Even before euro cash appeared in 2002, you could opt to pay in euros by credit card and you could get travellers' cheques in euros - you should not be charged commission for changing them in any of the eleven countries in the euro zone (also known as "Euroland"), nor for changing from any of the old Euroland currencies to any other (Italian lira to francs, for example).

All prices are given in francs and the exact equivalent in euros. When the new currency takes over completely, prices are likely to be rounded off - and if decimalization in the UK is anything to go by, rounded up.

Costs
Because of the relatively low cost of accommodation and eating out, at least by northern European standards, France may not seem an outrageously expensive place to visit, though this will depend on the relative strength of your own country's currency. When and where you go also makes a difference: in main resorts hotel prices can go up by a third during July and August, while places like Paris and the Côte d'Azur are always more expensive than the other regions. For a reasonably comfortable existence, including a hotel room for two, a light restaurant lunch and a proper restaurant dinner, plus moving around, café stops and museum visits, you need to allow at least 600F/¬90 a day per person. But by counting the pennies, staying at cheap hostels (around 100F/¬15.25 for bed and breakfast) or camping (from 30F/¬4.58), and being strong-willed about extra cups of coffee and doses of culture, you could manage on 250F/¬38 a day, to include a cheap restaurant meal - less if your eating is limited to street snacks or market food.

For two or more people, hotel accommodation is nearly always cheaper and better value than hostels, which are only worth staying at if you're by yourself and want to meet other travellers. A sensible average estimate for a double room would be around 280F/¬43, though perfectly adequate but simple doubles can be had from 190F/¬29. Single-rated and -sized rooms are often available, beginning from 140F/¬21 in a cheap hotel. Breakfast at hotels is normally an extra 30F/¬4.50, for coffee, croissant and orange juice - about the same as you'd pay in a bar (where you'll normally find the coffee and ambience more agreeable). As for other food , you can spend as much or as little as you like. There are large numbers of reasonable restaurants with three- or four-course menus for between 65F/¬10 and 120F/¬18; the lunchtime or midi menu is nearly always cheaper. Picnic fare , obviously, is much less costly, especially when you buy in the markets and cheap supermarket chains, and takeaway baguette sandwiches from cafés are not extortionate. Wine and beer are both very cheap in supermarkets; buying wine from the barrel at village co-op cellars will give you the best value for money. The mark-up on wine in restaurants is high, though the house wine in cheaper establishments is still very good value. Drinks in cafés and bars are what really make a hole in your pocket: black coffee, wine and draught lager are the cheapest drinks to order; glasses of tap water are free; and remember that it's cheaper to be at the bar than at a table.

Transport will inevitably be a large item of expenditure if you move around a lot, which makes some kind of train pass a good idea, although French trains are in any case good value, with many discounts available - two sample one-way fares are Paris to Toulouse, 445F/¬67.86, and Paris to Montpellier, 379F/¬57.80. Buses are cheaper, though prices vary enormously from one operator to another. Bicycles cost about 80F/¬12 per day to rent. Petrol prices shot up in late 2000, and at the time of writing were around 7.70F/¬1.17 a litre for unleaded ( sans plomb ), around 7.80F/¬11.90 a litre for Super and around 5.50F/¬8.40 a litre for diesel; there are 3.8 litres to the US gallon. Most autoroutes have tolls: rates vary, but to give you an idea, travelling only by motorway from Calais to Montpellier would cost you around 379F/¬57.80.

Museums and monuments can also prove a big wallet-eroder. Reduced admission is often available for those over 60 and under 18 (for which you'll need your passport as proof of age) and for students under 26 (for which you'll need an International Student Identity Card, or ISIC). Many museums and monuments are free for children under 12, and nearly always for kids under 4. Under-26s can also get a free youth card , or Carte Jeune , available in France from youth travel agencies like USIT and from main tourist offices (120F/¬18.30; valid for a year), which entitles you to reductions in France and throughout Europe. Several towns operate a global ticket for their museums and monuments.

