Aduchamp1

Last summer I wore my Obama for President cap in Paris and no one said a word to me. I guess it was me. And it was an awful design.

vye

Thanks for all the great suggestions and good wishes. I like the BO idea too. Another question is how much euro should I bring for the 4 of us (Husband & 2 kids, age 20 & 16). Do most places take credit cards? I realize the danger of having so much cash while travel, but I'm also afraid of short of cash.

MissPrism

The vast majority of places take credit cards.
You don't need to take lots of cash with you.
It's much better to use a cash machine (ATM)

StCirq

Don't take a lot of cash with you. Use your debit card at ATM machines for spending money during the day and credit cards for big purchases. VISA, Mastercard, and to a slightly less degree AMEX are accepted everywhere. I usually land with about 200 euro in my pocket, but you don't even have to do that, as there are ATM machines at the airport.

Notify your bank in advance that you'll be using your debit card overseas.

gillybrit

I always think it's nice to bring something local, but honestly it's hard to beat French food and wine, so not sure it's worth carrying food or wine all the way to France. Not sure about the Obama suggestion either - too political for my liking. I like the idea of a coffee table book about your home town. Or just buying something while you are there..

Nikki

I like to bring items handmade by local craftspeople as gifts, wherever I go.

Please do not bring much cash. Make sure you have more than one credit card and more than one ATM card, and keep them separately. When I travel with my husband he carries at least one of each and so do I, each on separate accounts, just in case one set is lost or stolen. Write down the phone numbers to call from the back of the cards in case of loss. Not the toll free numbers because they won't work from Europe, but the local numbers in the US. Keep the list of numbers separate from the cards themselves.

In addition to calling your bank to tell them you will be using the credit card or debit card overseas, find out how much you can withdraw from your ATM in a day, and ask them to raise the amount if necessary.

BigRuss

If you have an ATM card, don't bother getting cash in the US. Even that pathetic excuse for an airport (CDG) has ATM machines.

I think the French hosts would be more touched by something local than wine -- the vin is a bit cliche and the French believe they make the best wine in the world.

You say you live in the DC area, does that mean Virginia or Maryland (or are you rich enough to stay out of the dumpy residential areas of the District)? There are good local foodstuffs (gourmet Virginia peanuts for one, and anyone who denigrates them hasn't really had them) and gift ideas that you can take to your hosts. That said, I'd skip transporting a bunch of Maryland blue crabs steamed in Old Bay -- bit tricky to make sure they keep during the flight ;-).

vye

I've got 2 different debit cards and informed the banks of my
intention of using them while traveling overseas. Thanks for the idea. I used to live right in the District, on Pennsylvania ave. to be exact, but it has gotten too crowded so
I've moved out to the suburb, and rent that place to a young family from Chicago.
btw, can one bring meat/meat products to London or Paris? we'll be in London 1 wk prior to coming to Paris.

RM67

Years ago, I remember seeing live lobsters for sale at Logan airport, and people boarding our (domestic) flight with the little critters in boxes with their claws tied.

Don't know if seafood can travel internationally, but I'd be willing to bet lobster would go down better than maple syrup or 'gourmet' (!) peanuts.

Nikki

I believe there is no problem bringing meat into London or Paris. It's a different story coming into the US, where you have to list everything you're bringing in on a customs form, and produce and meat are not allowed. They have little dogs at the airport in the US sniffing people's luggage for contraband Italian sausages and apples they forgot to eat on the plane.

RM67

What happens if you are found in possession of a foreign sausage?

Lawchick

I can't see a lobster getting in, dead or alive.

I'm glad so see the old "ziplock bag" refrain has subsided.

flanneruk

"can one bring meat/meat products to London or Paris? we'll be in London 1 wk prior to coming to Paris."

Where from?

You may not import meat products into the EU from outside Europe. The fact that there aren't thousands of useless officials bullying arriving passengers doesn't mean this rule isn't enforced. This IS the 21st century, and all baggage coming off intercontinental planes goes through remote-sensing equipment before being delivered to baggage carousels.

There is usually no restriction on importing meat into one EU country from another.

Lawchick

I smuggled in a big black pudding - an irish blood sausage into Miami once in my hand luggage. I was caught........this thing was huge. It was about a two feet long, tied in the round. The Customs, or agri, or food, tobacco, firearms and whatever guy who caught me with it said "Maaaam, that's one BIIIIG sausage" and told me to put it in my bad and get going PDQ.

I was so embarrassed by my big sausage I haven't smuggled anything since.

Nikki

Flanner, thank you, I stand corrected. I know I have seen people buying all sorts of things at European airports and taking them on the plane, so I assumed it was all right. Didn't realize it was not all right when coming from outside Europe, since there is no customs declaration form to fill out as there is coming into the US.

vye

Flanneruk, we're coming from the US. I know meat products are not allowed to be brought into the US, just didn't know if the EU has the same restriction. Thank you.

skibumette

If you're found in posession of food items (at least coming into the US) they are confiscated -- and supposedly destroyed. (Nothing happens to you unless the violation is flagrant.)

But I'm still suspicious that the fellow who confiscated my jamon Serrrano from Spain (after its import was approved, but just days before it went into effect) had a very nice lunch that day!

vye

A friend of mine brought back a box of pastries with sausage filling from overseas. (They cut one open to see what's inside)
The whole box was tossed in the trash bin. I often wonder who
empties those trash bins at the end of the day.

vye

We're leaving for London tomorrow. Thank you for all the advice.

vye

Hello from London. Our visit in London is coming to an end soon. It has been full of nerve-wracking, near side collisions
with lots of honking and prayers while we're in our rental Audi. StCirq, you were absolutely right, I haven't been around much! We need your advice as to take a taxi or metro or a rental car for our first day in Paris. We'll drop off our rental car at St Pancras to board the Eurostar to Paris. Once we arrive at Gare du Nord, which mode of transportation is best for 4 persons and 6 pieces of luggages to go to the Hilton Arc de Triomphe? We want to freshen/rest up a bit before going to the host residence by the end of the day.