Guests of mine get a free transport from the airport to the apartment upon arrival.  The check-in service, cleaning, utilities, and taxes are also all included.  So, you don’t need any cash in advance of your arrival.

But if you’re more risk averse than that, or not staying at the Spanish Steps Apartment on Via della Mercede, here’s the advice I give when asked how much cash to bring.

The first thing I tell anyone wondering is this:  before leaving, ask your home bank which Italian bank they have a relationship with.  When your home bank has a relationship with an Italian bank, it means they have an agreement not to charge each other’s customers certain fees.  This potentially makes your cash withdrawals fee-free, but certainly cheaper.

The second thing I mention is about ATMs.  There are lots of different banks and cash machines around our neighborhood.  If you run short of cash, you won’t have trouble finding a bancomat.

The third point is about credit cards.  These days, you can use a credit card almost anywhere in Rome.  Yes, almost anywhere.

Thanks to smartphone apps like Free Now (formerly My Taxi) and MyCicero, this includes taxis and public transportation.  It’s understandable if you don’t want to go this route, but these options are available.  Uber is here too, which I’ve also used successfully (note it is high-end Uber only, that is, professional car companies).

Grocery stores, too, accept credit cards.  Piazza grocers, such as those at Campo de’ Fiori, may be the last cash-only hold-outs you’d encounter; though I wouldn’t be shocked if one of them whipped out a card reader.

Bars (cafés)? Yes, them too. Even some taxis.

Though the local cultural preference for cash remains engrained, the growing prevalence of credit card acceptance means you don’t have to bring that much cash — if any.

My previous advice was to bring 100 euros.  But these days, it’s this: if you find yourself sitting on the plane ready for take-off to Rome and realize you don’t have euros, do not worry — you will be arriving at a place with lots of cash machines for the few times your credit card won’t cut it.

Last word… if you insist on going old school, currency exchanges are available in our neighborhood. But, it’s not what I would advise.