Changing money at the Airport

First, 95% of where you go will take your credit card. Second, if you do need cash in a pinch the EuroNet and other private ATM cost more, but a $5 fee against a $9000 holiday to save a lot of walking around looking for a bank can at times be worth it. Just dont make it a habit.

You have received good advice. That bank ATM should be one from LCL, BNP, la Poste, or maybe CCR (which has replaced HSBC).

A credit card will work for the RER and Metro based on this link (scroll down to "tickets"). Some machines won't accept cash. So you can wait till you get into the city to find a lower-cost bank-based ATM for any big cash draw you might need with a debit card. That said, credit cards work so well that you may need little cash in Paris.

If you ask for a specific Metro station, your RER ticket will cover both fares. And both systems accept credit cards. Go to a bank near your hotel to withdraw euros on your debit card. Remember that exchange rates do not vary much between outlets and, as Rick says, you can do most stuff on plastic. Service fees for foreign exchange are mostly imposed by the bank issuing your card.

OK, this is me getting hung up on semantics, but when it comes to money, misunderstandings can cost.

The OP asked about buying Euros. Which is what you would do at an exchange bureau and usually comes with a lousy exchange rate, added fees, or both. Something to be avoided if possible.

They also asked about exchanging money at a bank. Which would mean changing US cash for Euros. But European banks will not deal with anyone who is not an account holder.

What OP needs to do is withdraw cash from a local bank ATM (bancomat) from their chequing account, using their debit card. Just as they would at home. The only difference being that the cash is dispensed as Euros, and the transaction may have a transaction fee as well.

We might be the only ludites here, but we prefer to have some cash in hand upon arrival. We don't have to find an ATM, wait to use it, and hope it works (they do malfunciton at times). And doing so while tired, sleepy, jet lagged, and on somewhat unfamilar ground. It will cost a little more to get some Euros in the U.S. before departing, but it's a small price to pay for the convienence. And the small extra price is nothing compared to the overall cost of the trip. Regardless, make sure to contact your credit card / debit card issuers and banks to see if a travel advisory needs to be put on the accounts. Some do, some don't, and some change every now and again.

Many people don't agree, and prefer to get euros upon arrival. I have no quarrel with them -- to each his own.

Just food for thought.

We were just there in April What everyone has said so far is accurate and there's almost no need for cash. But if you go to the ATM in Paris (using your debit card) for a nominal fee, I suggest you go to a bank with the ATM machine inside the bank. Not outside. We did have friends a few years ago, who had their cash grabbed very quickly from the machine by a thief. It's most likely not going to happen, but just be aware of your surroundings.

We always felt safe and Paris never looked better! So, not trying to scare anyone off. Just saying always pay attention.

I have never flown into Paris before. When my wife and I used to go to Paris every year, we would arrive on the EuroStar and get some Euros from an ATM at the Gare du Nord. I will be arriving in Paris this coming Wednesday, and had planned to get a couple hundred Euros at an airport ATM.....which is what I would do when arriving in London and getting some Pounds. I asked at my bank here about buying Euros from them, and they advised that they have a $20 charge plus giving me an exchange rate of $1.189 per Euro, which is well above the current exchange rate of $1.10. I'm sure that the airport ATM will be more costly than going to a bank downtown, but it will still be cheaper than buying Euros from my bank here.

Short answer. You don't 'exchange money'. You use your debit card to withdraw it from a bank ATM (banks will not deal with you personally or exchange money for you). Your debit card may require that you use certain bank partners' ATMs to avoid fees.
The machine will ask you about a conversion rate; do not agree to this -- this is a grift, just deny any conversion to dollars and proceed. The exchange will be done at the international rate plus the small built in fee -- if you accept the conversion it will add another step and cost unnecessary money. (stores may do the same on credit charges; never agree to buy in dollars, always select Euros on the credit transaction.

Most purchases can be done with phone credit touch feature or credit card, but you will want some walking around cash which you can easily get from ATMS. Choose small banknotes if you can.

You can buy any transport product you need with your credit card or touch card with phone.

A money exchange is not an exchange, it is a totally avoidable purchase of a foreign currency. Even back in the dinosaur days before international banking it was not an “exchange” but a purchase where the buyer was at the will of the market. Thankfully those days are gone.

I cleaned out a few posts to keep this discussion on topic. Consider this a reminder that it becomes very hard to fulfill guideline #1 (stay on topic) when guideline #2 (be polite) is ignored. Thanks to everyone for their travel advice!

Also, in case it helps clarify a few things for the OP with regard to Rick's advice, here's his article about ATMs in Europe:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-machine-atm-tips

I would much rather have the Euro cash on me when I land in Paris, ie in a few days. Rather than having to look for an ATM at CDG, my cash is already in my pocket. (the hidden pocket) as well as the regular pocket.

Bring the cash. My hotel offers me a discount when paying cash for a multi-night stay. That helps.

It would be nice if all the "Should I bring euros from home, or get them after I arrive if and as needed?" threads could be combined and stretched end to end. They'd reach to the moon and back again, and agreement would still not have been reached.

The discussions embedded therein regarding whether specific transit and other required post-arrival expenditures can be paid for by credit card is IMO where immense value is found, and I thank posters for providing their experiences. And Rick Steves's helpful hints form the foundation for the whole discussion. They've been invaluable in planning our own European adventures. Kudos, all!

While an ATM is indeed usually the best option, issues can happen, and my understanding of US banking is that you can incur large cash advance fees if you do not have the right cards.

So, if you need a currency exchange place in Paris, there are some with very, very good rates around Gare de l'Est/Gare du Nord (CEN Change and Change Magenta), as well as near the Bourse (several location in rue Vivienne) and Change Saint Michel.
For USD-EUR, the fee can be less than 2% if you are lucky.

You never borrow money on a credit card unless you are in big trouble and have no other choice. If you take out money on a credit car, you pay high interest rates from the day you get the money -- it is not delayed if you pay it off at the end of the month as it is for actual charges on a card. It is a bank loan.

Some US banks charge a fee for international use of your Debit or ATM card. If you have such a bank, get a better bank. Our bank not only doesn't charge but also will pay fees we incur in using a machine. Generally French banks do not charge a fee on their ATMS (unless you foolishly agree to the dollar conversation they suggest) but some commercial ones do and some American banks do.

We always take Euros home from each trip so we have money when we arrive. I noticed last year that I brought some of that money back home again as more and more, you can pay for most everything with card/touch card on phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it functions the way European credit does i.e. chip/pin rather than the way US card mostly do chip/sig which is awkward to use and annoying.

R. S.'s advice was presented to me in the 1990's when cash was more widely used than now. I have always thought I can think for myself - albeit considering other people's preferences and experience. Despite the advice of RS and others, my preference has always been to get cash from my bank in the US so I am set upon arrival.

Bank foreign exchange charges vary depending on your home bank and personal banking relationship status - there might be no additional additional foreign exchange charge. The assurance that I am ready to go with one less task on a jet-lagged arrival is worth a bit of a less favorable exchange rate from my US bank than from a foreign ATM for me.

I have not needed any cash on my last two visits to Paris. For my upcoming visit, I will carry the equivalent of about $150 US in Euros, only because that is the amount of Euros I have from previous trips. Those same Euros have traveled back and forth across the pond several times in recent years!

I tested my approach during the years when it was more necessary to have a larger amount of cash than now. Only rarely did I find a convenient ATM machine inside a bank. I do not like to use an outdoor ATM in areas that I am not familiar with. I specifically remember looking for an ATM at LHR (obviously not CDG) and being very uncomfortable with the location of the machine I found. Luckily, I did not need to use it.