On spring break 2001, I will be going on an EF tour and my parents and I were wondering how much money to take. Since it makes a difference in the exchange rate, I'm from Canada. We are goinng for 9 days and everything is planned for us. So how much should I take and how should I take it?? <BR> <BR>Thanks a bunch <BR>dusitn

Dustin, it sounds like fun. To help you decide how much money to take, a few more bits of information will be helpful: <BR> <BR>1) Where are you going? (not just countries, but locations within those countries) <BR>2) How many meals are or are not included? <BR>3) Are you interested in shopping or bringing back souvenirs and presents?

Dustin, what an EF tour? Where does it go? What does it include? Is it just spending money that you need?

Thanks for replying so soon. All our meals are planned for us except one meal a day - I think it's lunch. We are just going to France - basically Vesailles, Paris and the countryside. An EF tour is basically like an educational tour set up through school. I am interested in bringing back souvenirs but not a whole lot. <BR> <BR>Thanks again, <BR>dustin

I was also wondering what the weather is like when we go. We go around the last week of March and I'm wondering what to pack.

Dustin, I have been to France 3 times during the end of March and the weather has run from warmish and sunny to ICY cold. The best idea is to wear layers that you can take on or off since sometimes you will leave your hotel and it will be bright and sunny then by the time you are finished at the museum it is pouring rain, best to be prepared. Have a great trip you will love it.

Use ATM and credit cards. If you don't want to use those, then travelers' checks IN YOUR OWN CURRENCY, and exchange them at banks or cambions (be sure to read the fine print - fees can kill you, so add those in to the 'exchange' rate to get the real rate). <BR>As for costs, avoid the highly touristed areas like the Champs Elysees, and walk a few blocks away: sandwiches at sidewalk vendors or in boulangeries are about 25-30ff; bottled water in grocery stores is 5ff; you can find lunch menus at small restaurants and bistros for around 70ff - a salad or entree can be less; admission fees to museums and sites are around 40ff (some more, some less) but they may be included in the tour price - check the itinerary; a metro ticket for the zones you'll need is 8ff, a carnet (10 tickets) is 58ff; don't volunteer to send postcards - the postage will destroy your budget; you can find souvenirs from 10ff (like key chains or refrigerator magnets) to 20-30ff for a miniature Eiffel Tower, or an old advertising poster at a flea market, or a jar of Nicoise olives at a grocery store; a beer at a neighborhood cafe or bar is about 20ff - double or triple that when you're in a tourist area. <BR> <BR>Between you and your parents, have about 400ff with you when you arrive; it's enough to get you a coffee or soda and a little walking around money until you get checked into your hotel and find an ATM or exchange bureau (I'm assuming transport to your hotel is included; if not, you'll spend that on the RER to your hotel - or a little more for a taxi). <BR> <BR>Word to the wise: don't spend your time looking for souvenirs to bring back to friends and family; been there, done that, won't again. If you're in a store and spot something that suits your sister/aunt/best bud, and it's within your budget, go ahead and get it - you can save it for a birthday or Christmas gift. I watched a traveling companion spend her few precious hours in Venice trying to finish her 'shopping' list for souvenirs for distant relatives. The obligatory gifts (like for the gang at work) I buy at the duty-free shops at the airport while I kill the two hours until my return flight leaves. <BR> <BR>Most of all, just enjoy this miraculous country and exquisite city - when I close my eyes and think about Paris, I picture Notre Dame at sunrise; the view of the city, surrounded by mist, from Montmartre; the bouquinistes along the Seine; the pyramid of Louvre at night; my awe-struck mother who said "every street is a work of art". When I think of France, I remember Omaha Beach and the sea of crosses and Stars of David at the American Cemetery; Mont St Michel in the early morning as the tide slips away; the chateau at Amboise as it rises above the river; Polish tourists, after the Wall came down, laughing as they waded in the surf in Nice. None of those cost one thin (American or Canadian) dime.

There's only ONE thing you can be sure about when considering how much money to take on holiday - it's NEVER enough !

Thank you all so much for replying so quickly. Now can you tell me if there is a certain type of ATM card more widely accepted over there and maybe what kind of travellers cheques? Everybody in our group is pretty new to the overseas kind of adventure so we need to know all we can! <BR>Thanks so much <BR>Dustin

Hi Dustin! <BR>I did the exact same kind of tour when I was about 16 (we won't say how long ago that was!;-)) If your tour is anything like mine was, then all transportation was taken care of as well as museum fees, etc. Therefore, you will just need money for your free time, lunches and souveniers. I took a few hundred dollars (US) with me (exchanged it at the hotel)and then a credit card and ATM card. If your ATM card has the PLUS or CIRRUS logo, you will be fine. My trip was my first time to Europe and I will never forget getting off the Metro in Paris at night and seeing the Eiffel Tower all lit up....still gives me chills! So have a wonderful time!!

Hi, Dustin. <BR> <BR>You will have a great time. I have taken students on 4 EF tours, so I can give you a pretty good idea. <BR> <BR>Breakfast at your hotel will be inadequate to hold you until lunch. You will have to buy something to add to your breakfast (fresh fruit, cheese) or stop to get a snack mid-morning. EF pays for almost everything. I recommend to my students that they have $20 per day (U.S.--closer to $35 Canadian) plus the cost of admissions (the trip to Versailles if you haven't pre-paid, for example) and souvenirs. If you plan on spending money on alcohol, you will need a little more. <BR> <BR>My ATM cards worked everywhere. Just some advice, Dustin. Before you go to an ATM machine, decide how much you want IN LOCAL CURRENCY. We have a tendency to translate money into dollars; then, when we are given the choices in francs, for example, we panic and take out too little or too much. Check with your bank before you leave regarding their charges. You will have a real shock if you take out 10 little amounts and your bank charges per withdrawal. My credit union doesn't charge any transaction fee. Maybe your parents will want to look around for a bank which will be free or low cost. <BR> <BR>Any other questions, feel free to e-mail me. <BR> <BR>If you are in Paris long enough, check out Pere Lachaise Cemetery. It is amazing! <BR> <BR>Deborah

If you bank at one of the big Canadian banks (CIBC, Bank of Montreal or whatever), you should be fine with your ATM debit card. I know some people have said that they have had problems if their card had a pin # with 5 digits. Mine is from CIBC and it's 4 digits and we're fine. It's Plus network. We were ok in Greece with it - it worked everywhere, but most of the ATM's in Turkey weren't on that network and we had some problems getting cash there. But I think France will be fine. <BR> <BR>It's been years since I was in a French speaking country (other than our own Quebec!), but I remember taking travellers cheques in French francs. I'm not a big fan of travellers cheques now - too much hassle, so I go with the ATM card. (Mind you, when I go back to Turkey, I'll reconsider that idea.) <BR> <BR>Lucky you - have fun!