exchanging money

going to paris....is it best to get euros from an ATM there, bring traveler%26#39;s checks, or exchange money here before we go??

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Congrats! Just got back. Get Euro%26#39;s from an ATM, there are plenty evrywhere.

Veggie

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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; there are plenty evrywhere. %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Euros or ATMs? ;-)

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Not traveler%26#39;s cheques - hard to change as most shops/stores won%26#39;t take them anymore.

ATM is definately the way to go - make sure you have a FOUR digit pincode - if not, change it. Also, call your bank and let them know you are going - maybe raise your daily limit too.

You will need euros immediately upon landing for taxi/metro/shuttle whatever. Either hit the ATM at the airport before exiting or ask your bank to order a hundred euros for you.

We make it a point now to hit the ATM one last time before flying out - so we always have a couple of hundred to start the next trip.

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Most definitely useing ATM%26#39;s...but even here there is a %26#39;..catch..%26#39; or at least a caution. You local bank most likely charges a flat, dollar-amount ($2, $3, $5 ??...no a flat percentage%) per-use foreign ATM transaction fee....regarless of the amount you actualy withdraw. So bear this in mind when making withdrawals and %26#39;..balance..%26#39; , the flat useage fee (as a percentage) against the amount of individual withdrawals and your own levels of comfort and security in carrying cash.

These days...the only thing that conventional Travelers Cheques are good for is %26#39;..emergency / back-up funds..%26#39;. As noted they are being accepted by fewer and fewer merchants. If you do decide touse TC%26#39;s as %26#39;emergency back-up funds%26#39; (usually 1 or 2 days of anticipated daily expenses, less hotel) then get them in US Dollar amounts. TC%26#39;s in dollar amounts are often available for free from your local bank and to AAA members. This way, there will be no feesa or foreign exchange rate %26#39;hit%26#39; up-front, nor when you return at the end of your trip with them un-needed, and simply redeposit them into your account.

There are ATM%26#39;s available at Paris airports to get local €uros when you arrive. But I fall into the %26#39;..arrival / convenience cash..%26#39; camp, that believes that you should arrive with 100 €uros or so (sufficient for airport transfer fares, tips, sundries) already in-hand, so that you are ready to collect your luggage and get out of the airport in the least amount of time. In addition to this, a Paris airport is no place to discover that there is a problem with your ATM card or the system. You can use a variety of source to purchase these €uros before departure...but a Bureau de Change at your US departure airport will probably serve as well as any alternative source for net exchange rate on a sum this small and certainly has the advantage of convenience.

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Howdy, all!

Say... how far in advance of a European trip should you contact your bank/card company that you%26#39;ll be out of the country? Paranoidically I don%26#39;t want to alert locals to raid my house while I%26#39;m gone.

Also, any major bank/card better than others with the whole %26quot;pay for the privilege to pay for the privilege%26quot; fee thing?

Thanx.

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Oldpqlyr,

As a recent Business Week article noted, one of the best banks in the US is right in San Antonio: USAA.

No institution offers lower credit card and ATM fees.

(With the possible exception of IrishRovr%26#39;s small credit union in Ohio which he says does not bother charging him the 1% Visa/MC credit card fee on foreign exchanges.)

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My Canadian bank, the Royal, does not charge anything for foreign withdrawals from ATMs if you hold a VIP account. I was never charged anything when I went, so I know if you try you could probaly find a similar type of bank account in the States . It would not be worth it if you don%26#39;t travel much, opening an account to avoid maybe 10 or 15 dollars in charges.

I would use my ATM anyways, I would just make sure to only withdraw a few times, keeping excess in my hotel safe, and carrying around each day only what I would need. I use my CC for hotel charges.

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Hi! I have rented an apt for my 10 night stay in the Marais next Fall, and I need to pay in the entirety in full in EUROS! How exactly, would I go about withdrawing that amount at the airport?? I currently have a $500 a day limit on my ATM. I need E900 or like USD 1130.

Thank you for your help with this detail. Most appreciative.

-Tre

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trechic

Of course ATMs have limits so for very large amounts of money, you%26#39;ll need to exchange cash. (It is possible to write a check at the American Express office behind the Opera Garnier.)

Either you will need to purchase euros in the US or exchange USDs in France. Either way you%26#39;ll be carrying cash so money belts etc. are a good idea.

For purchasing a large amount of Euros in Paris, there are a large number of reliable exchange officers near Galleries Lafayettes and Le Printemps. I particularly like one located next door to Fragonard just to the side of Opera Garnier.

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Thanks Sarastro!

As I will need this handful of Euros upon arrival at my apt, and being in a strange city to me, I think it best to see if my bank can get them before me before I leave. Thanks for the direction. Very much appreciated. - Tre