Changing money
Standard banking hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm or 5pm. Some close at midday (noon/12.30pm-2/2.30pm); some are open on Saturday 9am to noon. All are closed on Sunday and public holidays. They will have a notice on the door if they do currency exchange. Rates and commission vary from bank to bank, so it's worth shopping around; the usual procedure is a 1-2 percent commission on travellers' cheques and a flat-rate charge on cash (a 30F/¬4.58 charge for changing 200F/¬30.50 is not uncommon). Be wary of banks claiming to charge no commission at all; often they are merely adjusting the exchange rate to their own advantage.

There are money-exchange counters ( bureaux de change ) at all the French airports and at train stations of big cities, with usually one or two in town centres as well, often keeping much longer hours than the high-street banks. You'll also find automatic exchange machines at airports and train stations and outside many money exchange bureaux. They accept £10 and £20 notes as well as dollars and other European currency notes, but offer a very poor rate of exchange.

Travellers' cheques and the visa travelmoney card
Travellers' cheques are one of the safest ways of carrying your money. Worldwide, they're available from almost any major bank (in most cases whether you have an account there or not), and from special American Express or Thomas Cook offices, usually for a service charge of 1 percent on the amount purchased. Banks may charge more to purchase, but check first with your own establishment as some offer cheques free of charge to customers meeting certain criteria. The most widely recognized brands of travellers' cheques are Visa, Thomas Cook and American Express, which most banks will change, and there are American Express and Thomas Cook offices in France; American Express travellers' cheques can also be cashed at post offices.

French franc travellers' cheques can be worthwhile: they may often be used as cash, and you should get the face value of the cheques when you change them, so commission is only paid on purchase. Banks being banks, however, this is not always the case.

The latest way of carrying your money abroad is with a Visa TravelMoney Card , a sort of electronic travellers' cheque. The temporary disposable debit card is "loaded up" with an amount between £100 and £5000 and can then be used (in conjunction with a PIN number) in any ATM carrying the Visa sign in France (and 112 other countries). When your funds are depleted, you simply throw the card away. It's recommended you buy at least a second card as back-up in case your first is lost or stolen, though like travellers' cheques the cards can be replaced if such mishaps occur. Up to nine cards can be bought to access the same funds - useful for couples/families travelling together. Charges are 2 percent commission with a minimum charge of £3. The card is available from, among other places, Colombus Bank in the US and Thomas Cook in the UK. For further information, call Visa's 24-hour toll-free customer services line on tel 1-410/581-9091 or check out their Web site at www.visa.com .

Credt and debit cards
Credit cards are widely accepted; just watch for the window stickers. Visa - known as the Carte Bleue in France - is almost universally recognized; Access, Mastercard - sometimes called Eurocard - and American Express rank a bit lower. It's always worth checking, however, that restaurants and hotels will accept your card; some smaller ones don't. Be aware, also, that French cards have a smart chip, and machines may reject cards with a magnetic strip even if they are valid. If your card is refused because of this, you may be able to get them to confirm it by explaining the problem to the cashier or waiter in question: "Les cartes britanniques/américaines/canadiennes/australiennes/de Nouvelle Zealand ne sont pas cartes à puce, mais à piste magnétique. Ma carte est valable et je vous serais très reconnaissant(e) de demander la confirmation auprès de votre banque ou de votre centre de traitement."

You can also use credit cards for cash advances at banks and in ATMs. The charge tends to be higher - for example 4.1 percent instead of the 1.5 percent at home for Visa cards. The PIN number should be the same as you use at home but check with your credit card company before you leave. Also, because French credit cards are smart cards, some ATMs baulk at for eign plastic and tell you that your request for money has been denied. If that happens, just try another machine. All ATMs give you the choice of instructions in French or English. Post offices will give cash advances on Visa credit cards if you are having a problem using them in ATMs. Debit cards can also be used in ATMs or to pay for goods and services if they carry the appropriate Visa symbol or there's an "edc" (European acceptance) sign. British cards are charged around 1 percent or a minimum of £1.50 when used in an ATM, so it makes sense not to take small sums out constantly, whereas North American cards tend to charge a flat rate of $1-2, making it the most economical and convenient method. You would not wan the use of ATMs to be your sole source of money on a long trip far form home as a lost, stolen or malfunctioning card would leave you with nothing, so always have some spare currency or travellers' cheques as a back-up.