pam

I have read several posts about atm's in Southern France not accepting american atm cards.<BR>As I am going to the South of France at the beginning of July, this is of great concern to me. I understand that I should also take other cc's and some cash but my main (usually reliable) method of paying for things was by using my atm card.<BR>How come other people who post their trip reports have not mentioned this? Could it be that these posters do NOT have 4 digit pins or plus or cirrus logos?<BR>Do I need to get a cc with a chip?<BR>Worried.

Alec

All French ATMs should accept US cards affiliated to Plus or Cirrus for cash withdrawal, and you can use them for paying for things in shops, in restaurant and hotels. True, French cards are smart cards with embedded microchip and they tap in their PIN number instead of signing the slip, but sales staff will look at your card with no chip and just swipe it and ask for your signature, and it all works in the same way. The only problem you will have is when you try to buy gas at unmanned stations, where the card reader only accepts French cards (and not even non-French smart cards).<BR>Like all things electronic, there are times when machines don't work, run out of cash or can't connect to your bank's computer because of downtime or maintenance, but usually it works well. I have heard people using 5 or 6 digit PIN with no problem, but probably it's safer to have 4 digit (numbers only, not letters).

amy

Used an ATM just about every day somewhere on Cote d'Azur. No problems--none.

PB

Although I live in France (Provence), I have a US ATM card from my US account that works perfectly fine in almost every ATM machine. Cirrus and Plus compatible are the most available everywhere. Four digit PIN numbers will give you the least amount of problems - numbers, not letters.<BR>PB

mpprh

Hi alec is right.<BR>If it is a manned outlet they will ask you to sign.<BR><BR>4 digit pins seem to work in ATM's.<BR><BR>Be careful with unmanned gas stations.<BR><BR>Interestingly, I could only use my Euro credit cards in US, which is more expensive. The saThe cards which work across Europe with immediate debit (and no charges) didn't work in USA. <BR><BR>Peter<BR>

ATM

<BR>Pam:<BR>If your ATM card is from a major US bank, don't worry at all. They work perfectly fine in France.<BR>One has to remember that this is an international forum, hence some posters have ATM cards from other countries, some with 5 number PIN's, some from other networks, some with problems.

pam

<BR>This post was the reason for my concern:<BR>Author: Bruce ([email protected])<BR>Date: 05/05/2002, 12:19 pm<BR>Message: Our ATM card would not work in any ATM in Southern France. We spent three weeks in Provence and the Dordogne region last spring. Our local bank here in a suburb of Seattle told us it wuld work. It worked two years ago in Holland, London, and Ireland. The Frencc ATM cards have a microchip in them that US cards do not. We were able in one bank in Cagnes su Mer to get an advance on our Visa card of $1,000 dollars in francs, and at a good exchange rate. <BR>

ATM

Pam:<BR>It certainly has nothing to do with the chip or the lack of it.<BR>No idea what was wrong with Bruce's card. I did read on an older thread that it may be due to the fact that the ATM network in Europe will only connect to your checking A/C, without the option of withdrawing from your savings A/C. So if you're maxed out on your checking A/C, although you have plenty $$$ in your savings A/C, you're stuck...<BR>All I can say is that I've used my US ATM, Amex, Visa and MC cards in France not once, but hundreds of times, all over the place, without a problem. In small restaurants or stores, you may have to wait a couple minutes because for foreign (any country) credit cards they need authorization by phone. And since those smaller places have only one phone line....