Travellers to Paris warned of poor exchange rates at airport currency exchanges

Tourists touching down or leaving from Paris’ major airports are being warned about poor exchange rates at nearby bureaux de change.

French national TV news channel France 2 highlighted the practice after reporters were contacted by travellers.

Using hidden cameras reporters exchanged €43 for just ¥5,000 (Japanese yen) at the airport, when at the official exchange rate they should have received ¥8,000.

And the difference was even more flagrant when they tried to exchange euros for Moroccan Dirhams.

There the official rate on the day was 427 dirhams for €40, but the exchange rate at the airport was 220 dirhams for €40.

When the reporters tried bureaux de change in Paris (there are many in the first and second arrondissements) the rates given were nearly double those found at the airports.

The bureaux are not regulated in France and so can charge what they like.

Euro has struggled this year

Exchange rates against the euro have been variable this year.

In mid-July, the euro was down 2.9% against the US Dollar. The US currency was trading at $1.13 to the euro although this picked up to $1.15 in August.

In January it was trading at $1.19.

The biggest falls for the euro this year were against the Brazilian Real, dropping by 11.8% in July, and the Israeli Shekel, with a fall of 11%. The currency also fell against the Chinese Renminbi by 8%.

Other popular tourist destinations for French people, including Mexico, Norway and South Africa also saw the euro fall, with trips to these destinations becoming more expensive. 

How visitors can get best rates when on holiday

Despite the potential pitfalls, there are a number of ways to avoid poor exchange rates.

Firstly, you can use your bank card at your destination to withdraw cash from an ATM.

However, be sure to check first with your bank on card use fees. 

Some banks, including French brick and mortar ones, have advantages that allow account holders to avoid bank fees when using cards abroad or taking a certain amount of money from non-French ATMs per month (although local conversion and ATM fees still apply).

One example is LCL’s ‘City Explorer’, which has a flat €2 monthly fee.

If you have an account with a currency exchanger such as Wise, you can exchange money from your typical currency into the one used in the country you are travelling to. 

You can then use the funds directly on your bank card there (provided card payments are accepted), avoiding conversion fees.

An alternative is to take your local currency (Euros if living in France, GBP if in the UK, etc) and exchange them at a reputable bank or bureaux de change once you reach your destination. Typically, avoid bureaux de change in airports, train stations, etc.

In rural areas of France you can usually arrange to exchange currency at your own bank before a holiday, although check the rates and if any bank charges apply.

For example, Crédit Agricole Charente-Périgord charges a fixed rate of €7.65 to buy foreign notes, and €7.65 to sell foreign notes, with a surcharge of €3.10 if the sums to sell are below €100.

In addition a commission from the third party used by the bank is charged, but this is usually not too far from the official rates.

As bank agencies in France now have very little cash on hand, it might take a week or so to make arrangements.

You also have to be on your guard, especially when using agencies which do not see many foreign currency operations.

This reporter once had to gently remind a work-experience cashier that US dollars and Canadian dollars had significantly different exchange rates.

What is your experience with using bureaux de change in France? Do you have any other tips for readers? Share them with us via feedback@connexionfrance.com