Traveling to France! Need guidance!?

Question

Okay where is the best place to exchange money? And are visa and mastercard accepted over there? (this is my first time travelling to another country, so I am a bit naive to it all)

Answer 1

Get some cash via Travelex on line ahead of time (euros) so you don't need to do it immediately on arrival.  Visa, MC credit and debit cards are accepted everywhere.  With a four digit pin, you can draw out cash in ATMS, which is the cheapest and easiest way to get cash, although your bank will charge a fee and a percentage on the exchange rate.

Traveler's checks are almost obsolete.

Answer 2

It's probably easiest to get Euros at the airport, either before you leave or as soon as you get there, so that if there's any confusion you will be dealing with someone who knows English (definitely in the US, and most likely at the airport in France).

Visa and Mastercard should be accepted, but make sure to call the number on the back of your card to verify before you leave.  Usually, you need to tell your credit card company what country you will be in and what dates, because if they didn't know ahead of time they may block your credit card use due to suspicious international spending thinking it was stolen or something

Answer 3

Yes, Visa and Mastercard ARE accepted, pretty universally, all over Western Europe.  Small towns and small shops MIGHT be an exception.  And, yes, you will get the best exchange rates through them.  You should definitely bring them, and expect to use them, and call first, to find out which one(s) have the lowest exchange FEE. should be 1 - 3%.

For cash, bring your ATM or debit card.  These also charge a fee, and check with your bank to be sure that you know how much they charge for simply using ATMs that are out of your bank's network...they are, just like in the US, marked with Plus and Cirrus, etc., and you can only use one that matches your card, but they are pretty available, too.  Again, in small towns, you might have trouble finding them, if you're going to some little town, make sure you have enough cash for the day.

You MUST have a four digit PIN, and don't use the credit cards for getting cash, because they charge you extra.

Bring enough Euros with you (get them at YOUR bank) for cab fare, and a snack or meal, maybe enough for a full day, until you figure out where the machines are, so you can relax about getting to them.

Yeah.  Same basic banking all over the world, now.