Cash in Italy

[Anna]

Does anyone have any tips on the best way of getting cash in Italy (particularly Sicily)? I usually use my credit card as much as possible and use a Cirrus/Maestro ATM for supplementary cash at $5 per withdrawal from my Aust savings account. Is there a better way?

 

[serfty]

Does anyone have any tips on the best way of getting cash in Italy (particularly Sicily)? I usually use my credit card as much as possible and use a Cirrus/Maestro ATM for supplementary cash at $5 per withdrawal from my Aust savings account. Is there a better way?

If you have a Westpac transaction account you can get money from a Cirrus ATM of the "Global Alliance Network".

In Italy this is the Deutsche Bank.

More here: Westpac Internet -Accessing your accounts overseas

 

[swissbignose]

Citibank offers some accounts that are fee-free when withdrawing from overseas teller machines.

Naturally, the alternatives of taking traveller's cheques and foreign currency exist also.

 

[NM]

Citibank offers some accounts that are fee-free when withdrawing from overseas teller machines.

Unfortunately Citibank has just started charging a foreign exchange "commission" of around 2% (could be 2.5%, but I can't remember now), which makes it far less attractive than it used to be. But for small cash withdrawals, it can still be less than the $5 flat fee plus commission that some other banks will charge.

 

[Mal]

I'd be a little hesitant to carry largeish sums of money around in Italy.

While Italy is safe generally, petty crime can occur and urchins seem to mark out unsuspecting tourists for easy pickings. When you go to certain tourist attractions, you can sometimes see them scoping out tourists for easily pickable wallets etc.

Mostly avoidable - know your surroundings, keep the money well hidden etc, but still something to keep in mind.

 

[serfty]

There is also the Wizard CLEAR card it currently has no fees, but you need to get is set up for o'seas use.

More here: CC best suited for foreign currency transactions?

 

[Anna]

Thanks all.

Any ideas how many Deutsche Bank ATMs there are in Sicily? Are they common? (My Italian is not good enough to work it out from the DB website for Italy). I don't want to waste time hunting for a specific bank just to save $5.

 

[JohnK]

I don't want to waste time hunting for a specific bank just to save $5.

Get enough Euros in Rome, or wherever you will be before Sicily, to last you 4-5 days in Sicily and I am sure you will find a DB ATM by then.