American Visa Credit cards in France

This is only a problem in a few situations, such as self-service gas stations.

Having a PIN does not signify--it's a difference in hardware, as the European credit-card infrastructure won't read your magnetic strip.

Most merchants are happy to process transactions the old-fashioned way, either with your card or with cash. So carry both.

It's been like that for years.

We traveled throughout France in August and September, used our Visa mag strip cards without any problems. Bon voyage!

I've used mine all over Ireland and Spain with no problems.

I used my VISA to pay for hotel and restaurant meals in September. I don't know if they swiped the card or not but there was no problem.

We used ours in Italy and France in Sept & Oct with no problems.

I've paid with my VISA and withdrawn cash from ATMs without any problems. Memorize the PIN # itself - the keypads do not have letters. Make sure your PIN only has 4 numbers. And finally, notify your bank of the dates/location of your trip before leaving.

As a general rule, any merchant that deals with tourists on a continual basis will have hardware that will read US magnetic strip cards. Merchants that deal mostly with locals may or may not have the proper hardware. In my experience, Holland is the worst offender when it comes to this. In Holland only hotels will accept magnetic strip cards. When I was in Poland last summer supermarkets wouldn't accept my my card but souvenir shops and hotels would. But no matter where you travel, ATMs will always accept magnetic strip cards. To avoid the hassle/confusion I always rely on cash from ATMs.

My experience was much the same as Adam has reported. I had difficulty at some, but not all, self-service gas stations.

No problem with hotels, gift shops, or restaurants.

Remember to advise your bank and cc companies of your travel plans and to leave a copy of your cards at home with someone you trust.