More ATM questions
 

I know there are a lot of posts about exchanging money & using ATM's, but I have two questions that I haven't seen addressed. I am taking my first trip to London & Paris this May. My ATM card does not have VISA or MasterCard logos. It does have the PLUS logo on the back. Will the ATM machines accept my card? Also, I presume the machine will give 20 pound notes. Are merchants at airports willing to make change? I don't want to pay for my 10 pound taxi ride with a 20 pound note. Or will the taxi driver make change? Thanks for your help.

ATMs work based on the network they belong to - in your case PLUS. Many folks use straigth ATM cards that are not Visa/MC affiliated debit cards. it is a little trickier in France because some machines need imbedded chiops which are not in most US issued cards. But you will still find your card works most places.

Also - ATMs (or rather the banks) are MUCH smarter in Europe - you can ask for any amount not just in 20 £ or € increments.

So if you wany £15, or £50 you can get it. . . . . . .

That should read imbedded "chips" - what the heck is a chiops :D

Hate those typos . . . . . .

Most of the ATMs I've used this year spit out 50 Euro notes, but I was getting 300 Euro at a time. I did get 20 Euro notes when I only got 100 Euro.

If you are worried about giving the taxi driver too large a note, grab a cup of coffee at the airport cafe to get change.

My ATM card has the Plus logo, and I didn't have a problem. ((b))

in fact, asking for an 'odd' amount is the way to get some smaller bills.
I learned that in Prague last spring.
If I asked for amounts in increments of 1000 crowns, I got 1000 pound notes.
If I asked for 900 crowns, I got a 500 plus 4 100 notes--much easier to use.

>... will the taxi driver make change?<

Yes. Some of them take credit cards.

((I))

I'm a little confused. Has anyone ever seen a cab driver - anywhere - who couldn't make change? (Assuming its' for a resonable amount - not a $100 bill for a $4 ride.) (Also, I'm not sure how far 10 pounds would get you from any of the London airports.)

You are right of course, nytraveler. I think jeffrx was mostly concerned about whether his ATM card would work, but any cabby will make change if the note is a reasonable size for the ride.

And to clarify, jeff - ATMs in the UK can give out £5, £10, £20, etc. notes.

I've even had London cabbies , tell me "not to worry, dearie" when they couldn't or didn't want to make change for their tip!

Just another thought on London cabbies... 2 months ago , I was worn out ,so we grabbed a black cab to get to our next destination. I didn't have the correct address so told him to get us to a point nearby and I could direct him... then a bit of a conversation ensued, turned out he had a house in FL near us and when we arrived..we both realized he had not turned on his meter! He told us to just go enjoy! But I knew about what a trip of that length should cost so gladly paid him..at least I hope it was close.

Thanks for all the good advice, everyone! It's been 25 years since I've ridden in a taxi. And I'm only going from Victoria Station to my hotel.

janis - He was one of those Egyptian chaps who busted his chops building a pyramid. You've probably seen the movie about his retirement - <i>Goodbye, Mr. Chiops.</i>

(Ewww.)

Isn't PLUS = Visa network and Cirrus = Mastercard?