We leave for our first trip to France soon. Since we will be taking a cab to our hotel from the airport we will need francs right away. Should we get them from a bank here or cash one of our travelers checks at the airport for some there. Not taking atm card. <BR>Thanks!

I hope you are taking some sort of credit card with capability of getting cash. Get some francs here before leaving--AAA or American Express. <BR>You will lose on the exchange rate in cashing traveler's checks.

Do take a creditcard. You can use it everywhere, even in the supermarket. You can also get cash money with it on ATM terminals. <BR>

I always get about $100 in the foreign currency before I leave on my trip. I do the exchange at a bank here and the exchange rate has been competitive.

why aren't you taking an ATM card? It is much easier than finding a back or exchange place and waiting to exchange money. unless you live in a large city, your bank will not have francs available for you. There is a money exchange in most int'l airports in the world. If you just exchange enough for a cab, the loss of commission is not enough to worry about. In general, the best places to exchange money is at a bank. If you bank with a big bank (such as city bank) and you have a atm/credit card with them, then you can get even better rates by using the atm located at their bank and avoid the commission and transaction charge. most big banks have an office in paris (citibank has one right on the Champs-Elysees that I used.

I side with those who recommend getting some francs before your trip. You'll never know. Your flight may be delayed, there may be a long line at exchange counters, and ATM may be out of action (all three happened to me this year in Europe). Also, having to hunt for local currency after a long flight, in a stange airport, isn't the best way to start your vacation. Just get enough for taxi and other incidentals ($100?), and get the rest of your spending money from ATM (or TC) after you check in.

Deb-Last year we went to Paris for the 5th time! and bought francs before we left, the exchange rate being sooo good. You can look on www.oanda.com-it is a currency site, and you can buy your currency from them,they send it to you Fed EX.This year we are off to Italy and bought ILira in July when the exchange was very good.Take an ATM card! Use a credit card to pay for shopping if you want.In Charles DeGaulle Airport there is a machine where you can get francs..We never take Travelers checks anywhere anymore, not with ATMS..Have a wonderful time! There is nowhere like Paris in the world! and do not believe what some say about the French-I have never been treated rudely,have always found the Parisians to be helpful and kind.They are more reserved than the Americans, and do things a little differently-like when you walk into their shops, they don't jump on you with hello can I help you? would you like to try that on?-they wait until you ask them for help, which I like.So, anyway,Have a wonderful time!!!

I always suggest bring $100-200 or so worth of francs. There are ATM's at the airport but there could be long lines, there could be a problem with the machines, there could be a problem with your card. You should be able to change dollars to francs at the international airport from which you leave. For that amount of money the exchange rate won't matter much. Once in France use ATM's available all over. I also bring a few hundred dollar bills and some travelers checks tucked away just in case there's a problem with your card (scratched masgnetic stripe, whatever). Use a credit to pay for everything possible. For more Paris information e-mail me – [email protected]

Just a word of warning... We were in Paris this July. We took some francs, but then took American Express Travelers Checks. Unfortunatly our hotel wouldn't exchange them. We had to go to a bank.Since all of out tours left early in the am, this got to be a joke. Not every bank would take them either. You might rethink that ATM card. I will!

We got $100 in ff (before we cancelled our trip, or really had it cancelled for us) from our regular bank and the rate was better than what American Express was offering. We just had to call a couple of days in advance so the bills would be at our local branch for pick up.

It's probably safe enough to wait to exchange TCs at the airport; the exchange rate is bad but it's bad in the US, also. I go to a foreign currency exchange in the US, but I live in a large city--the rates are bad, I just don't want to risk even that being closed upon arrival. AAA doesn't have good rates where I live and won't just allow you to get whatever amount you want. In Paris, banks don't have better rates than exchange bureaux in my experience and hotels are one of the worst; the choice is not between hotels and banks, there are lots of exchange bureaux that do that for a business that have better hours and rates than a bank--I don't know the tour the last poster was on, but if their tour director did not tell them to go to an exchange bureau, they were negligent in their duties. They are many in Paris that give very good rates. Anyway, I would try to get some from your bank, probably, before going, although some have recommended www.oanda.com, I think. Partly because I wouldn't want to do this upon arrival in the airport.

We always get some ($100-200) foreign money BEFORE the trip from our bank. It saves time when you get there and no wondering if the ATM is working or if the line is long. Sure, you pay a fee, but convenience is worth it to us. Also, if you are jet-lagged it is no time to be using an ATM.

Forgot to say - take an ATM card! Don't rely on Traveler's Checks completely. Many places don't want to be bothered with them anymore, we have not used them in ages ourselves. You might feel "secure" if you take some as "emergency" money but I'd plan on using the ATM for everyday stuff.

I purchase foreign currency in advance from the Chase Manhattan site (you can probably type in www.chase.com) - I think it is called 'currency-to-go). I prefer to have the currency with me upon arrival; too much else going on to deal with ATM (functioning or not). Other than that, I use a Visa card for purchases, dining, and additional cash from the ATMs.