Carrara

One of the questions I get most often from my friends before they travel is "How much cash should I take with me?" followed closely by "How much cash should I change into Euros before I go?" My answer is always the same. Take about 100 american and 100Euros. These amounts will get you by until you can get to an ATM machine. I use my ATM all over Rome. I usually take out the maximum for the day while I'm at my hotel. I only take with me, for the day , as much as I think I will need plus about 50 bucks. This includes entrance fees and food. The rest I leave in my hotel safe. I take a credit card with me for other purchases.
That being said, before I leave the states, I let my bank know that I will be in Europe (Rome). I also have them up my limit as to how much I can take out a day. This way there are less fees becouse I dont need to take out money every day. I also make sure that my pin will work in Europe. I dont think it happens much anymore, but some machines use to only take an 8 number pin, with no letters. Now I think the norm is all machines use 4 number pins. If you are worried about taking an ATM that is linked to all of your accounts (checking, saving, investments) open a travel account. This way you can put your money into a totally seperate account and be certain that if you did lose your card your main account wont be wiped out.
As a last precaution, before we go we usually give my mom my deposit slips. This way if the unexpected happens and we need emergency cash, she can put some into the account to help us out. This has only happened once, when there was an airplane snaffu but it sure did come in handy.Remember a lot of the attractions do not take credit cards. They all prefer cash. These include the colosseum, baths of caracalla and so on. I do take my credit card with me every day and use it when I can but I mostly end up paying in cash. Most smaller restaurants only take cash, too.