Donna

An advisory was posted on the France Board at AOL by a knowledgable resident that the drivers of the armored cars (several have been killed on duty in recent months) have gone on strike for safer working conditions. Word is that 2/3 or more of the ATM's are empty, banks may be low on funds, and stores are having problems making change. If and when the strike is resolved, it will take some time for the banks and ATM's to be replenished. So, if you're headed for France, you may want to take French Francs and/or traveler's checks in French Francs. If you have an American Express account, you can call them regarding having French Francs sent to you overnight.

s.fowler

I don't blame the drivers - who wants to be a target? <BR> <BR>But it's [yet another] reminder of two things: No matter how well you plan, there is always *something* that can happen and two, the importance of flexibility and humor. <BR> <BR>Last December we planned a trip to Paris, knowing it was "strike season." I remembered that the museums had settled some issues with their employees earlier in the year, but figured the metro might go out... so we stayed within walking distance of the museums. <BR> <BR>Guess what? They got us before we left! The people who refuel the planes at CDG went out - fortunately Air France was able to reroute us with little inconvenience via Brussels on Sabena, but just a reminder... there is no such thing as outsmarting the French in strike season

Kristin Lucas

Donna -- could you update the rest of this when (if?) this problem gets resolved. We are leaving May 25 for Paris and I would like to know before I leave if the strike is over. I had planned to use ATM machines exclusively to get cash. <BR>

Kristin Lucas

Sorry -- meant to say, Could you update the rest of US. <BR>

Joelle

For the moment, most of the ATM machines are out of order... in the whole of France. Negotiations are going on, so let's hope this will be over soon. <BR>However, banks do have cash available (for the moment) at their offices, since shopkeepers tend to bring regularly the daily collected cash to them. So cash advances are still possible for the time being of course...

JULIE BROWN

Thank you for posting this, I also was planning on using ATM's for cash and would be totally tapped out. Please post updates as I am leaving on the 25th of May as well. God forbid if I can't shop my little brains out!!!

Helen

We were just in Paris last week and had no trouble using the ATM's. Don't know if this just started or not but we were there from the 8th-12th of May.

Brian in Atlanta

It may not be a lost cause (BNP sounds like a good bet for ATMs, below). From the BBC (5/15/00): <BR> <BR>"More than half of France's cash dispensers are standing empty because of a week-long strike by security guards. <BR>Unions representing 8,000 mobile guards called the strike after two brutal attacks on armoured vans in the last fortnight in Grenoble and Paris, which left one guard dead and two seriously wounded. <BR> <BR>More than 10 attacks have been reported so far this year, with the raiders using increasingly violent methods and heavy weaponry. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Guards protest: "We are not targets" <BR> <BR> On Monday morning a bystander was killed in a shoot-out between police and a gang who tried to break into the safe at a supermarket in Chelles, east of Paris. <BR> <BR>One of the country's leading banks, Credit Lyonnais, said more than 60% of cash dispensers in central Paris and around 52% nationwide were empty because fresh stocks of money are not being delivered. <BR> <BR>The Caisses d'Epargne bank gave a similar figure for Paris but said the situation was worse in the popular tourist destination of the Côte d'Azur, where 80% of its dispensers were empty. <BR> <BR>Film goers attending the international festival at Cannes also faced long queues over the weekend as people struggled to get at their francs. <BR> <BR>Other banks, though, were not so badly hit. The Banque Nationale de Paris said only 30% of its dispensers were affected, because the bank organises its own deliveries of cash. <BR> <BR>Bartering <BR> <BR>The post office said about half of its dispensers were out of action, but stressed that the expected weekend rush to withdraw large amounts of cash had failed to materialise. <BR> <BR>"A lot of shopkeepers have lowered the minimum sum at which they will accept cheques and bank cards," it said. <BR> <BR>Major stores and supermarkets said they are running out of small change and are encouraging customers to pay by cheque or credit card. <BR> <BR>One Paris newsagent told the BBC he was now accepting baguettes in payment for newspapers. <BR> <BR>Talks between employers and unions resumed on Monday. Security companies have agreed to stop night transport of funds and to improve guards' personal security, but the questions of salaries and retirement at 50 remain to be agreed. <BR> <BR>Last week, the government offered to provide police protection for the transportation of large sums of money, but this was not enough to persuade the strikers to return to work." <BR> <BR>

