Avoid Airport Exchange Bureaus: A Guide to Currency Exchange in Milan

Milan is Italy's fashion and finance capital, attracting millions of tourists every year. To make their trip smoother, travelers should get their money sorted before exploring the city. For visitors from the US, the good news is that Milan is the most card-friendly city in Italy, but the bad news is that fees can add up quietly.

The airport kiosks, train station counters, and even credit cards can charge markups that chip away at the budget. To avoid this, it's a good idea to withdraw euros from a local bank ATM instead of exchanging money at airports or train stations. For a smooth experience, opening a multicurrency account in the US before traveling is recommended.

Revolut offers a smart alternative for currency exchange and spending euros without hassle. With Revolut, you can hold and exchange US dollars to euros in-app at the competitive Revolut rate, then spend with a virtual or physical card. You can also withdraw euros from ATMs across Italy at competitive exchange rates with no fees during market hours.

Milan uses the euro, which replaced the Italian lira in 2002. The official currency is the euro, shared by 20 EU member states, so the same notes and coins work in Milan, Paris, Berlin, and beyond. When using a US card, always choose EUR instead of USD to avoid dynamic currency conversion, which uses a less competitive rate.