Money Money Money, Money

Some people got to have it

Hey, Hey, Hey - some people really need it

Hey, listen to me, y'all do thangs, do thangs, do thangs - bad thangs with it

Well, you wanna do thangs, do thangs, do thangs - good thangs with it - yeah

Un Huh, talkin' bout cash money, money

The O’Jays

The Euro has been the official currency in Italy since March, 2002 (more on the Euro in a later post). You will need some cash during the week for incidentals, tips, and/or purchases from vendors who don't take credit cards, etc.

There are several ways to obtain Euros:

• Purchase them from your bank or American Express before leaving home
• Change US currency for Euros at a currency exchange agency (at the airport in Newark, or in Italy)
• Exchange US currency for Euros at a bank in Italy (although this is becoming more difficult to do as many banks no longer provide this service)
• Use ATMs (called Bancomats in Italy) to withdraw Euros directly from your checking or savings account
• Use a credit card to get a cash advance from an ATM

This is one of the rare situations in life where the easiest option is also (usually) the least expensive: using an ATM in Italy to withdraw directly from your checking or savings account.

If your bank will sell you Euros without a fee, this may be less expensive. My bank charges a hefty fee for this service, so I don't bother.

There are several Bancomats in the international arrivals hall at the airport in Rome, for those who want to get cash immediately.

The Visa/Plus/Interlink network lists seven ATMs within one mile of our hotel in Sorrento; you can see the list and a map here.  This network includes most U.S. based bank cards, to be sure yours is included check for the symbol on the back of your card.

If you plan to use your ATM card while in Italy, it's a good idea to call your bank the week before the trip to let them know, so your card usage in Italy doesn't raise a fraud alert.