It’s been a while since I’ve posted Paris Travel Tips but there’s two new ones I need to share.
- Taking Money from ATM Machines I I The best way to exchange USD to euros, is to use ATM machines, which give you the best exchange rates. However, the French banks are pulling a bit of a scam, which I have warned my tour clients about when they went to retrieve money from an ATM. After you insert your ATM card and punch in the amount you want, they ask you if you accept their Conversion Rate, which is always higher than the real exchange rate. The other day, I went to the BNP Paribas machine by my house, and used my US bank card. I asked for 120€ and it asked on the screen if I accept their conversion rate plus a “markup” (whatever the hell that is) of 5.60€, a total of $127.50. I declined the conversion, and my bank gave me a rate of $121, a savings of $6.50. Imagine how that would add up if you took out 500€. To summarize, ALWAYS decline the bank’s conversion rate.
- Take Taxis Instead of Ubers
Many of my clients and myself have become frustrated with Uber. They tend to cancel rides more than once after already waiting 7 to 15 minutes. Also, there are special taxi and bus lanes that easily bypass the traffic from the regular car lanes, plus only taxis and buses are allowed on rue de Rivoli, the main artery of the Right Bank. Ubers are not allowed to use the taxi/bus lanes, therefore your ride can take much longer. The best thing to do is to download the G-7 taxi app, which works the same way as Uber. You just type in the address you are going to, and a few seconds later you ride is confirmed with the price and how long it will take. If you don’t want to download the G-7 app, and want to hail a taxi on the street, just look for the green or white light on top, which means the taxi is available. You don’t have to go to a taxi stand to get a taxi, you can just flag them down the on street.
