Originally Posted by timetogoitaly
HI there - we're heading to Italy (Rome & Amalfi) for the week before Easter. Super basic question but would you recommend we exchange USD for euros before we arrive? Or are the exchange rates better once we arrive? There will be four of us - do you think ~$250 will be enough or would you recommend more? I'm assuming most places will take cards. Thanks 
I live in Italy. Both of my daughters came to visit me (from the US) last summer. Both of them used their cards almost exclusively, and one of them never used cash at all. (Of course, Mom treated fairly often.)
Acceptance of cards in Italy has increased enormously in recent years, partly because the government now obliges almost all businesses to accept them, and has a limit on cash transactions.
Just a few years ago, I used to count on spending about 300 in cash each month. Now I barely spend 100 in cash.
One of my daughters arrived in Rome. She bought her train tickets to my home with her credit card at the airport. She bought lunch at the train station with her card, and bought snacks and water for the train ride with her card. Taxis are now required to accept cards.
Credit or debit cards get you the best exchange rate, and you should use them as much as possible.
The same works with travel to other countries. I used to get some dollars from my bank before traveling to the US. On my most recent trip, I didn't bother, and I realized when I was heading home that I had never touched a dollar.
Some countries are less accepting of cards. I read that this is the case in Germany. However, in the Netherlands a few years ago, cards were universally used even for small purchases. We had trouble even finding an ATM on the one occasion when we needed cash.
One difference from the US is that you won't have the "cash back" option in supermarkets or other shops. If you need cash, you'll need to go to an ATM. When you insert an American card, some ATMs will automatically switch to English, and others will give you an option for English.
