MONEY-Are my French Francs still Good?
 

I am going to Europe in August and have a few hundred French Francs and some British Pounds from previous trips. Is this money convertible, still good or should I frame it and hang it on my wall?<BR><BR>Thanks

Well we're still spending pounds in the UK, so keep them, but France is euro only on the high street - the franc can be converted at high street banks, though, until about 2040 (so this August should be okay!)

suzyq, to convert your francs, go to the Banque de France east of Palais Royal, entrance on rue Croix des Petits Champs. Near the entrance there is a desk where you get a form w/number, then you wait for your number to come up at a window.

We converted our Francs at a post office in Paris when we were there in April.

You have until June 30, 2002 to exchange French Francs into Euro at commercial Banks and Post Offices. After that you need to go to a Banque de France (government not commercial entity) and change there. Sue's post tells you how to do this. Banque de France will exchange banknotes until Feb 17, 2014 and coins until Feb 17, 2005. (this is latest info I have...dates could change)<BR><BR>Each Euro land country has a different cutoff date to exchange their old notes and coins into Euro at commercial banks and how long then you can exhange through the national banks. Belgium and the Netherlands have until Dec 31, 2002 but France, Portugal, Spain and Luxembourg cutoff June 30 and then through the national bank of that country. Germany's cutoff was March 31. Now it's exchange through the Bundesbank only for an unlimited amount and time. <BR><BR>You can also only change a country's currency in that country. Before Feb 28 you could take all your old currencies to any bank in the euro zone and get euro, but that has long since passed. (It was a one stop way for me to get rid off all my old FF, DM, HFL etc at one go!!)<BR><BR>Everyone should make an effort to cash in all their old notes as soon as possible. It will only become more difficult as time goes by. It is not always easy to find an office of a countrty's National Bank... I'm not sure when I would find a Bundesbank office here (local Landerbank, perhaps??)<BR><BR>Hope this helps.<BR><BR>Judy from Germany

You can also exchange your French Francs at the airport exchange office....