CHOLET EXCHANGE UPDATE – April 18 , 2025
62 JOURS!
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Bonjour! In this update I have a few miscellaneous items.
Train I purchased the train tickets yesterday! The total came to €1769 or $2085.87. That comes to $71.92 for each of you - I didn’t realize how close I was cutting it when I asked you each for $72! I still need to collect from a few of you. I’ll reach out to those folks individually, unless you pay me before I get the chance. Either use Venmo (@Robert-Hall-191), write a check to Robert Hall or pay me in cash.
Other costs Nothing new to report here. See the April 10 update for reference. I’ll make more progress on that after the break.
Other things you can look into If you haven’t already done so, think about the following: cell phone plans, credit cards and exchanging currency in advance.
Cell phone plans Check with your provider to see what their international plans are like. I have AT&T. On my last couple of trips, their international plan was $10 per day, but only on days where you use your service. If you do not use your phone, or if you limit your use to when you are on wifi, you are not charged on that day (keeping your phone in airplane mode to avoid roaming charges). That rate is now up to $12 per day. Check with your provider to see what your options are. Though I have never tried it, I’ve also heard that you could buy a sim card in Europe. I will check with AT&T today to see if their program is still the same as in 2023.
Exchanging currency This is something you may choose to do, but it is not mandatory. If you do choose to get currency in advance, check with your bank to see what their process is. Do this in advance just in case the bank needs time to process your request. I do not recommend getting a large quantity of euros (if it’s lost or stolen, it’s gone) - $50 worth should be enough to get you through a few days, maybe more. You can also withdraw cash at ATM’s. You may also make purchases with credit cards. See the next paragraph. If you have a AAA membership, check with them. I used to use that before I stopped exchanging money in advance. I’m not sure if they still offer this service.
Credit cards This is how I will make the majority of my purchases, and most of those will be with my phone using Apple Pay. You can definitely use a card if you have Visa or Mastercard. If you have something else, check with your bank. Also, check with your bank to see what your international rates are. For my card (PNC Visa Cash Rewards), it’s 3%. However, while at the bank yesterday to make the wire transfer for the train, I learned that my bank offers a new card (new in the last few months) with no foreign transaction fee. It’s called PNC Cash unlimited. I will use the ATM for cash. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE Be sure to contact your bank to let them know that you/your student is traveling as well as when and where. If you don’t do this, the bank may become suspicious of the “unusual activity” on your card (which is actually a great safety feature) and make the card temporarily unusable. It’s not too early to do this. I have already notified PNC and it has been noted.
That’s all for today. Enjoy the rest of your break! I’ll schedule a student meeting soon as well as the parent meeting(s).
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