currency exchange

[cydlei]

Solo vente-cinque giorni a partenze ala Italia! Roughly translated to "It's only 25 days til our Italian Vacation!!!" Has anyone checked the exchange rate lately? We are wishing our crystal ball had been operating properly back in January when the exchange rate was much more favorable. A Euro will now cost almost $1.60! Can any of you seasoned travelers shed some light on the best time and way to exchange currency? Should we get some Euros before we leave or wait til we get there?

Grazie!
Cindy

 

[whayes]

I am excited for you. I still have a little over 4 months to wait.

You can see the current exchange rate on xe.com. One dollar is 0.63759 Euros currently. It is my understanding that it is cheaper to use an ATM to get currency. Exchange companies charge exorbitant rates. Even though banks charge for ATM transactions and exchanges, it is usually cheaper to do it at the ATM. I suggest that you contact your bank and ask how much they charge for using an ATM in Italy. You might ask them if they can give you a higher daily withdrawal amount. Hope this helps!!

Also check out this link. http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/moneytip.htm It has some good informtation about using the ATM.