Bob

Having just recently returned from Paris and other parts of France, I saw none of what you suggest. I was with a group and ATMs were not a problem for anyone wishing to use them. Also, change was never a problem in stores. As for banks, I wasn't in one so can't comment on that. According to group members, American Traveller's checks were accepted virtually everywhere with no problem.

Richard

We returned from Paris yesterday, Monday the 15th, and most ATM's, especially in the tourist areas, were out of cash. We tried several in the Latin Quarter as well as the Marais with no luck. One near our hotel at Place de Madeleine did have cash.

Kerry

Bob, what is your point? I, too, read that ATM's are out of service (empty) all over France since about May 12th when the strike got underway. Are you suggesting that these reports are not true? That everyone should ignore them?

Donna

The following update was posted today on the AOL boards: The news is not good ....The striking "convoyeurs de fonds" have hardened their position and promise that the strike will continue "at least until next week and perhaps longer". <BR> <BR>Best bet is to obtain some currency from your local bank and/or some travelers checks in French Francs (small denominations as there's a shortage of change). If you have an American Express card, they will overnight French Francs to you (call for details). <BR> <BR>Another advisory: Because of the proliferation of counterfeit 500 franc bills in the last eighteen months, many stores, restaurants, etc. will no longer accept them. So when you're getting your francs, do not accept 500 franc bills.

Joelle

The problem (empty ATM) started last week-end : on Saturday it was still OK, but on Sunday... <BR>I managed to find a working ATM last night but I was a lucky person... <BR>Update on negotiations: they resumed yesterday but suddenly stopped at night, since they could not find a proper agreement. Just wait and see!

Diane

I am in France now. It has been hit or miss with ATM machines, although until reading this post we did not know why. I was about to pay my hotel bill this morning with francs but will now hold on to them. Another reason to be grateful for this board.

Tammy

I'm leaving for Paris next Thursday and my plan is to take $50 in francs and use ATMS's. Is this enough or should I take more? I'll be there a total of 9 days.

Alex

Now you have me wondering if I am planning too much. I will be there for 4 days and was planning on getting $200 in francs. My theory was I could pay cash for anything and if I think I may run out I could use a credit card. Am I bringing too much? or do I need to bring more? The good news is I work for a US bank and don't have to pay any commission to exchange here.

Joelle

Message for Tammy: I would take more than 50 Dollars in cash for a nine day period. Although credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, I am not sure that shops or museums or cafes would accept it for amounts under 100 FF (ca. 14 Dollars). Just wait until next Tuesday and Wednesday to get an update about the strike.

elvira

OK so I'm a dork, but are the BANKS without money, or just the mechanical pieces, the ATMs? I'm assuming that banks have plenty o'dough.... <BR> <BR>Though I love ATMs, I've also gone into banks to get ff; I've even used bureaux de change to get ff - in both cases, using my ATM/Visa debit card. <BR> <BR>As long as the banks and cambions have money, then making sure you get to a bank (remember that, before ATMs ever existed?) during its opening hours to get your ff should work.

Tahiti Bob

There is also a shortage of cash in the banks, also it is less acute than for the ATMs (but getting worse every day, I believe). Some banks limit cash withdrawal to 1000FF or even 500 FF max (and I'm not talking of ATMs). <BR>Usually there is a circulation of cash from banks/ATM to consumers to shops to banks, and so on. The money transfer from shops to banks is now reduced since most shops -and especially supermarkets - used the armored cars to get huge sums of money back to the banks. <BR>

Jan

I am leaving for France at the end of the week and was planning on bringing US dollar traveler checks. I think they are in $50 denominations. Will the banks exchange these?