Is it better to use travelers checks or a debit card in Paris?
They are both inconvenient. If your debit card is a Visa or Mastercard labeled card I suggest you try to use it as a credit card. With each and every ATM transaction you will be hit with a banking fee from the French bank, and at your US bank. With traveler’s cheques/checks you will be immediately identified as a traveler, and you still had to pay a certain fee. Not a good thing in a seedy neighborhood. I have had no problems using my ATM card with the Visa logo throughout the world. MasterCard is less known in Asia, but still taken at major places. Visa emblemed ATM cards, used as “credit card” will be your best option. There will be no “fee” charged for transactions, unless you make a cash withdrawal.
