I'll give you a great deal. How many euro do you want? Failing that, call your local bank. Ask them to get you a price from the dealers. Then call your bank in Italy and ask them what rate they will give you.
Should you get to Corfu, the little grocers and gift shop next to the Brittania pub in Kontokali (next to Gouvia Marina) offers the best rate I've ever seen. often 20 cents to the pound better than travelex at the airports. The worst rate we ever got was at Ilkeston Co-op's desk in East Midlands Airport.
best rate often axchieved by opneing a euro account abroad, than transfer sterkling to that account at quite decent non-tourist rate, then take cash out with forreign bank cardwhen abroad
I live in Spain, but my pensions get paid into my dutch account, so I have to transfer money regularly to Spain. I can use my dutch bankcard to get money out of cash-dispensers without charge. If one knows the necessary codes for a foreign account one can also transfer money from a dutch account to that foreign account without paying charges, when that account is in the euro-zone.
If you still have a UK bank account get you bank to open a Euro account for you - then watch the rate and transfer your £s into €uro... then transfer via your euro a/c to where ever... best rates and least cost