Information about currency and money in France. How to exchange money.
The French, as residents of a country belonging to the European Union and participating in the monetary and monetary union, use the euro. Historically, the French currency was the franc, to which the people of the country were very much attached. Currently, however, they are praising the changeover to the euro. For tourists coming to France, it is also a very convenient solution because many of them do not have to bother changing money at all. It is a bit different with Poles who use the zloty and have to exchange the currency before or during the trip. For this reason, it is worth knowing some tips and news.
Currency in France.
The French use the euro. It is divided into 100 euro cents, which are simply called cents. This currency is valid in all countries that have joined the monetary union. However, the billon differs from country to country. On the reverse there are national symbols – in France it is a tree symbolizing life, a woman sowing and Marianna’s face. The euro comes in the form of banknotes and coins.
- Banknotes have denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros
- The coin is available in denominations of 1 and 2 euro as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents
The euro has a special symbol: € and its international abbreviation is EUR.
Euro exchange rate.
The current average Euro exchange rate is PLN 4.50 per EUR 1. However, in exchange it differs by a dozen or so groszy from the average one. When buying euro, you should take into account that we will pay about 4.2 PLN for 1 EUR.
Check the current exchange rate of any currency to Euro here:
https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
What is the best way to exchange currency?
Before leaving for France, it is worth replacing some of the money we need while still in Poland. If we plan more expenses, we can try to negotiate the exchange price in the exchange office, which allows you to save a few pennies on each euro purchased. Although it seems that it is not much, with larger amounts these differences are significant. It is also worth comparing the rate in several exchange offices and choosing the one that will be the best. When exchanging money in France, it is best to do it in exchange offices. On the other hand, exchanging money at hotel receptions or at the airport may cause us to lose money, as the exchange rate is always a bit worse here. It is similar in places most crowded with tourists. In France, there are no problems with paying with credit cards or withdrawing money from ATMs. you just have to remember about the handling fees and the margin added by the bank to each such transaction.
Update – Year 2022:
At the moment, it is best to use a multi-currency card in France Revolut.
