Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [303]
Dental Clinics
For emergency dental care contact either of the following:
Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière (Map; 01 42 16 00 00; rue Bruant, 13e; Chevaleret) The only dental hospital with extended hours – from 6am to 10.30pm. After 5.30pm use the emergency entrance at 83 blvd de l’Hôpital, 13e (metro St-Marcel).
SOS Dentaire (Map; 01 43 37 51 00; 87 blvd de Port Royal, 13e; Port Royal) A private dental office that offers services when most dentists are off-duty (8pm to 11pm weekdays, 9.45am to 11pm weekends).
Pharmacies
Pharmacies with extended hours:
Pharmacie Bader (Map; 01 43 26 92 66; 12 blvd St-Michel, 5e; 9am-9pm; St-Michel)
Pharmacie de La Mairie (Map; 01 42 78 53 58; 9 rue des Archives, 4e; 9am-8pm; Hôtel de Ville)
Pharmacie des Champs (Map; 01 45 62 02 41; Galerie des Champs, 84 av des Champs-Élysées, 8e; 24hr; George V)
Pharmacie des Halles (Map; 01 42 72 03 23; 10 blvd de Sébastopol, 4e; 9am-midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-10pm Sun; Châtelet)
Pharmacie Européenne (Map; 01 48 74 65 18; 6 place de Clichy, 17e; 24hr; Place de Clichy)
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MONEY
France is among the 15 member-states of the EU (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) that have adopted the euro (abbreviated € and pronounced eu-roh in French) as its national currency. One euro is divided into 100 cents (centimes in French). There are seven euro notes in different colours and sizes; they come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. The designs on the recto (generic windows or portals) and verso (imaginary bridges, map of the EU) are exactly the same in all 15 countries and symbolise openness and cooperation.
The eight coins in circulation are in denominations of €1 and €2, then one, two, five, 10, 20 and 50 cents. The ‘head’ side of the coin, on which the denomination is shown, is identical throughout the euro zone; the ‘tail’ side is specific to each member-state, though euro coins can be used anywhere that accepts euros, of course. In France the €1 (silver centre with brassy ring) and €2 (brassy centre with silver ring) coins portray the tree of liberty; the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins (all brass) have la Semeuse (the Sower), a recurring theme in the history of the French franc; and the one, two and five cent coins (all copper) portray Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.
Exchange rates are given in the Quick Reference section on the inside front cover of this book. The latest rates are available on websites such as www.oanda.com and www.xe.com. For a broader view of the local economy and costs in Paris, Click here.
ATMs
You’ll find an ATM, which here is known as as a DAB (distributeur automatique de billets) or point d’argent, linked to the Cirrus, Maestro, Visa or MasterCard networks, virtually on every corner. Those without a local bank account should know that there is usually a transaction surcharge of around €3 for cash withdrawals. You should contact your bank to find out how much this is before using ATMs too freely.
Changing Money
In general, cash is not a very good way to carry money. Not only can it be stolen, but in France it doesn’t usually offer the best exchange rates. What’s more, in recent years ATMs and the euro have virtually wiped out bureaux de change and even centrally located banks rarely offer exchange services these days.
That said, some banks, post offices and bureaux de change pay up to 2.5% or more for travellers cheques, more than making up for the 1% commission usually charged when buying the cheques in the first place.
Post offices that have a Banque Postale can offer the best exchange rates, and they accept banknotes (commission €4.50) in various currencies as well as travellers cheques issued by Amex (no commission) or Visa (1.5%, minimum €4.50).
Commercial banks usually charge a similar amount per foreign-currency transaction. For example BNP Paribas charges €5.95 for cash