Currency

None of these young adults have bank accounts with an ATM card?

If they have a PIN associated with one of the credit cards, they can get a cash advance out of an ATM. Usually not recommended, as interest charges begin at the time of the withdrawal, but in a pinch it is not that bad if you pay it off ASAP. Finally, pool all their left over GBP and use a currency booth. How long will they be in the Euro zone? They may need cash elsewhere.

You get Euros by using a debit card (not a credit card!) at an ATM. The debit card is tied to your bank at home, so you're just pulling cash from your account, same as how you get dollars from an ATM at the local mall. Credit cards (which don't charge a foreign exchange fee) are fine for spending in Europe, and most places will take them. But for cash (which is still needed at small shops and for various minor transactions) you need to get that (cash) from an ATM, using your home bank's debit/ATM card. Be sure you give your bank a heads-up that you will be using your debit card in Europe before you head out (of course, give the same heads-up to your credit card companies), lest they think it's a fraudulent use and lock it. If you need coins, you get them in Europe the same way you get them at home: ask for change in a shop, and then after being refused or if you just get the stinkeye, buy something small using a bill and pocket the small change.

I think you mean that they will be travelling to Disneyland Paris on the Eurostar train, and will be storing luggage in the lockers at the Marne La Vallee/Chessy station. The lockers are located on the mezzanine, and need to go thru a security check before they can go into the lockers. Lockers cost €5-10, so they will need change (coins). There is an ATM in the train station. All they need is their regular debit (atm) card (and have notified their bank in advance of their travel plans). There's also a currency exchange in St Pancras station, near the Eurostar check in. I think it's always prudent to carry some local cash for smaller purchases. It's also not unheard of for Disney's computer system to crash, so they can't process credit card purchases for a short time.

Since I see you are moving on to Italy after this, seems like a good idea to get some EUR from an ATM. It is the same money in Italy.

Hi,

If you're taking the EuroStar from London, there are ATMs at St. Pancras station that give out Euro and GBP too. Look for the blue ATM machines.

They can use their debit cards at bank cash machines for Euros when they get off the train just as they would use bank cash machines in your hometown for USD.

To underline the advice that credit cards should not be used for a cash advance from bank machines, the interest rate on this "loan" can be 20 per cent or more. Some cards will charge that amount on the whole balance owing, not just the cash advance. Do it only in the most dire circumstance.