NEWCOMO

Poste is the Post Bank - so okay and basic and rely on Post offices being open !

If you have banking in US or Germany (use Deutsche Bank)... in Italy.

modicasa

The only way to get money out of the States at the moment is to transfer it to your bank account in ITaly - so an Italian account is essential - and you need one that wont be completely fazed when money comes in from abroad.

NEWCOMO

Actually not true at all - Sorry Modicasa...

I have accounts in various countries.

You actually by 2014 be able to make any EU payments from any bank account in EU (27 countries) to pay local payments (such as electricity)...

The process is called SEPA in EU. So where you had a spanish bank account to pay spanish electricity companies locally, or in Italy (an Italian bank account to pay ENEL)...

through SEPA if you are say dutch, you can pay ENEL from you Euro dutch account, and even in UK, to pay ENEL... (but you would be subject to GBP/Euro conversion).

Please see SEPA (google) as this would be v.benefical in property management etc.

modicasa

Very true new como - but are you American?
The IRS chanegd the rules 2 years ago for US citizens moving money out of America. No currency exchange company can now move your dollars around with aplomb as before. It is virtually only possible if you move from your account in the US to your account in ITaly (for example) Otherwise all hell breaks loose.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

SEPA is only for the EU area and the States are 't included. If the poster intends living in Italy then a local account would be sensible . All the big foreign names offering retail banking services in Italy are authorised by and subject to the Italian regulatory bodies and provide the same levels of consumer protection.

NEWCOMO

I read that Janin had both banks accounts in US and Germany. So he could transfer from US to German... (Deutsche bank have accounts in both US/Germany and Italy)... so could use this method.

or use the german EU account.