A tale of travel check woes in France
 

From The Times:

"Getting holiday cash in France should be easy.

the traveller’s cheques — they returned home in pristine condition, having proved virtually useless... later, as it turned out, they proved considerably worse than that."

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/arti...447047,00.html

There have been many posts here about travellers' cheques, and the almost unanimous advice is not to use them. It really is surprising that anyone should be thinking of using them.

Do you know any country where travellers checks are usefull and widely accepted nowadays ?

The only time I would consider travelers checks is if they were required for a hotel or apartment stay, that I needed a large chunk of cash all at once. Or if I felt the need for emergency money, then I would keep them in my suitcase, until I cashed them at a bank.

The author of that article could have saved themselves the trouble, had they asked us here at Fodor's first!

Yes, I do know a country where TCs are commonly accepted with no problem -- Mexico is one, at least in areas that are built-up and used to American tourists (and I don't mean just resorts). They cash them at virtually the same value as US dollars, which isn't much different than the interbank exchange rate, either. The last time I was there two years ago, I was surprised how many small shops said they'd take USD TCs and they don't charge extra fees for it, either.

I don't use TCs very much any more in Europe, though, with ATMs so common, but I do still take them for backup because I get them free from AAA. I know better than that author, who doesn't know much, though, and don't get them in euro because I know you pay a commission on both ends that way, even if you don't use them. They are easy to cash in France in Paris, I know that for a fact, but not being easy to cash in small rural areas doesn't surprise me, either. I'm kind of surprised a guy from England wouldn't know a little more about traveling to a euro-using country, though, which isn't far away, and how to get euros easily. I wouldn't try to cash them in shops or anything, though, I think that's kind of pointless and a waste of time.

It'd be be nice to pretend it's even more surprising what was once a serious newspaper would print such a preposterous moan from such a prat. But there really is no limit to the self-indulgent whines Murdoch lets into The Times these days.

He doesn't do his homework, then blames someone else.

The sad whinger should have his passport taken away. Whatever happened to English stoicism?