Venice Travel FAQ:
Money and Tipping

• Are ATMs easy to find in Venice?

Yes. Just look for the nearest bank. Nearly all Venice banks have 24-hour "bancomats" (automated teller machines or cashpoints) facing the street. You'll also find "Postamats" at the city's post offices.

Warning: Ignore the Euronet ATMs that have taken over many Venice storefronts. These are much more expensive than legitimate bank and post-office cash machines.

Other things to know about cash machines in Venice:

• Most bank ATMs are available to tourists and have multilingual menus.

• A few ATMs may have withdrawal limits. If you're attempting to withdraw more than, say, 250 euros and the bancomat won't complete the transaction, try again with a smaller amount.

• International ATM network connections aren't 100 percent reliable. Always carry enough cash to meet your needs if the network is down for repairs or maintenance.

• It's always a good idea to notify your bank and credit-card companies before traveling abroad. Otherwise, you could find that your cards are blocked overseas.

For more advice and warnings, see our Money and Currency article.

• Where can I exchange currency?

You'll find expensive money-exchange counters at the airport and in major tourist areas. However, you're likely to save money by using your ATM card to get euros from Bancomat or Postamat machines.

• Do you have any advice on tipping in Venice?

Tipping is tricky, because customs and expectations vary by nationality. For example, Australians often hate to tip, while Americans tend to tip more generously than Europeans do because the U.S. service economy is built around tipping.

Still, here are some guidelines that may be helpful:

Hotel porters. Tip 1 to 2 per euros per bag, depending on the hotel category.

Hotel chambermaids. Tip 1 to 2 euros per person each day. (In fancier hotels, you may want to tip a bit more.)

Restaurant waiters. Italian restaurant bills normally include service, but if you're at a sit-down restaurant, it won't hurt to leave an extra 5 to 10 per cent on the table for good service. (Tip in cash, even if you're paying by credit card.)

Bartenders. Tipping is entirely optional in bars and cafés. If you're seated at a table, you can tip the waiter or waitress as you would in a restaurant; if you're standing at a counter, you can give a modest tip to the bartender or barista (for example, when handing over your ticket for a drink or coffee in traditional Italian bars where you prepay at the cashier's desk).

Taxis. In land taxis, it never hurts to round up the bill when paying. In water taxis, there's no need to tip unless the driver has performed a special service.

Toilets. In nicer restaurants or other places where lavatories have attendants, it's normal to leave 50 cents or a euro on the attendant's plate. In public WCs that charge fees (see our Venice Public Toilets article), there's no need to tip.

Our advice: Don't feel that you have to tip generously (Italians aren't big tippers), but don't feel guilty about overtipping, either. Service employees aren't likely to be offended by your largesse.

Next page: Food and drink

About the author:

Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

PC Magazine has called this "the premier visitors' site for Venice, Italy." Over the years, it has helped more than 30 million travelers. For more information, see About our site, our Europe for Visitors press clippings, and our reader testimonials.