The unit of currency in France is the euro, as in the other countries of the European Union.

Bills/notes are in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 euros. Coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimes, and 1 and 2 euros.

Visitors to France have three options for obtaining euros:

1. Use your home bank ATM/cash card to withdraw euros from French distributeurs des billets (ATMs/cashpoints). Check with your bank to see if this will work without problems.

2. Exchange your home currency (dollars, pounds, yen, etc.) for euros. Exchange rate spreads, commissions and service fees in France can take as much as 10% of your money for each exchange, so currency exchange is not always the thriftiest option.

3. Use a credit card, widely used in France, but only if it is a credit card with a computer chip in it. (Most US Visa and Mastercard credit cards do not have computer chips.) Most businesses in France will accept only credit cards with chips. They may not accept the older credit cards with only a magnetic stripe on the back. More...

Many people imagine that travel in Paris and France is expensive. It's not true.

Some things in France are expensive, some are moderate in price, and others are positively dirt cheap compared to prices in other countries.

And then there's the question of value for money. An excellent 20-euro lunch is a bargain. A terrible 10-euro lunch is a ripoff. Euro for euro, France offers excellent value for money, even in "expensive" Paris.

Refreshments in a café may seem expensive until you consider that you are not paying just for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, but for ambience. An hour in a Parisian café, no matter what you drink, is one of life's great entertainments.

Here are sample prices to give you a feel for your daily disbursements in Paris.

A good tip in Paris or anywhere: always count your change.