[Everdeen]

We are leaving on our trip on Monday and I've been sick and I did not get any Euros. We do not want to enter into France without some currency, but my bank informed me today that they would have had to order it a couple of days ago.

If you have experience with this would you please advise me as to what are our options at this point?

Merci

[yellowsnow]

Foreign Money Exchange
101 Convention Center Dr
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 791-3301

They always have euros available. But give them a call just to be sure.

C'est rien.

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by Everdeen

We are leaving on our trip on Monday and I've been sick and I did not get any Euros. We do not want to enter into France without some currency, but my bank informed me today that they would have had to order it a couple of days ago.

If you have experience with this would you please advise me as to what are our options at this point?

Merci

Change money at the leaving airport or the arriving one. Don't sweat the exchange rate. Just change what you need for the moment. Then do the rest at banks or such. I used to run for weeks in Europe on US Currency.

[MadManofBethesda]

The American Express Travel Agency at Fashion Show Mall also does currency exchange and always has plenty of Euros in a wide variety of denominations.

[R_J_R]

Use your ATM card at the ATM in the airport or any ATM near your hotel... We live in Germany and have no issues with using ATMs in other countries... Family and friends have all done this while visiting as well... Unlike the US (English/Spanish), the machines here "speak" about 8 languages... so you won't have any trouble... Cheers...

[jfpinlv]

I bought Euros at the airport in Paris upon arriving there.

[Buzz123]

Not all ATM cards will work in Europe due to possible security issues. Ask your bank first. As soon as you get off the plane you'll see exchanges, and the rate won't kill you unless you're doing thousands of dollars. Many businesses there won't take credit cards, but usually the larger ones do. Neither credit card usage nor exchanging for Euros is that big of a problem though.

[ScoopLV]

Capital One is one of the very few credit cards that doesn't charge premiums for charges in foreign countries. Main reason why that's the primary card in my wallet. Just call them before you go so they know to approve the charges you make.

As for Euros, buy a small amount at the airport. Enough to get you through the day. If you have an Amex card, the Amex travel office usually offers the best rates. As MMoB pointed out, you can go to Fashion Show Mall and get the same rate here as you would there. Depending on how much traveling you do, and where you go, the Amex card can be indispensable. They offer so much more than credit.

So:

1) Make sure you know if your debit card is good in Europe. If so, bring it. Banks in Europe are a hassle unless you have an account. (We do, with Barclay's. They're everywhere in Europe.) Citibank has many branches in Europe. But none in France. But otherwise, expect the worst screwage to happen at banks. This isn't the 1980s anymore. The ATM is far better than the bank. (Especially if your card is part of the Cirrus network.) Their banks make our banks look like paragons of altruism. I never go to banks (except Barclay's) or post offices abroad. Total waste of time. Bring your postcards home and mail them from here. Or ask someone at the hotel to mail them for you for a fee. Why waste an hour of precious vacation time waiting in a post office queue?

2) Call your credit card companies and let them know your travel plans. Amex is the most lenient about this. But having charges declined can be a major hassle. So call them all.

3) I don't go anywhere without a few hundred dollars in recent $100 bills in a money belt. A few hundred will get you out of most travel binds. Don't keep all your cash in one place. (And especially not in your wallet.) We use a neck pouch, money belts, and travel jackets with hidden pockets. Spread it around so that if theft occurs, it isn't the end of the world.

4) Traveler's Checks are crap. Unless they're Amex checks and you're cashing them at an Amex travel office. Otherwise, they're useless.

Lonely Planet has the best information about money: Practical travel information on Money and costs in Paris - Lonely Planet Travel Information


PS -- If you're going to Père Lachaise, care to do me a favor?

