Cheapest way to get Euros in Paris
 

What is the cheapest way to get Euros in Paris? When would that be needed versus using a credit card with extra fees associated with it?

Stick your DEBIT card in an ATM

I fly to Paris alot and I just go to any ATM that has my logo on it and withdraw the Euros. Fast,easy and there are ATM's on every street and sometimes within stores such as Monoprix. I fly to Europe everyweek and NEVER use my credit card.

I sure hope you didn't mean using a credit card to get &euro; (&quot;<i>versus using a credit card with extra fees associated with it? </i>&quot;)

- The cheapest way to get cash is w/ an ATM card
- The cheapest way to pay for most things is generally w/ a credit card

Even w/ the fees, cc's and ATM cards are cheaper than anything else.

My latest info ist hat Capital One credit cards do not charge a transaction fee as all other credit cards do. As for ATMs, Bank of America advised me to use BNP Paribas, as they have some sort of affiliation, I guess, where B of A cards are recognized for free.
Jess

If you mean when would you need cash versus charging something on a card, it's like most places -- you will need cash for very small purchases, street vendors, newsstands, etc. Some places will put a limit on when they will allow you to use a credit card (I think some claim they aren't allowed to, but they do, so that is reality), such as 10 euro or more charge. Some restaurants may not take cards, but not very many -- maybe some small, cheap ones. You cannot use a credit card in automated ticket machines at the train station or RER stations, but you can give it to the clerk to charge, so it's no problem if you are at a station that has a clerk on duty.

I suspect you may mean cheaper than using a credit card to get euro, which is very expensive. But why wouldn't you use your ATM/debit card?

I don't know what janis means by the cheapest way to pay for things is with a credit card. It isn't any cheaper for me than paying cash, as I have no exchange rate or fees to get cash on my ATM card.

&lt;&lt;&lt; My latest info ist hat Capital One credit cards do not charge a transaction fee as all other credit cards do. &gt;&gt;&gt;

They will however start charging interest from he day of withdrawal as it's treated as a cash advance - plus if you have any special terms on your CC cash advances invariably come way down the pecking order if you don't pay the full amount off each month

I meant that so many get points when using credit cards that it often comes out a bit cheaper to buy things w/ a cc than w/ cash.

But in the grand scheme of things not much difference. Basically - Use an ATM card to get cash, and either that cash or a credit card to buy things.

I have never had a problem withdrawing euros from an ATM anywhere in France. Most US banks allow up to 300 euros per day and there is a small service fee and a conversion fee. Otherwise, I use my Capital One credit cards for larger expenses: hotel, meals, shopping. I keep euros on hand for cafes, museum entrances, newstands, buying my weekly Carte Orange, etc. I usually bring 200 euros or so to start for taxi or shuttle. So far, so good!

&quot;<i>Most US banks allow up to 300 euros per day </i>&quot;

Most banks will allow what ever amount you say -- w/i reason. I regularly raise my daily limit to $500 before going on a trip. And 3 or 4 times have raised it to $1000 when I knew I needed a lot of cash to pay for an apartment or something.

janis, we were surprised this summer, when our BofA accounts -- two totally separate and different kinds of checking accounts but both have both our names on them -- were cut off at $600 per day between the two accounts. This was despite a confirmation before we left that our daily allowance would be $1000 PER ACCOUNT. It seems BofA told us they now limit the foreign withdrawals to $600, and the $1000 would only apply to US withdrawals. And they linked our accounts because they said if someone stole either card and pin -- they could access both accounts with it.

Their regulations seem to change monthly.

Wow. So many responses within a short time. Thank you!

Just another reason to ditch BofA :) (as if there needed to be more reasons)

BoA have several partner banks in Europe. You can use their ATMs for withdrawals without paying any charge except for exchange rate fee

Yeah - that's true. But the other hassles one gets w/ BofA are making the free withdrawals from partner banks less and less attractive . . . . .

While I'll admit to having some problems with BofA and the ATMs this summer, I spent a couple days going to several other banks that would be convenient to me. None of them could begin to offer me the many other advantages I have with BofA on our two checking accounts, my business account, and an equity credit line, including free safe deposit box, totally free checking and checks and various other benefits. Switching banks would cost me a LOT of money I discovered. And I really like the people at my local BofA branch.

ATM machine. Fees depend on your home bank's arrangements.

I had no problems getting my ATM limit raised to $700 at PNC Bank and suspect it could've gone higher.

Sorry to hear about your luck with BofA.

alanrow
Re: Capital One: I wan't commenting on &quot;how to get euros&quot;, - which is of course the basic thrust of this thread; I was just ADDING an incidental commment about actual CREDIT CARD usage INSTEAD of cash. What I do is use their credit card wherever Mastercard is accpeted, and otherwise either use euros I've brought from home or obtained by using my BofA debit card at a BNP Paribas machine.

Merchant agreements with visa/mc in the USA do not allow imposition of minimum purchase amounts and also do not allow merchants to surcharge for use of a credit card.

These wonderful consumer protections are apparently not a normal part of merchant agreements outside the USA as I have found some short sighted merchants who indeed impose minimum purchase amounts for use of a credit card both in the UK (although never in grocery chains stores or any other chan store such as Boots or fast food places which more and more take credit cards) and in France (although the RATP will take credit cards for amounts as little as &euro;1,20 for purchase of a single ticket).