Paris: 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

  small bottle of beer

  € 2.00

  metro single trip ticket

  € 1.40

  Paris museum and monument pass

  € 18.00 (1 day)

  small bottle of water

  € 0.90

  adult football ticket

  € 15.00

  movie ticket

  € 9.00

  adult entry to the Louvre

  € 8.50

  cup of coffee

  € 1.00

  average seat at the Opéra Bastille

  € 40.00

  takeaway croissant

  € 1.00

  pop music CD

  € 15.00

  Average Room Prices
  Low	Mid	High
  €0-69.99	€70-159.99	€160+
  Average Meal Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €5-20	€20-30	€30-50	€50+

• Tipping

  French law requires that restaurant, cafe and hotel bills include a service charge (usually 12% to 15%); however, many Parisians leave a few coins on the table in a restaurant, unless the service was particularly bad. They rarely tip in cafes and bars when they've just had a coffee or a drink. In taxis, the usual tipping procedure is to simply round up to the nearest €0.50 or €1.00 no matter what the fare.

Back to top ^