I am a little embarassed to admit that I am nervous about getting my money transferred once I get to France. I know I have a couple of choices on how to do it, but I would prefer to walk off the plane, walk up to am ATM, and voila! Does anyone know if there are ATM's right at the CDG airport? I appreciate your assistance!

Opps! In my nervousness, I didn't do a very good search on ATM's and just found some answers to my questions from previous posts. Sorry for taking up forum space! (It sounds like there are multiple atms at CDG).

I would go to your local bank and get $100 in FFF. It takes a few days. Even easier, when you go to your local airport for your trip, go to the money exchange window and get $100 of FFF. The rate is not as good, but easy and you do not have to worry about no money in the machine, a strike, or whatever. Nothing worse than to arrive in a city and have the wrong flavor of money. No one will be on your side when that happens.

My system: First trip to a foreign country I bring from home enough local currency for transportation to my lodgings. Although a lot of taxis and car services will take credit cards or in a pinch American money. On subsequent trips to the same countries I always have a stash from the previous trip - again enough for transportation just in case the airport ATMs are not functioning. So far no problems in Brussles,Gatwick, Orly, Heathrow, CGD. However, we have had trouble in domestic airports - go figure.

Yes, there are. I agree with the writer who suggested getting a hundred dollars or so in FF from your bank before you go. I have had a few experiences in Europe where the computers were down and I had to wait an hour or so to get money. After a long flight, you DON"T want to sit at CDG waiting for a computer to come back up!

Katie: <BR> <BR>I have often found ATM's ready available as soon as you pass customs at CDG airport, usually a Credit Lyonnais machine..just pop in your card and you'll get francs...

Save some bucks. Go on-line, any search engine will give you the location of ALL ATM units, any city, any country - airports etc. - Get your Francs/Marks/whatever at the airport of your arrival. Banks will stick it to you w/fees, particularly the French banks. Sure, there may by ten people in line (all experienced travelers) because it is the ony way to exchange funds. For a little flexibility, carry a few hundred dollar travelers checks, they are usually free at you bank. If not, get another bank - have a great trip.

Although you usually pay more for foreign currency if you exchange here in the States at a local facility, some people who are risk averse like having a little local money in their pockets upon arrival. Being risk averse, I have a little local currency when I arrive, but only the minimum that my local bank requires. <BR>I have had no trouble getting francs out of ATM machines in Paris. One suggestion carry a debit (check) card in addition to your normal ATM card. I needed my debit (check) card once to get money because my normal ATM card was not acceptable. I do not know why. <BR>I also have found that a second, different credit card is necessary. <BR>We were eating in a little place just off Boulevard Raspail and Montparnasse <BR>and the waiter, who did not speak English, had the task of communicating to us that my card did not work. (He spoke good sign language.) So I had to use my second card. I do not know what was wrong, but my primary card would not read in his machine. Fortunately, the second one did. <BR>Had that failed, I suppose my wife could have left me as a hostage while she walked down to the ATM machine on the corner of Raspail and Montparnasse.