Paris in April-Need help
 

Hi, Our flights are booked, our hotel reserved, we are going to Paris for five days mid April...now I need help with everything else. We have never been to Europe, have only traveled in North America. We have many questions. Do we keep our passport with us all the time? Is it safe to keep our passports in our room safe? I have been reading travel books and there is always a section on the pick pockets, the street kids at the airport etc. Do I need to worry about losing my purse/wallet etc.? Should we get travelers checks or just use our Visa or cash. As you can see we have many questions and we always appreciate all of your advice. Thank you very much....Ptm

Hi ptm
We always leave all of our valuables, including passports, in the room safe. We do not use travelers checks anymore. Credit card or ATM's for cash-on-hand. And, my husband, the money carrier, wears travel pants with zippered pockets most of the time. He was surrounded by a group of gypsies, young girls to be exact, during the day in Florence. They came up empty handed thanks to the zippered pockets. I was carrying a purse with camera, guide book etc and they never even looked my way. It's really important for you to do what is most comfortable for you. We've used money belts in remote areas but they are not easily accessible. Just good common sense and an awareness of what could happen around you is the best advise I can offer.

No TCs. Just use your credit card and your ATM card to get cash for those times when you cannot use your credit card.

Hello ptm!
You are going to love Paris...we, too, are going in April. You'll receive many different opinions to your question depending on individual's comfort level. My husband & I always, always keep our passport with us in our money belts along with credit cards & majority of cash. I am not comfortable using the room safe - but that's just my personal preference. My husband keeps a minimum amount of cash in front pants pocket - not enough to where if he were pickpocketed it would be a great loss. Same with the small purse I carry - nothing of tremendous value. I want to relax while on vacation and these are the things I do to ensure my comfort. We do not use travelers checks - primarily credit cards & cash. While in train stations/subway stations be particularly cautious and focused. You should be fine and I hope you have a wonderful trip...

I carry my passport in a zippered pocket. Note that you will not need your passport when you land, it is only for anit-theft reasons that you would carry it around.

There are pickpockets in every major city, Pairs is no different. But you will not be walking down a street with hordes of youthful hoods looking at you and wispering amongst themselves. Paris, NYC, Toronto, London...do as you would in any major city. In November 2006 I had a winter jacket with lots of pockets, so i had wallet,passport, and camera each in a different zippered pocket. It's NOT as bad as the perception that seems to exist, similarly the people are not all rude, in fact very few.

There are many things you CAN do for money on a trip, but only a couple you SHOULD do. Don't bother with TCs, they are just another way for financial companies to make money. You pay to get them and you pay to cash them...either directly, or in the exchange rate they charge you. And do you want to be planning any part of your day to go find a bank of AMEX office? There are ATMs everywhere, link up your ATM card to your bank account (not CC cash advance) and off you go. Use your credit card for major purchases (hotel, big gifts) and cash otherwise.

My CCs (VISA and AMEX) gave me a decent exchange rate in Paris last fall. I used cash for everything, but bought a couple of small items with CC just to see the exchange rate.

More to come...

Hi everyone, Thank you so much. All the advice is very helpful. We are very excited and can't wait to see Paris. It is a dream come true. Ptm

A word of advise on ATM's - first don't forget you will get Euros from the ATM and your bank will debit you the correct exchange rate. Most important - only use a debit card at a machine where the bank is open at the time you are getting your cash. The machines in France suck the card all the way in before returning it - I once had the machine fail to eject the card - when I went to the bank the next day I had to retrieve my card from hundreds in a pile collected by the bank. So if you are on a day trip somewhere and your card is sucked in you may not be in the same town the next day to get it. I always get 500 euros from the ATM at the airport on arrival and if I need more I use banks during the daytime when they are open.

Also - many places do not accept AMEX so bring Mastercard - and call your credit card and tell them you are traveling so your card does not get frozen for suspicious activity.

Thank you very much for the great advice. I would never think to use an ATM only during bank hours. Now I will. Thanks again. Ptm

Hi, ptm,
We just returned from Paris, and we loved it! It was our first foray away from N. America. I kept our passports on my person at all times, even at breakfast, using a document holder on a neck cord (inside shirt). A travel companion kept his in his wallet, back pocket, the whole trip, no problems. But I am a worrier and that's what it took for me to not worry. :) I took lots of traveler's checks, but the cashing process is laborious and it can be difficult finding a place to cash them, don't waste your time in Paris doing that. I'd probably take $100-200 worth as an emergency security blanket. Credit cards/ATM are much easier.It is very important to notify your credit card/ATM companies of your trip, as was previously suggested. I gave advance notice but they still put a lock on my card during my trip, a major inconvenience. I also had difficulty using the card several other times, possibly because it was thru a small credit union instead of a large bank. I was glad we had another credit card & ATM card along. As for safety, we were around Paris day and night and felt totally safe at all times, not our usual response to cities. We tried to always be aware of our surroundings and have our "antennae" up, but everywhere we went, even the subways, felt safe. Most people just seemed to politely go about their business. And we never encountered ANY snooty Parisians. I didn't take a purse because of fears of pickpockets but a large purse there for day use. It was nice to HAVE to go shopping there to purchase it! Travelling to Paris isn't that different from travelling in the states, just some surprising and some charming differences. You are smart to do your homework now, and I hope you enjoy your trip immensely!

