France: Money & Costs

• Currency

  Name

  Euro

  Symbol

  €

  Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.

  One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.

• Changing Your Money

  The cheapest and most convenient way to change money in France is via ATMs (known as DABs in French); they accept all the major international credit and bank cards. You get the best exchange rate by using a credit card for purchases and a debit card for cash. Travellers cheques are safe and almost universally accepted, especially in larger towns and tourist centres; they also offer better exchange rates than cash. Post offices that exchange travellers cheques give a good rate. Major train stations and fancy hotels also have exchange facilities which usually operate in the evening, at the weekend and during holidays, but the rates are generally poor.

• Money Tips

  The land of the €5.00 café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around €50.00 per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of €90.00 is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping €200.00 and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.

• Sample Price Guide

  litre of petrol

  € 1.30

  small bottle of water

  € 0.50

  petit café/café au lait

  € 0.90/2.50

  filled baguette

  € 4.50

  ten-minute taxi ride

  € 10.00

  bottle of cheap wine

  € 4.00

  develop 36 exposure film

  € 18.00

  rental of small canal boat per week

  € 1200

  hostel bed in Paris with breakfast

  € 18.00

  Average Room Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €15-50	€50-100	€100-150	€150+
  Average Meal Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €4-15	€15-25	€25-35	€35+

• Tipping

  Leaving a pourboire (tip) is done at your discretion - restaurants and accommodations add a 10-15% service charge to every bill, making a tip unneccesary, but most people leave a few coins if the service is satisfactory.

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