Returned from a trip to Spain, France, and Italy yesterday.

I took my
Barclay AAdvantage Aviator Red card (chip)
Chase UA Mileage Plus (chip)
Citi Expedia Rewards + card (chip)
Chase IHG card (no chip)

In Barcelona, I was able to use the Renfe (train) ticket machine at the airport and Metro ticket machines with the Barclay AA card, using my PIN. (I was even offered a terrible DCC rate at the Metro machine.) I didn't attempt to use another card there.

In Paris, I was able to use the RATP (metro/bus) ticket machines with both Barclay (and PIN) and Chase UA (and no pin even requested).

Ironically, after flying into Orly and taking the shuttle to the Aeroport d'Orly / Pont Rungis station on the RER C line, I saw this on the SNCF ticket machine:


I actually used my Barclay AA card there, with PIN. I do NOT know if non-chip cards are now usable at CDG.

On the autostrade toll booths in Italy, at the unmanned toll stations, I was able to use all 4 cards, even the non-chip IHG card, without being asked for a PIN.

In the Cinque Terre area, the TrenItalia ticket vending machines took both my Barclay card with PIN and my friend's Chase UA card (no PIN.)

In Madrid, at the Metro ticket machine, I was able to use my Citi Expedia card, without a PIN being requested. The following day I used the Barclay AA card and was asked for a PIN.

At other retailers, I was never asked for a PIN, but none of them seemed surprised and always had a pen handy for the signature slip that printed.

From my short experience using unmanned kiosks in those 3 countries, it seems like chip & signature priority cards work in a lot of cases.

Bonus action shot: Using UA Mileage Plus card to pay Italian highway toll! (And am I the only one who thinks it's odd that both Visa and MC are labeled as "BankAmericard" on an Italian highway?)