ATMs. You will need to know your PIN in numbers (there are no letters on most European ATMs). By the way, if you do plan on using your ATM/Debit card and/or credit cards, make sure to notify the issuing banks (in advance) of your trip. Hank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro cruiser Posted July 26 #4 Share Posted July 26 In case of the very unlikely event that I somehow lose my credit cards while traveling, I always try to have enough local currency to cover a night in a hotel, a meal, etc. just in case. In decades of traveling I've never needed the emergency cash, but I feel better having it on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted July 26 #5 Share Posted July 26 We always make sure that we have €200-300 euros "left over" at the end of a trip and save them for the next one. That is more than enough for a transfer or taxi to our first hotel and some "emergency" cash. Also, we don't have to hurry to find an ATM immediately upon arrival. We replenish as needed from bank ATMs. This won't do the OP any good for this trip, but think about it at the end of the trip. Euros can also be used in other places, such as the Caribbean. They won't go to waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro cruiser Posted July 26 #6 Share Posted July 26 1 hour ago, marazul said: We always make sure that we have €200-300 euros "left over" at the end of a trip and save them for the next one. Me too. It's part of reassuring myself that I'll be back, I'm too cheap to waste it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCteacherlovescruising Posted July 26 #7 Share Posted July 26 11 hours ago, marazul said: We always make sure that we have €200-300 euros "left over" at the end of a trip and save them for the next one. That is more than enough for a transfer or taxi to our first hotel and some "emergency" cash. Also, we don't have to hurry to find an ATM immediately upon arrival. We replenish as needed from bank ATMs. This won't do the OP any good for this trip, but think about it at the end of the trip. Euros can also be used in other places, such as the Caribbean. They won't go to waste. How often/how many times have you been to Europe? We have between 200-300 euros sitting in our safe waiting for next summer. We were just talking about how that would get us started next summer until we come across an atm in Barcelona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted July 26 #8 Share Posted July 26 7 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said: How often/how many times have you been to Europe? We have between 200-300 euros sitting in our safe waiting for next summer. We were just talking about how that would get us started next summer until we come across an atm in Barcelona. Many times. We lived in France and England for a few years and traveled all over then. Since that we have been back often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCteacherlovescruising Posted July 26 #9 Share Posted July 26 3 minutes ago, marazul said: Many times. We lived in France and England for a few years and traveled all over then. Since that we have been back often. Lucky you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted July 26 #10 Share Posted July 26 22 hours ago, sun&sea said: At the airport ATM? Note that it is generally acknowledged that airports (and cruise ships) usually give the worst exchange rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun&sea Posted July 26 Author #11 Share Posted July 26 Thank you to everyone for the great information! Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RavenCruiser Posted July 27 #12 Share Posted July 27 I like to have cash with me upon arrival as I am a dinosaur, For our trip in May I had my son order 700 Euro for me through his Wells Fargo account. I chose this route as it was more convenient than going through my bank. With Wells, he could order online and have the cash delivered to his home address. Very convenient. The total I paid resulted in a conversion rate of 1.12 USD to 1 Euro. For comparison, the official online rate at that time was around 1.08 USD to 1 Euro. That was also the rate I noticed for my credit card charges on my statement. Given that you may have to pay some sort of ATM fee in Italy, either to your bank or the local bank, I think this way is as cost-efficient as any and you have the added benefit of already having your cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korimako Posted July 27 #13 Share Posted July 27 Just my experience in case it helps. I am currently travelling in Europe and have been here since 1 June. So far I have been in the Netherlands, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany and Sweden. I have not once used cash. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Dukes Posted July 29 #14 Share Posted July 29 We just came back from a European cruise. I wanted to have some Euros with me in advance as I needed to pay for a tour in cash on our 2nd day there. I found out that I could get them from my local AAA office, pretty decent rate, but I did have to order from them a few days in advance. While there, I needed some more cash to pay for some tours, I used the atm at a bank and my one checking account atm card doesn’t charge any fees, so that was the best rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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