the obvious....

I%26#39;ve never traveled abroad, so excuse me if this is obvious to most of you.

AC/DC i know they have a different electric currency, what do i need and where do i get it so i can use my electric appliances such as curling iron, computer etc.?

Cellphones, i don%26#39;t have an int%26#39;l calling plan, so to check on the kids back home do i use the hotel phone, or calling card?

and lastly, CASH, do i convert my USD to Euros before i leave the US if not where do i do that?

again apologies for the %26quot;obvious%26quot;

damn, when is my guide books going to come? - LOL

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ljasw, these aren%26#39;t silly questions at all. I can%26#39;t help you with the first two issues, but the cash situation is easy. Convert about $200USD into euros before you go, just to get you into the city and through the first day or two. Go to your regular bank at least a couple of weeks prior to departure date to do this, just for the peace of mind that it%26#39;s done. They will notify you to come pick up the money in a few days.

Put the rest of your spending money into your checking account, THAT YOU HAVE AN ATM (DEBIT) CARD FOR. ATM%26#39;s are on virtually every street corner in Paris. Withdraw a few hundred euros every few days, as you need them. That way, you%26#39;re never walking around with scads of cash. You will have the option to choose English at all ATMs, so don%26#39;t worry about that. Make sure your PIN is only four digits in length. European ATMs only recognize four digit PIN numbers.

I put large purchase of say 75 euros or more on my regular Visa charge card just so I don%26#39;t deplete my spending cash.

Make sure to save all your ATM and debit card receipts, so you can figure out how much you%26#39;ve spent when you get home, in case it matters to you.

This is what I do. Others will come along with different personal policies. Do whatever works for you. Just don%26#39;t walk around with more than a few hundred euros. Bad personal policy :)

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thanks happy. good advice.

i forgot this is the age of technology and didn%26#39;t realize how easy it is to travel abroad with ATM%26#39;s etc. We typically are credit card purchasers, but i wasn%26#39;t sure if they except american credit cards. I was also concerned about getting from the airport to the hotel and just having some euro on me upon arrival, so your advice is perfect. thanks again

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If you go hunting through the forums for %26quot;adapter%26quot; and %26quot;calling card%26quot; and %26quot;ATM%26quot; you%26#39;ll get a lot more detailed answers to your common questions...

Adapter/converter -- if the item just has a plug (e.g., curling iron, alarm clock) then you need to use a CONVERTER rather than merely an adapter to make the plug fit into the wall. If there%26#39;s a little box midway down the power cable (e.g., laptop, iPod) then you should read the FINE print to see whether it accepts voltage up to 240. If so then you only need to use the adapter and can skip the converting part.

Calling cards are the way to go. Trust me -- I called directly from the hotel a couple years ago and it killed my bill...

Best answer for cash is to hit the ATM once you%26#39;re there. If you want a few euros when you land, go to the bank if yours offers foreign currency.

Best of luck!

J

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thanks normalguy,

where can i purchase the converter? do some hotels offer them upon request?

as for the calling card, where can i purchase that for int%26#39;l calling? here or there?

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Here is a link to purchase a converter. Like the previous poster said. Make sure you get one for heating items. You will also need a couple of adaptors. Some outlets are quite deep so make sure you get an adaptor that will bring you out flush with the wall so you can plug in your converter.

For what ever reason, Europe tends to favor Visa over Master Card.

We use our cell phones but only certain carriers work overseas. (T Mobile, AT%26amp;T and I can%26#39;t remember if it is Verizon or Cingular, but someone else on this forum will know). Just make sure your cell phone provider enables you for international calls.

magellans.com/store/…

Paris uses 2 round prongs. magellans.com/store/…

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You can buy converters at any travel store - Samsonite, etc. You can also get them at Target and Walmart in their travel sections. Pretty easy to find. Just make sure you buy adapters for France. There should be some directions on the packages to help with this. Just beware that not all overseas countries have the same type of plug. England is very different from France. Take an extra fuse or two just in case you blow one!

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You%26#39;ll find an ATM in the airport where you arrive, so you don%26#39;t need to fool with currency before you leave.

Converters can be purchased at any Radio Shack or over the internet. They come with different plugs for the different countries.

You can search this forum for many discussions about cell phones. In brief, the Mobal phone is a good solution if the minutes will be minimal and you just want an emergency cell phone contact. The per minute charge is high--$1.25--but you%26#39;re only charged when you use it. If minutes will be high, then a prepaid phone bought in France may be right for you. You%26#39;ll have a local (France) phone number and get better international rates and free incoming calls. A calling card is also a good solution.

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If you or a friend belong to AAA they have packets of 100euro available.

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Rather than buying power convertors/transformers, which are rather heavy, make sure your personal appliances are %26quot;dual voltage%26quot; (something like 110-240v). Then just get a couple of the adaptor plugs that have 2 round prongs.

The computer, unless it%26#39;s 10 years old or something, will be dual-voltage already. Look on the %26#39;brick%26#39; on the charging cord for the voltage. So again, you will only need the adaptor plug (plus the usual computer peripherals). I recommend buying a security lock cable for the laptop, so you can lash it onto a window frame or other immovable object so the computer doesn%26#39;t take a walk on you. It won%26#39;t fit into any room safes.

Calling cards from a public phone are cheapest - I think you can usually use them from a hotel phone, too, but I haven%26#39;t done so in several years. You can also keep in touch via email from your laptop. If you really really want a cell phone, you can buy one for $49 from Mobal.com, then pay about $1.50/minute for fast (short!) phone calls.

The above info on getting a small amount of euro for your %26#39;comfort%26#39; and the rest from an ATM account is the best. You can use American credit cards (primarily Visa or M/C, less so AmEx) for hotels, dinners, other larger expenses. These cards won%26#39;t work in most automated machines but you don%26#39;t come across that too often.

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When I was searching for an adaptor to use in Paris I found them in places like Target but many times you had to buy 3 different adaptors (good in different places in the world) to get the one you wanted. I finally went to a travel store where I could buy only the adaptor I needed for France and it was only a few dollars.

It is important to get some euros before you get to Paris. I have read on a number of occasions that the ATM machine at the airport was not working. How many of you are there? If you are traveling alone, 100E is sufficient to bring with you. If there are several of you, you might want enough for your public transportation to your hotel/apartment and for your first meal before you hunt down an ATM. You can get euros from AAA. It takes about 3 days. Not all banks have them or will get them. Try AAA.

Get a costco calling card. The international card is best. I think for about $25 you get 700 minutes or something like that.

Visa and Mastercard are the most accepted credit cards in Paris. Visa is slightly better. Bring 2 credit cards--just in case something happens or one doesn%26#39;t work for some reason. Call both credit card companies ahead of leaving to let them know how long you will be gone and where you are going--otherwise they might not honor the charges, thinking your card might be stolen. Also ask the credit card companies what telephone number you should call if you have trouble with your card while you are in France. The number on the back of the card is the number to call while you are in the USA, not abroad. They will give you the number and be sure to take it with you.

Tell your bank/credit union that you will be using your ATM card in France/Europe and when you will be gone for the same reason as above. As them what your limit is for withdrawals and perhaps get them to increase that just for the length of your trip. Be sure to realize that your withdrawal limit is in dollars and when you are in Paris you will be withdrawing euros so you have to do the conversion in your head (e.g., if you can withdraw $300 per day, that would be about 145 euros.)