According to the french embassy in Australia, it is the law to carry your passport on you at all times.

Is this ever policed? I haven't heard anyone ever mention that they had been asked for their passport (other than at an hotel), and I just wondered if you didn't have it, would you be fined or warned, or what ?

"..A travel companion kept his (passport) in his wallet, back pocket, the whole trip, no problems..."

~ there's a fool born every minute

I'm with Travelnut on the passport issue.
I have visited Paris 10 times now and if the hotel does not have a safe in the closet which is sequenced by your own code, I leave my airline tickets, passport & extra cash and back up credit cards in a sealed envelope in the hotel safe.
I also photocopy my passport leaving a copy in my suitcase and one in my purse. I saw my friend loose her wallet in the metro (Concorde) with such swiftness we never knew what hit us - I carry only the cash & cards needed for a days outing.
Have your wits about you and you'll be fine. Have a wonderful trip!

Hi Everyone, Thank you very much. This great information and I truly appreciate all the advice. I am concerned about losing my passport, money, cards etc. So I will be very careful and good advice regarding keeping important items in the an envelope in the hotel safe. Ptm

Yes it's true, you are supposed to always have ID on you in France - but I carry a photocopy of my passport.The original, xtra cash & airline tickets you can leave in the reception safe.

Common sense is the main point- of course when you are in the hottest tourist areas like N Dame, Eiffel tower etc...you are most at risk. The metro would be the next risky area.You would not believe how many tourists I've seen that leave their purse unzipped, especially while taking photos. Prime time to be a target when you are obviously preoccupied!

I have been living in Paris 1 1/2 years, use my bank card all the time, & never had it "sucked up".

I believe you should also have a 4 number pin for your ATM card.
Not all hotels rooms have safes, so plan for that possibility. I also like the idea of photocopying everything. I've never had anyone ask me for ID, expect many years ago when cashing TCs, so that no longer applies. Once you clrae customs and the hotel front desk, your passport is no longer needed.

Personally, I like to tour "light", so no big camera bag, guide books etc. I carry a map, and then photocopies of any tourist info I may require. Doing this I hope to minimize any miscreants looking at me and saying 'hey look at those packsacks and camera bags, must be some goodies in them'.

I suggest you get money belts. Look and decide if you like the kind that goes around your waist and tucks into your pants with your shirt tail or the kind that goes under your shirt and hangs around your neck.

The good part about the waist type is you can turn your back and untuck if you need to get into it for some reason as opposed to finding a place where you can get undressed to get to it. They are comfortable and will hold your passport, credit cards and your "big" money.

I know it is wierd but I also put in our itenerary with flight numbers and hotel phones and phone number for the US embassy or consolate for the cities we are in.

...we prefer the 'leg safe' that fits around the calf (since we travel in cool weather and always have slacks or jeans on...)

FWIW I stopped using a wallet in Paris and use one of these instead...

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...ch&feat=sr

The strap goes aroound my neck and the case goes under a jacket or a vest, and it snaps and zips shut for safety.

What is the address of the hotel?

Pjk

Recently I've read a number of reports of thefts from hotel room safes. I wouldn't trust them. Leave your valuables in the hotel safe. Better carry them on you in a money belt.

And watch out for pickpockets on the Metro.

A note on using ATM's abroad. Here in the US, I can select which account I want the money to come out of (checking or savings), however, when I was overseas, it did not give me the option and automatically withdrew it from my checking account..... Make sure you have transferred enough cash into your checking account!

Uneless you're staying at a low budget hotel, the idea of someone breaking into your hotel room sounds a bit over the top.

Is it enough to just keep your purse zippered under your arm? This thread has me a bit worried.

I've traveled a quite bit, mostly in big cities and live in Seattle, which is a pretty good size, so cities feel like home. I tried once to use a money belt and was so self-conscious and uncomfortable that I took it off in a bathroom and threw it away.

