Passports & Money

Yes, anyone traveling from another country to Italy must have a passport (including infants). If you are traveling from outside the European Union, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your scheduled departure from the EU (6 months validity is recommended).

Your passport must have two blank pages for entry stamps.

Find the latest information here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

(Post last updated on 12/26/2023)

Yes. Every accommodation you stay at in Italy is required by law to obtain a copy of each person's passport. This is normal so don't be concerned if they ask for them. They just need to make copies. Often times they'll just take a photo with their cell phone now.

However, to buy yourself a little peace of mind, you can make copies of your passports before you leave and just provide them with the copies. This way you don't need to give them the actual passports.

We'd also recommend placing a copy of one of your passports inside the zippered lining on each bag of luggage that you bring. This way if your luggage is lost or delayed in transit, it can be easily identifiable as yours.

Having Euros in cash is highly recommend. Some smaller restaurants or bars (cafés), and open air market vendors may only accept Euros.  US Dollars are not accepted in Italy.

It's good to always keep a couple euro coins on you. Public restrooms often charge a small fee to use, which goes towards upkeep. Instead of paying to use a public restroom, we usually pop into a coffee shop (called a "bar" in Italy - which is where we get the term "barista") and each buy a 1 euro espresso or pastry. Then we can use the restroom for free!

Note: Banks in Cortona do not exchange cash USD for EUR. There are some places in the larger cities (Rome, Florence, etc.) that will exchange cash, but it is usually significantly more expensive than withdrawing EUR from an ATM.

Italy uses Euros (EUR) and does not accept forign currency such as U.S. Dollars (USD). 

Banks in Cortona do not exchange cash USD for EUR. There are some places in the larger cities (Rome, Florence, etc.) that will exchange cash, but it is usually significantly more expensive than withdrawing EUR from an ATM.

Here's a great article on the topic of currency exchange we’d encourage anyone to read who has questions about how and where to handle converting money into Euros: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-tips

Our personal experience is that we get the best exchange rates using our travel credit card, which has no foreign transaction fees (many credit cards charge about 3% on all purchases). When we need cash, we use our debit card at an ATM located at an actual bank. There are at least 2 of these ATMs in Cortona.

We'd recommend looking up the exchange rates for your own bank and credit cards in advance as this varies from bank to bank. (Exchange rates are different than fees. Many banks will charge a low fee, but add several points to the exchange rate.)

Cortona's stores and restaurants widely accept credit cards. There are a few places that are cash only (e.g., some of the fruit and vegetable stands, a few of the smaller restaurants). Typically, the smaller the store or restaurant in Italy, the more likely they will be cash only.

Yes, there are at least 3 located throughout the city. Two of which are located in banks.

• Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena 

• Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A.

In our experience, Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted across Europe and Italy. American Express is rarely accepted because it charges much higher fees to the vendor. When it is accepted, we've noticed it tends to be with bigger businesses (e.g., hotel chains, airlines)

We rarely ever see Discover card accepted and would not bring one with us to Europe.

When we travel to Italy we bring three cards with us: our bank debit card for the ATM machine, and two Visa/Master Cards that do not charge a foreign transaction fee. You have to check the terms of your card, but more often than not a credit card charges about a 3% foreign transaction fee on all purchases.

Additionally, there are some places in Italy (and in Cortona!) that only accept cash. For example, at the open-air markets, fruit and vegetable stands, and at some smaller restaurants. It's not always the case, but a good rule of thumb is that the smaller the business, the more likely they will be cash only.

We will be taking up offerings on the festival holy days in Cortona.  It is recommended that your main offerings be given through COGWA's donation website (https://members.cogwa.org/donate).  For offerings given in Cortona, we accept both euros and dollars.  We plan to pay any Feast expenses while there with those funds.  We can accept checks, but they will not be cashed until after the Feast.  Please remember that any offerings given in Cortona will not be receipted for donation.

Review the official US Customs site for the most up-to-date information.

Italians pay a special tax when purchasing items called VAT (Value-Added Tax), but those who are not citizens can be exempted from this tax on purchases over 155EUR. When purchasing an item at a store, ask if they offer tax-free. If they do, they will require your passport to complete this transaction and you will receive a discount on your purchase along with a tax-free purchase form.

You must submit the tax-free form at the airport prior to departure to keep this discount. It must be done at the airport in Italy and cannot be done in the U.S. There are special tax-free kiosks in the airport terminals that make this process very simple. There are also customer service desks to assist you with this process if you prefer or if the kiosks are not running.

You will need to have your purchase with you, along with the form of payment used, the tax-free form, receipt of purchase, and your passport.