exchanging money at CDG

We%26#39;ll be arriving at 7:35 AM in CDG and I was wondering if the exchange stalls will be open yet? And, for you more seasoned travellers, is the exchange rate in the airports better than what I can get here in the states?

Will need to exchange approximately $1600 into euros. Should I just do it before leaving for Paris?

Thank you.

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It has been my experience that airport kiosks charge much more than your bank at home will. I would get the cash before I go, or get it in an ATM while there

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In my experience, doing either is going to cost you money you should not have to spend. Find out what your bank charges for foreign withdrawals, but I%26#39;m betting it%26#39;s considerably less than what you will lose if you buy euros (here or there). For at least the past ten years I%26#39;ve only used ATMs in France.

Just be sure you contact your bank before you leave so they know to expect withdrawals from there (also find out what their daily limits are adn tet them raised if necessary). Also be sure your PIN will work (can%26#39;t exceed 4 digits). The nice thing about this approach is that you don%26#39;t have to carry large amounts of cash (just get more as you need it) and if your ATM card is branded with Mastercard or Visa you can use in stores like a credit card just as you would here.

My experience, in terms of exchange rates, is that hotels are the very worst but airports are a close second.

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You won%26#39;t get an especialyy good rate of exchange at any airport Bureau de Change---in the US or Paris (there are Bureau de Change out on the main public concourses of all CDG arrival terminal buildings that will be open for business by the time you clear airport arrival formalities and collect your baggage).

One assume that you have some good reason for carrying that much cash on your person (a final apartment rental payment??). If you must, then it will probably be best for you to %26#39;..shop..%26#39; NET exchange rates (including all fees, chatrges %26amp; commissions) at several sources---your larger local banks, on-line currency exchange services like OANDA.com, AMEX, etc.

But unless you have some specific reason for needing that large a sum, all at one time...then your best bet for currency exchange will be to use the conventional ATM network to make cash withdrawals as necesary.

As noted, there are easy to identify and find ATM%26#39;s at CDG arrival terminals...but there may be one possible / potential inconvenience that you MAY have to deal with. Most US electronic banking networks will shut down for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more sometime between 2-to-4 AM EST / EDT. Since Paris is six(6) hours ahead this will mean that the US network may be unavailable during this period of time---which will be between 8-to-10 AM Paris time. When this happens, a Paris ATM may simply refuse your transaction, without providing and reason. If it does happen...don%26#39;t panic....simply wait 10-20 minutes and try your transaction again and it will most likely be processed as usual. One other caution to bear in mind is that the security protocols for electronic banking transactions have tightened up over the past several years and so if a particular machine %26#39;..refuses..%26#39; a transaction, don%26#39;t try to %26#39;..force..%26#39; the issue by repeatedly trying to use the same machine. In many cases, the security protocols will cause the ATM to %26#39;..eat..%26#39; your card...requiring you to find the bank whose ATM has eaten your card, to get it back....and you really don%26#39;t want to spend a day traipsing around Paris from office to office trying to get it back.

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Thank you for the replies.

I had indeed neglected to mention that I need the $1600 in euros for an apartment rental. The owner has requested this amount paid in full upon arrival. For the rest of our stay I am planning on using a credit card as much as possible coupled with the ATM.

Since I am leaving for Paris next Tuesday, I am assuming that an airport kiosk or home bank would be the most expeditious and am trying to determine which will have a more favorable rate.

Am I to understand that there are online currency exchange options available to travelers like myself? Even if this would not be an option for this trip, may be good for future ones.

Thank you again for any more advice.

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Even considering that you need that much, consider using ATMs when you get there. The last time I checked, I had a $1500 daily withdrawal limit on my card, and I%26#39;m sure that the bank would increase that if I asked. If they%26#39;ll let you withdraw that much, it%26#39;s bound to save you some money.

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Robert, I think that%26#39;s a much higher daily limit than most banks would have.

kle, see whether your bank has a branch in Paris and whether you can go there to get a large sum (many banks are there, because it%26#39;s the capital of the country). Alternatively, if you have multiple checking accounts with ATM access, it might help. Keep in mind that your daily limit will be calculated based on clocks in the US, so what you think of as two different days might not seem like that to the computer that controls your money.

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hello everyone-

I just called bank of america to let them know that we will be travelling in France and was told that we have a daily maximum withdrawal of $1000 USD per card holder. This solves our cash problem for the apartment payment. Just thought this information may be useful for others...

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I am a little confused on the exchange fees... So... why is it less expensive to use an ATM once I get to Paris? Could someone tell me. I always go to my main branch here and get the cash. What am I paying for here... and why is that process and charge different with an ATM. Any advice and information would be greatly appreciated. I have an apartment rental to pay when we arrive as well. Also... is any ATM going to give me the best rate? Am I correct in assuming that I can use any?

Thanks again.

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Not sure about how the international monetary policy and trade works, but yes, ATMs have better rates than exchanging money at home banks, kiosks, or foreign banks. Also, definitely check with your bank about using their foreign partner bank ATMs that won%26#39;t charge an ATM fee. In the case of bank of america, I can use BNP Paribas or Barclays without a fee.

So, when possible use the ATM abroad for cash. Similarly, I usually try to charge purchases since credit cards also have better rates.

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Hi kle -

I always increase my ATM daily limit to the equivalent of 1,500 Euros on each of my cards. Your daily limit is really something to be agreed upon with your bank. When I have used an ATM with a smaller withdrawal limit, I%26#39;ve just made more than one withdrawal You%26#39;ll always be a lot better off withdrawing from an ATM even with a substantial withdrawal charge because the exchange rate will be considerably more beneficial.

Bon voyage.