I find that my leather handbag works great. If you can find a nice purse that has an inside zipper pocket, a zip top with a flap that folds over and has a magnetic clasp you’ll be pretty safe. I strongly recommend leaving a back-up bank card and your passport at the hotel. That way, if you get ripped off, it isn’t the end of the world and will only pose a mild inconvenience. I find that if you’re not worried about what might get stolen the more relaxed you’ll be.

As for the Paris Metro, I always felt safe on it. It was clean and the people riding seemed to be mostly commuters.

It is also a good idea to leave a copy of your passport with your emergency contact back home just in case.

Thank you very much for all the advice. I feel much better. We can use all the help we can get. Thanks again...Ptm

It seems everyone is going to Paris in April...first trip from Australia for us in early April.
We were just reading our Australian Embassy advice and we are told we should carry our passports at all times. I thought this was a general rule everywhere when in another country.
We have waist pouches and plan to keep them there.
As an alternative to TC's for emergencies we are thinking of getting a cash card with a couple of hundred Euros on it that we can access easily if our 2 debit accounts are out of action. It is costly though as it is $25aud to set up!
Can anyone tell me the merits of a credit card rather than a debit card? Should we have both. We were just planning to take 2 debit cards on different accounts .
This is a good post...thanks ptm
Rosie :)

As far as I know they do not require you carry your passport at all times, just a form of identification. I figure you could carry around a drivers license and be okay.

Regarding thefts from hotel room safes, it's not burglars breaking in; it's employees or former employees.

Hi again everyone...Rosie, I think you should take a credit card, they are well recognized through out the world as long as you deal with a major bank. After reading all the great advice from everyone here, we are planning to bring credit cards and debit cards. I have talked to a few people who suggested we not use the "neck safes" apparently pickpockets have caught on to them and serious injuries have resulted...when they are pulling them off the neck. I have tried a money belt and find it uncomfortable so I guess I will have to be very careful with whatever I choose to use. Do you really think the hotel safes are not so safe? I think our hotel has an in room safe with a numbered key pad not the key lock. This should be safe right???? Thanks for all the help everyone. You make traveling very easy and stress free...Ptm

<i>Paris in April
Blossoms on chestnuts
Holiday trees
Under the tables...</i>

Yes, I cannot wait to see Paris. I did have a bit of a panic attack today when I realized I need to wear something comfortable that looks good after long airline travel. We will not be checking into our hotel until the afternoon and we arrive in the morning. Therefore I will be in the same clothes for a very long time. Any suggestions...Thanks Ptm

what's your age and gender?

Female and over forty something!!!

I have been known to do quick changes in the bathroom of airports - not even the entire outfit, just undies. A fresh pair makes all the difference. Also, Ponds Clean Sweeps are amazing! They are facial cleansers that clean and remove make up with no water needed. Use on body to feel really fresh.

Thank you. That is a great idea. I will be changing in the airport bathroom and the Ponds Clean Sweeps sound great. Thanks everyone for all the info. I truly appreciate all the advice....Ptm

Hi everyone, Thanks to everyone for helping us get to Paris. I have another question. What cards do I need to take with me? I plan on bringing my passport, debit card, credit card and not much else. Do I need to bring my drivers license etc. If I do lose my wallet to pickpockets I don't want to lose all my cards. Thanks for all the help... Ptm

You don't need your driver's license unless you intend to drive. A passport is sufficient I.D. On the other hand, some may argue that the passport should be kept in the hotel safe, so it might be useful to have your driver's license as day-today I.D.

The first rule of safety is common sense!! Be aware of your situation, where you are at and what is around you. Do not look like a victim. Theft on the metro is nothing new. It usually happens during station stops, a lot of confusion and movement.
My wife carried a purse and I a backpack. Nothing stolen in Paris. It may also be that as a former soldier and current LEO I do not look like a target. I travel for work and use the hotel ssafe as well as the front desk safety deposit boxes. SO far no problems.
In a Manchester airport hotel the &quot;safe&quot; at the desk was an individual cardboard box with a safety seal to close it. The room safe was a steel box with electronic lock. You decide which one was safer.

For the life of me I can't remember if I did this in Paris, but I know in Italy I have often used my driver's license as my &quot;security deposit&quot; when renting audioguides at museums.

Have a wonderful trip!

Hi

My wife and I went to Paris last year in April. We kept the passports in the safe in the hotel reception, We didn't have any problems with pick pockets but use common sense and you should be find :d

I have posted a trip report with pictures, links and maps on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . I hope that you can find some useful information there :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Thank you very much.I appreciate all the great travel advice. Most of our travel has been in North America and we are very comfortable in large cities. I try to be as careful as possible so I guess Paris will not be any different. I never thought about pickpockets before... so I was a bit worried but I think with all the great advice from everyone I feel much better. Thanks for all the help...Ptm