Banks in Italy are open Monday to Friday from 8.35 am to 13.35 pm and from 15.00 pm to 16.00 pm. Some banks are also open on Saturday morning until 13.30 pm. In some tourist areas they are open non-stop from 8.30 am to 16.00 pm. Banks are closed on Sundays and national holidays and also on the town’s patron Saint’s day. The afternoon hour may vary from city to city.
Travellers’ cheques can be exchanged at most hotels and shops and at the foreign exchange offices in main railway stations and at the airports.

CREDIT CARDS

All major credit cards are widely accepted in Italy (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.).

EURO

Italy is one of the 27 EU countries 15 of which joined the EMU, Economic and Monetary Union, which introduced the single currency: EURO with the symbol €.
From 1 January 2002 the Euro is effectively circulating in Italy and is now the only currency. For ten years (up to 1st March 2012) only branches of the Banca d’Italia will change Italian Lire into Euros.
Because the UK did not join the Monetary Union, the British Pound will vary according to the fluctuating market. Generally, as a guideline – €1 corresponds to £0.80 pence, and 1 UK pound is worth €1.24.
Notes are issued for €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500. Coins are divided in Eurocents as follows: €0.1, €0.2, €0.5, €0.10, €0.20, €0.50, €1 and €2.
The EURO is now the only legal tender in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
One of the advantages of the new currency is that it can be freely used without any restrictions in all 15 participating countries. In other words there is no such thing as a “Spanish” Euro or an “Italian” Euro, but only the Euro.