I was thinking about buying euro at AAA but the exchange was 1.35. This sounds like a lot to pay. Should I wait until I arrive in PAris
 

The euro seems to be at 1.29 which seems like a lot anyway but 135 seems exorbitant. I havent been to Europe for a few years and the dollars was wonderful them. How are prices these days? Can I still get those wonderful 100 franc meals. That was about $20. for a scrumptious lunch or dinner. Merci mes amis!

I usually buy a couple of thousand just to have a little pocket money for the taxi ride into town.

Wait til you get to Paris to obtain some real spending money.

I'm afraid you'll probably be a bit shocked at prices - the dollar has taken a nasty beating in the last few years. If you change any money in advance, I'd just do the absolute minimum. Personally, I just get Euros from a bank machine at the airport upon arrival. I think it's the best rate.

I always wait until arrival overseas to obtain the local currency from an ATM. I used to bring home a little currency to use on the next trip, but I don't bother with that anymore. One thing is certain, you'll never come out ahead doing exchanges in this country.

And, worst case scenario,should the ATM at CDG not be working, as happened to me couple years ago, it is no problem whatsoever to get a cab that takes credit cards.

Really! I havent been to Europe in severl years before the euro and I always felt that food and lodging were quite reasonable, So is that no longer the case. I've been travelling to Mexico, mostly San Miguel de Allende and to Guanajuato. Lovely places but I've been dying to get back to Europe while I am still young enough.
Has the dollar loss really change things that much?

It's still definitely worth going, Travelwoman, and you can always find a good meal at a good price in Europe. Depending on where you are, you can almost certainly get a good prix fixe lunch or dinner for $20. But considering the Euro and dollar were basically equal in January 2002, that's about a 30 percent slide in less than 3 years. If you haven't been since the 90s, it's probably a lot worse.

You have to find out what kind of fees your bank will charge for withdrawing Euro from an ATM.

Right now the mid-market rate is just below $1.29, and the best ATM deal I have found will add 1 percent to that, bringing it up to just over $1.30, and of course your money remains earning interest, albeit at a very low rate, until you make the ATM withdrawal. Unfortunately, many ATM card issuers either add a flat fee, or a percentage, or both, to the mix, which could make the AAA price better, and of course some people are just more comfortable having money on hand at departure.

So check with your bank to find out what kind of deal they offer. If they charge a fee or add a percentage, I would suggest finding a bank that will give you better service. While you are checking, advise them of your itinerary, so they don't freak out when charges start showing up on your ATM card and credit cards from far lands.

On my last few trips, I've made sure I come home to the USA with about 150 euros to take care of the expenses at the beginning of my NEXT trip, but if you don't have any, I'd say just wait until you get to the airport (and I'm usually one who advocates for always arriving with some cash in hand).

The dollar-euro ratio is appalling at the moment, but you can still eat very well in France for very little, comparatively speaking. I don't know about the equivalent of 100-franc meals, but you can certainly get a plateful of heaven for about $25-$30 in a lot of places, even in the big cities, including Paris.

I agree with waiting and don't rely on any rate you "read" about because those rates that are generally reported are, in fact, "bank rates" which are the rates that banks charge other banks for inter-bank money exchanges. Private individuals never get those rates which are inevitably lower.

You will pay moe now than you ever paid because the dollar is lower against the Euro than when you went to Europe before..fact of life that European travel has become more expensive.

Hi tw,

>Can I still get those wonderful 100 franc meals. <

The exchange rate is 6.56 FF/E. It would be very hard to find for 15E. You can do well for about 20E ($25).

You are best off getting euros in Europe from ATM machines.

You need to arbitrage the fees you pay against the increase in the exchange rate that takes place between the purchase and the time you arrive there. If you can get them now for $1.35 and they cost $1.40 when you get to Europe, you win. The more you buy, the more you'll benefit.

Seriously: don't buy ANY currency until you arrive at the airport. If you play your (debit) cards right, you can get bank rate + $1 from European ATMs.

I prefer to get only enough cash as I can get away with needing-some from Amex here at home and the rest from ATMs; my credit card purchases give me a far better exchange rate than real money. Oanda.com gives an exchange rate today of $1.29 - $1.35 sounds really out of line.

Oh my gosh 1.29 I saw that today and imagine why it should drop so. I plan to go anyway but its just a little disconcerning to have your budget effected by these fickle exchange rates.

My main source of cash is to withdraw Euro from an ATM machine after arrival.

Rather than constantly converting back into U.S. dollar and getting upset about the exchange rates, simply think in Euro. You can make up the differences by having a simpler meal, staying at a little less of a hotel, encorporating more free activities, etc.

As for the rate AAA is giving, only you can decide if it gives you "peace of mind" to arrive with cash in hand worth the extra cost.

Paying 6 cents over the exchange rate may seem crazy, but if you think the dollar will continue to slide, then it may turn out to be the same in the end anyway.

I was in Europe last month (from Oct. 1st - Oct. 18th). My credit card bill just arrived. The early charges were at a rate of $1.24 per Euro, the later charges at $1.26 per euro. Today, I think the rate is $1.29 or $1.30 per euro. So, depending on when you go, you may end up paying $1.35 anyway.

I guess it's a gamble on whether the rates will go up or down.

Do they have ATMs in the domestic/intra-Europe terminals of European airports? As CDG was our destination, I didn't think to look for an ATM on our arrival in FRA. I should have, because I couldn't find one at the CDG arrival terminal. So, I was glad to have gotten a few euro in the US.

travelwamoan I cant reply to your at "are people's view on the US dollar for next summer? Will we see a rebound or another big dip?" post. Here are some exchange scenarios based on 10 days in europe at 200 € a day.

€ Exchange rate $
2000 0.9 1800
2000 1 2000
2000 1.1 2200
2000 1.2 2400
2000 1.3 2600
2000 1.4 2800
2000 1.5 3000
2000 1.6 3200
2000 1.7 3400

yes, sorry -- the dollar has been falling steadily against the euro! currently 1 USD buys about 0.73 euro. this is from european ATMs -- i live in italy & am not enjoying the horrid exchange rate!

Travelwoman, as katvg just mentioned, the bottom line is the dollar is drastically falling against the euro. You may save a few pennies hunting and searching but convenience always wins out with me. Using the ATM is your best bet. If you do use a money exchange ask about the service charge. In our lack-of-sleep-arriving at 8am at FCO stuper, we used the airport exchange for a few hundred dollars for transport and pocket change. Didn't realize until we climbed into our car that the service charge was over 17%. Yikes. Suffice to say we used Bancomats for the rest of the trip.