Paris Airport Exchange Rates Leave Travellers Feeling Ripped Off
Travellers to Paris are being warned of poor exchange rates at airport currency exchanges. Reporters from France 2 used hidden cameras to investigate and found that exchanging euros for Japanese yen at one airport resulted in a rate of ¥5,000 for €43, when the official exchange rate should have been ¥8,000.
When trying to exchange euros for Moroccan Dirhams, the official rate on the day was 427 dirhams for €40, but the exchange rate at the airport was 220 dirhams for €40. In contrast, bureaux de change in Paris offered nearly double the rates found at the airports.
The bureaux are not regulated in France and can charge what they like. This year, the euro has struggled against several currencies, including a 2.9% fall against the US Dollar in mid-July, and an 11.8% drop against the Brazilian Real in July.