International Wire Transfer

That implies she would be going to the bank, before your arrival, in order to collect your cash for the whole trip, keeping it and giving it to you when you get there. Is she happy with this?

If you want to send money to someone's French bank account, you need to know her IBAN (International Bank Account Number), you would have to get that from her. I don't know where you are from, but you are using North American terminology ("Wire Transfer"), I have read here that sending money from a US account to an IBAN is neither easy or cheap.

If your handicap restricts your ability to go to a bank to get money out of a machine, then I think you would have great difficulty visiting anywhere. When you are visiting a town you will pass many cash machines, it is not any effort to get money out of one as you pass.

I have read here that sending money from a US account to an IBAN is neither easy or cheap.

From experience, it is not difficult to do an international wire transfer if your bank offers that service, but it can be pricey. My bank charges $35 for an international wire transfer. Not all U.S. financial institutions offer this service; my credit union doesn’t do international wire transfers.

I would talk to your friend about it, I’d also find out where the ATM is in relation to her home. I can’t imagine that you’d be particularly vulnerable to theft in a small town, so using the ATM could still be feasible.

I can't comment on the trust you may or may not have with your friend, but many expats in France use TransferWise to facilitate transfers between U.S. banks or credit unions and French banks. It's pretty painless.

I did such a transfer earlier this month. While the amount was somewhat larger, if it were a $5000 transfer the total cost for TransferWise to have made the transfer from a U.S. bank in $USD to a French bank in euros was 62€, including fees and any differential between the exchange rate TransferWise offered and the "official" exchange rate, as reported by XE Currency.

As a somewhat jaded resident of France and one not totally invested in the culture of finding the absolute cheapest way to do any particular transaction whatsoever, it seemed like a pretty good deal to me.

I very much appreciated the most recent mention of TransferWise and I am looking into it.

Here is another positive review of TransferWise: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/budget-tips/alternative-to-bank-wire-transfer-transferwise

I think there were several very helpful replies to your query. Ignore the prejudices of the not so helpful one and have a great time with your friend.

I have read here that sending money from a US account to an IBAN is neither easy or cheap.

I have done it once, and it was easy, although not particularly cheap. But with my bank I believe it was a flat fee (something like $35), so if you're transferring $5,000 it's pretty cheap, but if you're transferring $100, it's not.

Keep in mind that there are several elements that can cost money when transferring currency internationally.

One, obviously are the fees the sending institution and the receiving institution may charge for the transaction.

Another way that cost may be hidden is in the exchange rate used to convert, say, U.S. dollars to euros. A minor difference in exchange rate from market rates (always in the favor of the bank, of course) can cost a person quite a bit of money.

Thanks, I've received enough replies to this topic. Goodbye for now.