Getting Money in Florence

The best way to get money in Florence, in Italy, and throughout Europe is with a Visa or MasterCard with an international PIN (personal identification number).  Prior to coming to Italy, contact your bank to make sure your card can be used in foreign countries and that you have a 4-digit PIN.  If your card is actually a checking account debit card linked to an international Visa or MasterCard network, you will get the best exchange rate and will not be charged interest.  (You will be debited a service charge for each transaction, the amount of this charge is determined by your US bank.)

The next best way is to get money is by cashing travelers checks or exchanging cash. We have an arrangement with the bank Cassa di Risparmio, Agency 44, to give you a preferential exchange rate and a lower exchange charge on travelers checks and cash exchanges:

Cassa di Risparmio, Agenzia 1
Viale Matteotti, 20/R
50129 Firenze
Hours: M-F 8:30am-1:20pm and 2:30pm-3:30pm

You must identify yourself as a Syracuse University student to the teller and you must present your passport.

Your family can send you money in the form of a cashiers check, a money order, or an international money order, which you can then take to the branch of the Cassa di
Risparmio listed above.  NOTE: Personal Checks CANNOT be cashed in Italy!

We do not recommend that you open a bank account in Italy, since Italian banks have restricted hours and charge much higher fees for their services than American banks.

There are no longer any banks that will cash traveler’s checks in Florence. We highly recommend that you do not bring them with you. Use a debit card instead.

NOTE: American Express will no longer has locations in Italy. We encourage you to not bring or purchase American express traveler’s checks, as the exchange rates at the ‘CHANGE’ stores are very expensive. In special cases, we do have a contact person for American Express  Italia.  Stop by Student Life Office for more information.

In emergency situations students can borrow up to € 380 from the school. You must sign a promissory note stating that you agree to pay the loan back before you leave the program. See Lucia Fantoni in room 23, Monday to Thursday 9am-1pm.

With WESTERN UNION you can:
Have money wired to any Western Union location. To find any  location in Italy, phone 800 464 464 In Florence, Western Union pick up points are located at:  Piazza Mercato Centrale, 1; Piazza S. Giovanni, 23r; and Corso dei Tintori, 39.

*CONVERSION RATE FROM EURO TO DOLLARS:
A helpful way to know approximately how much money you are spending while in Italy is the following rule:

Click here for up-to-date currency conversion