CHOLET EXCHANGE UPDATE – April 06, 2019
72 jours!
Dear Travelers and Families,
In this update I’ll mention two items we have discussed at recent student meetings. Sorry that they are so long-winded. But since they are, I will limit this update to just these two items. They are very important.
Exchanging money/ATMs/Credit Cards/Banks Obtaining euros in advance is not a bad idea. I would suggest exchanging $50 - $100 worth of currency. I would discourage exchanging larger sums of money simply because the idea of carrying large sums of cash scares me (no matter what country I’m in). If it were to be lost or stolen, it’s gone forever. To do this, check with your bank to see if they offer the service of exchanging currency and find out how much time they need. I also know that AAA offers this (at least they did in 2017). So if you are a member, check with them. To get more euros throughout the trip, ATMs are the most convenient option. Just be sure the student knows how to use one (the process is the same as it is here) and knows the PIN.
Credit card purchases are also possible almost everywhere. I know that Visa and Master Card are accepted all over France. If you have a different card, please check with that company to see if it will be accepted. As is the case even here in Erie, there are places that are “cash only”. If you trust your student to use a credit card, it may be the way to go in terms of convenience. But PLEASE REMEMBER TO CONTACT YOUR BANK to let them know about the upcoming trip. If banks notice unexpected activity from far away, they may render the account unusable until the situation is resolved.
Another option is a AAA debit card. If you are a AAA member, you can set up an account and get a card to use in France. (I use this for the tips – more on that below.) If needed, a parent can add more money to the account from home. This, by the way, is SO MUCH EASIER than the traveler’s checks I used to use- how many parents remember those?
Of course, if you have other ideas that you know and like, feel free to let me know and I’ll share them in a future update.
Tips/Bus Cost/Fund Raising As you will recall from the important costs page I shared with you before you enrolled, there were two costs we would not know until this spring; tips and the bus from Paris to Cholet (June 18) and back to Paris from Cholet (June 27). We are very close to knowing those amounts.
The bus I have an estimate for the bus. The only detail we need to lock in that price is our drop off point on June 27. I would like to go directly to the hotel. Once we know where that is, we can finalize that price. If I had to guestimate, I would say that the cost to you would be somewhere between $105 and $110 round trip. Once I know the exact amount, I will let you know and ask you for a check (payable to Robert Hall) and I will pay with my personal credit card. That will happen as soon as I know our hotel information (no later than 3 weeks before our departure, Memorial Day).
Tips This sounds much more complicated than it is. Fortunately for you, I’m the one dealing with the complexity. We will tip our EF Tour Director $6 per person per day and our bus drivers $3 per person per day. We will also have a few guided tours on the trip. I will calculate the tip total for the trip. Each travel year, the French Club donates a few hundred dollars to the tip fund. The club will meet soon and vote on how much. I will subtract the French Club donation from the tip total, divide that amount by the number of travelers and come up with how much each traveler owes. However, due to the fund raising that has taken place (plus the one upcoming fund raiser on April 15), many students have already earned money that will be used toward what is owed. If the amount a student has earned is greater than each student’s share, I will refund the difference to that student. The kids have seen the chart and have an idea of how much they currently have in reserve. They can always ask to see it again.
The money that I collect from you for tips (I’ll accept cash or checks payable to Robert Hall) be placed into an account that goes with the AAA card I will obtain. I will use that account for tips only and withdraw (from an ATM) as needed.
That’s all for today! À la prochaine!
Monsieur
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