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Using American Credit/Debit/ATM cards in the Metro - Paris

Posted by (Atlanta, GA, USA) on

I have just read the discussion on chip and pin vs. American cards and find that I'm now more confused than ever. (http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/39338/american-credit-cards-in-europe.html

Can someone tell me if I will be able to
1) get cash from an ATM
2) buy carnet metro tickets

at Gare du Nord at around 9:00 p.m. when we arrive on the Eurostar? We have both Wachovia check Card and Schwab Platinum Check Card. (I'll also have some dollars and some pounds.)

We typically just use our Wachovia ATM card and use exclusively cash - except for buying things like metro and train tickets when we use the same card to buy in a machine, but we have not traveled in 18 months and Wachovia has jacked up its fees (thus the Schwab account).

Now though I'm afraid that we're going to arrive and not be able to get anywhere!

Posted by
9100 posts

You'll have no problems getting cash from an ATM machine. You won't be able to use your card to purchase metro tickets via any of the machines. But, I'm not certain if the manned ticket windows accept magnetic strip cards...I don't thick they do. Best to use cash to purchase your carnet.

Posted by
206 posts

ATM should be no problem in Gare du Nord, and you can get metro tickets if the staffed window is open. I'm not sure what the hours are. But here's a better plan that I learned from others on the help line: if you are coming from London, you can buy a carnet of Paris metro tickets in the Eurostar lounge in London. I had already switched what few pounds I had left to Euro, but it would be better to buy in pounds. I'm sure I got a bad exchange rate from the person selling the tickets, but it was convenient to have metro tickets in hand as soon as we arrived at Gare du Nord.

Posted by
14 posts

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the info! I'll get euro when we get there from the ATM, but go ahead and buy the carnets in London just to be safe.

I was fearing that we'd get there at 9pm and find the station unmanned! I typically hate arriving in places late, but we didn't have a choice due to hubby's work schedule.

Posted by
9110 posts

What Steve said, BUT: I've had trouble off and on getting the machines to take bills and had to talk some passer-by into to making change (hard to do late at night) or scurry around back above ground to find something open. Buy a beer or something somewhere in the Gare and pay with a big bill. Credit cards work in some stations, but the fee is stupid for such a pidly purchase.

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