Sandra wrote:
Hi… Sandra from Venezuela….
I’m preparing my bags to come to Rome and begin my Italian course on the first week of January. I can’t wait to start the new year by learning another language. However, I don’t know how should I carry money overseas, what methods are secure and if there are particular agencies in Rome where I can get the money that I transfer before traveling or is sent to me by parents after I’m in Rome.

Looking forward to meeting you in Rome,

Sandra Fernández

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Hey Sandra… that’s actually lots of questions at once.
I’ll try to answer to the best of my knowledge and experience in Rome.

First of all, don’t carry more cash on you than you actually need on any given day – pickpockets are rife in some areas in Rome!

Although credit cards are useful, they come with lots of fees and you never really know the exchange rate at the time of purchase – so not great if you are watching your pennies. There are, however, ATM’s on nearly every corner in Rome, so using your ATM card won’t be an issue.

Another great option for travelling is the Travelex Cash Passport (Pre Paid Currency Card) www.travelex.com. You can transfer money online from your bank account, and use the card at any ATM worldwide. The advantage is that you know the exchange rate at the time of making the transfer, and there are no fees when transferring money – only one fee when withdrawing money at an ATM which is around 2 euro.

Finally, regarding your parents sending you money, I reckon money order agencies such as Western Union, MoneyGramm and RiaEnvia (Financial Services, which have agencies all over the globe. On my experience they are quite secure and reliable. However, some of them charge high fees.

Hope I have answered to all your questions. As usual, shall you have any doubts please go back to the form “Ask a Question About Rome” and ask another question.

Carlie

P.S. @ Everyone! If you have more information on ways to carry money overseas, please leave a comment!