Whether you are traveling in France for a week, a month or a year, one thing that needn’t concern you is having access to your money when you need it most. Gone are the days of needing to use Traveler’s Cheques, which were all but guaranteed two things: acceptance anywhere in the world and getting lost and/or stolen.
Once arriving in France, whether by ferry, train, plane or car, it is recommended you exchange some of your currency to Euros. Indeed if you already live in or have just traveled from one of the countries that is already a member of the European Union, this won’t be an issue for you. If, however you have just arrived into France from the US or a non-participating country, do indeed exchange some of your currency into Euros.
Although most businesses accept all major credit and debit cards, it is just prudent to have a little cash on hand for gratuities, taxis, if you plan to visit a flea market or have a quick café au lait in between shopping and site seeing.
Throughout the beautiful country of France, there are eight major banks from which to choose. Most allow for currency exchange and if needed, myriad other services, such as bank transfers, ATMs, or if appropriate, to open up an account, depending upon your length of stay.
Should your travels take you to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, the tranquility of the Provence-Côte d'Azur region, skiing in the French Alps, to sample beer in Alsace or any other area that strikes your fancy, locating a bank should be the least of your concerns.
These banks are:
• Crédit Agricole (CA)
• BNP Paribas
• Société Générale
• Caisse d‘Epargne (CE)
• Banque Populaire (BP)
• Crédit Mutuel
• La Banque Postale
• LCL
