Do most restaurants in Rome take card?

In general, most restaurants will allow you to pay with a credit card, which becomes more and more prevalent each year. The same goes for large shops and tourist attractions, but for drinks, coffee, transport tickets, and small items, cards often aren't accepted.



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What you do need cash for will be: most taxis, markets, cafés, and small convenience stores. Bear in mind that many of these outlets have problems in breaking large bills (€50s or even sometimes €20s), so preferably carry as many small notes (€10s and €5s) and as much loose change with you as you can.

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Yes, Visa and Mastercard debit cards are widely accepted in Italy, especially in the big cities and tourist areas. You can also use them at Italian ATMs. In some smaller or more rural areas, though, it could be a good idea to have some euros on you - just in case.

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Tipping at restaurants and cafés depends on the service When it comes to tipping at restaurants, Italians will tell you they only tip on truly exceptional service or when dining in the finest restaurants. Even then, they usually only tip an extra 10 to 15 percent, or often just the change left over from the bill.

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Adding it all up, it looks to me as though you could keep your expenses for food and public transportation to 600 euros total (for both of you) for the three days. Of course, shopping, taxis within Rome, and maybe an occasional tour guide, would add to that.

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Many Italian restaurants and shops prefer cash, making it essential that you have a little on hand as you travel. While it can be better value to buy the currency before you go (see our section on that below), you can also get currency once you arrive in the country.

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Cab drivers in Italy never expect a tip, so if you give one to them, they may be surprised. If you're using a car service like Uber or Free Now (formerly myTaxi), tipping is also not required. But if any driver goes out of his or her way to assist you, it's OK to give a small tip.

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The waiter gets no extra tip (no tip at all) for bringing you the check. In fact Italian guests don't request the check at the table. They simply get up when they are ready and on the way out pay at the cash register (where the owner usually collect the money) more or less like when you go to the grocery store.

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All Rome city taxis are required by law to have POS machines. This means you SHOULD be able to pay with a credit card. I say should because sometimes you will find these POS machines to mysteriously be out of order. On the other hand, since Covid, many drivers are happy to use a contact-less pay system.

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Compared to many other countries in Europe and around the world, Italy remains a predominantly cash-driven society.

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