EDIT -- PPS -- Credit cards in Europe are evolving to a card that has an embedded microchip in it. The more technologically savvy stores and hotels will not accept your credit card unless it has a chip in it. Which means you're out of luck and are stuck using cash. Roughly one third of the places we visited in England last year would not accept our "chipless" credit card. We had to use cash at those places. Be ready for this. READ THIS LINK RIGHT NOW: http://www.ricksteves.com/tms/articl...3&extras=false

[yellowsnow]

It is so true that travelers checks are worthless now. I had some unhappy surprises the last time I tried to use them so I won't ever do that again.

I was told it was all about 9/11 and security. Seems that in Europe a lot more of the emphasis is on money. If you travel a lot, you already know all this. But if you don't, much better to find out now!

[Everdeen]

Thanks, everyone. I got some good information here.

Originally Posted by R_J_R

Use your ATM card at the ATM in the airport or any ATM near your hotel... We live in Germany and have no issues with using ATMs in other countries... Family and friends have all done this while visiting as well... Unlike the US (English/Spanish), the machines here "speak" about 8 languages... so you won't have any trouble... Cheers...

I called the credit union about using my debit card and they said do NOT use it in an ATM first. That would send up a fraud alert and it would maybe lock us out until they can verify the purchase.

Originally Posted by jfpinlv

I bought Euros at the airport in Paris upon arriving there.

Don't they overcharge a great deal when you do that? Today's exchange rate is 1 euro = 1.2159 US dollars

How do they charge for exchanging? Is it a fee on top of the exchange or do they just charge a different exchange rate?

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Capital One is one of the very few credit cards that doesn't charge premiums for charges in foreign countries. Main reason why that's the primary card in my wallet. Just call them before you go so they know to approve the charges you make.

The only major credit card I keep anymore is my Chase card. They are going to charge 3% on every purchase that we us the card for. It's annoying but doable.

As for Euros, buy a small amount at the airport. Enough to get you through the day. If you have an Amex card, the Amex travel office usually offers the best rates. As MMoB pointed out, you can go to Fashion Show Mall and get the same rate here as you would there. Depending on how much traveling you do, and where you go, the Amex card can be indispensable. They offer so much more than credit.

So:

1) Make sure you know if your debit card is good in Europe. If so, bring it. Banks in Europe are a hassle unless you have an account. (We do, with Barclay's. They're everywhere in Europe.) Citibank has many branches in Europe. But none in France. But otherwise, expect the worst screwage to happen at banks. This isn't the 1980s anymore. The ATM is far better than the bank. (Especially if your card is part of the Cirrus network.) Their banks make our banks look like paragons of altruism.

That is hard to believe.

I never go to banks (except Barclay's) or post offices abroad. Total waste of time. Bring your postcards home and mail them from here. Or ask someone at the hotel to mail them for you for a fee. Why waste an hour of precious vacation time waiting in a post office queue?

2) Call your credit card companies and let them know your travel plans. Amex is the most lenient about this. But having charges declined can be a major hassle. So call them all.

3) I don't go anywhere without a few hundred dollars in recent $100 bills in a money belt. A few hundred will get you out of most travel binds.

Dollars or Euros?

Don't keep all your cash in one place. (And especially not in your wallet.) We use a neck pouch, money belts, and travel jackets with hidden pockets. Spread it around so that if theft occurs, it isn't the end of the world.

4) Traveler's Checks are crap. Unless they're Amex checks and you're cashing them at an Amex travel office. Otherwise, they're useless.

Lonely Planet has the best information about money: Practical travel information on Money and costs in Paris - Lonely Planet Travel Information


PS -- If you're going to Père Lachaise, care to do me a favor?

We will probably be in Paris for only a few days, but I would be happy to, although, I cannot guarantee we will make a stop there. DM me if you would like.

EDIT -- PPS -- Credit cards in Europe are evolving to a card that has an embedded microchip in it. The more technologically savvy stores and hotels will not accept your credit card unless it has a chip in it. Which means you're out of luck and are stuck using cash. Roughly one third of the places we visited in England last year would not accept our "chipless" credit card. We had to use cash at those places. Be ready for this. READ THIS LINK RIGHT NOW: Rick Steves' Travel News and Events

Very good advice, thank you.