What time are money exchanges %26amp; banks open at CDG? I arrive early in the morning and i%26#39;m wondering if i%26#39;m out of luck.
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The ATMs are 24/7 and the best way to transfer money.
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Currency exchanges/banks are wonderful if you enjoy paying exorbitant commissions for miserly exchange rates.
Find an ATM (but make sure you tell your bank before you leave that you are going to Paris and give them the dates. Security freezes on your ATM are no fun to deal with.)
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Definitely agree with the other posts. You get a MUCH better rate using an ATM. I am using Bank of America and there is no transaction fees for using their partner BNP.
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..just my usual warning...I have at times encountered machines which dont work. When I am brain dead, I want to have cash in hand so I can grab a cab ect. Although plastic usually works, sometimes cash is necessary. I always have about 100-200$ worth of euros and pounds with me before I start a trip. In addition when I go to Paris I always have 10 euro worth of coin in case my card is rejected at the RER machines (mine seem s to work about 1/2 times..not sure why). I have been caught with cash in hand so this works for me. Admittedly I probably end up in France about 3-4 times a year and in the UK at least as often so I just withdraw from a working ATM before I leave Europe. Otherwise I would urge you to have around 100 euros cash to start...I dont care that you may loose 10 percent in exchage on that small amount if done at the airport before departure..it is worth it IMO.
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With all due respect Vintagebabe, there really is no need to pay exorbitant fees to obtain a few euros just in case you%26#39;re too fatigued successfully withdraw funds from an ATM machine upon your CDG arrival. With fixed delivery fees imposed by many banks, most people will pay a great deal more than 10% just to obtain a few euros.
Some of the taxis are able to accept credit cards as are some of the shuttles. All of the RER service windows will accept credit cards so there are a good number of backup options should for some reason all of the ATM machines at CDG in out of service.
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yes, but have you stood in the RER line? It takes me 2 minutes at the machine. I beg to differ re %26quot;cost%26quot;..my time is valuable and so is convenience. Suppose I change 200 dollars for euros and I loose $20..I really dont care..I wont be stuck!! and I have been. Between my work and my far flung family I am out of the country about once a month so for me keeping a %26quot;stash%26quot; works but admittedly I just usually remember to use the cash machine before I leave Paris or where ever.
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Everyone has to make their own decision -- and none of them are more right than anyone else%26#39;s.
I think of that $20 as a couple of glasses of wine in a lovely cafe...darned if I want to give it to the bank for the privilege of accessing my own money!
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Hi -
Also with respect to vintagebabe - I%26#39;ve been using ATMs in airports all over the world - well on 6 continents, anyway - for just about 20 years, and I have never been unable to obtain money, not even once. The only problem I have ever had was once having to wait while a machine was being refilled. That was a terrible experience. I had to wait all of 5 minutes!
I%26#39;ve never had my card swallowed or refused, nor have I been defrauded through the use of an illegal card reader. I saw a reader once and informed the local police. Their Fraud Squad was there to remove it in about 2 minutes. The Bank manager arrived about 2 minutes after that. The reader was pretty obvious to me, but other folks don%26#39;t seem to notice them. I can%26#39;t imagine why.
I travel to Europe twice in most years and to Asia once every year or two. South America is a destination every couple of years, also, and I%26#39;ve been to Australia, New Zealand, and a couple of African countries, as well.
I never take foreign currency with me on a trip unless I have it left over from a previous one. I use one of the ATMs (you notice that%26#39;s plural) in the airport when I arrive in country. Even in Africa I found more than one ATM in the arrivals section as well as a couple in the departures lounge.
I do the numbers every year, and even if I had to pay a 3% fee for using the ATM, I%26#39;d still be ahead of the banks and cambios (foreign exchange services) by 2% or 3% because the exchange rate from the ATM is so superior.
BTW, the European banks do not charge for the use of their machines, so any fees charged against your account has been levied by your own bank.
Before I travel I increase my daily transaction limit to about the equivalent of €1,500, unless I need a larger amount of cash for some specific thing. The limit on the ATMs isn%26#39;t important because you can - and I have done - make repeated withdrawals, with the same card, from the same ATM until you reach your required amount. Don%26#39;t forget that you have withdrawn Euros when you look at your bank statement. It will show your withdrawals in the US dollar equivalent. Also - if your bank limits the number of ATM transactions, make them change it.
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I%26#39;m sorry, I forgot to say -
I don%26#39;t pay any fees for ATM use with any of my banks. I live in the US and in Canada, and I have banks in both places. Any of my banks that doesn%26#39;t automatically allow free ATM use, does so with a reasonable minimum balance. I don%26#39;t pay $20, or any other amount, to anyone for access to my own money, at any time, in any city, on any continent - and I get an exchange rate that is about 1% different from the one your bank gets - not gives -- gets.
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I agree with all the ATM postings. However, if you want to be sure you have a few euros in your pocket you can exchange a few dollars at the international airport you are departing from. I know it will cost a fee but it may be worth it for some peace of mind when you land in Paris.
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