Paris Guide©
Judy and Mel Croner
Copyright Judy and Mel Croner©All rights reserved and protected. Legal Notice.
Money
When you can, use your MasterCard or VISA. (Be sure your credit card provider does
not have a surcharge for foreign transactions. May credit card companies now are
charging as much as 4% above the "street" exchange rate on their transactions. Follow
this link to a good article on what credit cards are charging what rates on international
transactions: Bank Rates. MasterCard and VISA are accepted almost everywhere. You
will, when you receive your statement, find that you received almost the published
exchange rate. To check on exchange rates, go to the Universal Currency Converter.
If you want to change cash or travelers checks into Euros,
use Multi Change, 7, rue
Marbeuf, 8e. Métro: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ask for André. His rates are far better
than banks. Remember, on January 1, 2002, the Euro made its debut. The French France
has disappeared and been replaced by the Euro (€) throughout most of western Europe
with some exceptions such as Switzerland.
You also can use most ATMs around Paris that display the logos of such services as "Star" or "Cirrus" to obtain €'s. Typically, the exchange rates at ATM are about as well as you can do. There may be a small fee charged by the French bank providing the ATM, but the ATM remains the best way to change $'s to €'s. Most of the time your US bank card will work. Also, check with your bank to determine if there is a foreign transaction charge for withdrawals from foreign ATMs.) Before your leave the US, you can find the location of an ATM near your hotel by visiting VISA or MasterCard.
