Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [304]
In Paris, bureaux de change are usually faster and easier, open longer hours and give better rates than most banks. It’s best to familiarise yourself with the rates offered by the post office and compare them with those on offer at bureaux de change, which are not generally allowed to charge commissions. Bureaux de change charge anything between 6% and 13% plus €3 or €4 on cash transactions and 6% to just under 10% (plus €3) to change travellers cheques.
Among some of the better bureaux de change:
American Express Bureau de Change (Map; 01 47 77 79 50; 11 rue Scribe, 9e; 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat; Auber or Opéra)
Best Change (Map; 01 42 21 46 05; 21 rue du Roule, 1er; 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat; Louvre Rivoli) Three blocks southwest of Forum des Halles.
CCO (Map; 01 42 66 24 44; 12 blvd de Capucines, 9e; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4pm Sat; Opéra); Opéra branch (Map; 01 47 42 20 96; 9 rue Scribe, 9e; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4pm Sat; Opéra) European Exchange Office (Map; 01 42 52 67 19; 6 rue Yvonne Le Tac, 18e; 10am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Sat; Abbesses) A few steps from the Abbesses metro station.
Le Change du Louvre (Map; 01 42 97 27 28; 151 rue St-Honoré, 1er; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri; Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre) This moneychanger is on the northern side of Le Louvre des Antiquaires.
Multi Change (Map; 01 42 22 45 00; 180 blvd St-Germain, 6e; 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat; St-Germain des Prés) Just west of Église St-Germain des Prés.
Société Touristique de Services (Map; 01 43 54 76 55; 2 place St-Michel, 6e; 9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat; St-Michel) A bureau de change in the heart of the Latin Quarter.
Credit Cards
In Paris, Visa/Carte Bleue is the most widely accepted credit card, followed by MasterCard (Eurocard). Amex cards can be useful at more upmarket establishments. In general, all three cards can be used for train travel, restaurant meals and cash advances.
When you get a cash advance on your Visa or MasterCard account, your issuer charges a transaction fee, which can be high; check with your card issuer before leaving home. Some banks charge a commission of 4% (minimum around €6) for a cash advance though BNP Parisbas does it for free (though the card-holder’s issuing bank will probably do so) to a maximum of €1000. American Express takes a 5% commission on cash advances on Visa cards.
Call the following numbers if your card is lost or stolen. It may be impossible to get a lost Visa or MasterCard reissued until you get home so two different credit cards are generally safer than just one.
Amex ( 01 47 77 72 00, 01 71 23 08 38)
Diners Club ( 0 820 82 05 36, 0 800 22 20 73)
MasterCard/Eurocard ( 0 800 90 13 87, 01 45 67 84 84)
Visa/Carte Bleue ( 0 892 70 57 05, 0 800 90 20 33)
Travellers Cheques
The most flexible travellers cheques are issued by American Express (in US dollars or euros) and Visa, as they can be changed at many post offices.
Amex offices charges a commission on all travellers cheques of about 4% (minimum €2). If your Amex travellers cheques are lost or stolen while you are in Paris, call 0 800 83 28 20 (24-hour, toll-free). Reimbursements can be made at the main American Express office (Map; 01 47 77 79 50; www.americanexpress.fr, in French; 11 rue Scribe, 9e; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat; Auber or Opéra).
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NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
Among English-language newspapers widely available in Paris are the International Herald Tribune (€2.50), which is edited in Paris and has very good coverage of both French and international news; the Guardian and the more compact Guardian Weekly; the Financial Times; the Times of London; and the colourful (if lightweight) USA Today. English-language news weeklies that are widely available include Newsweek, Time and the Economist. For information about the French-language press, Click here.
The Paris-based Fusac (France USA Contacts), a