Is the currency exchange at CDG worth it?

Generally no. Travelex booths at CDG are widely reported to give poor rates, with travellers losing well into double-digit percentages versus a city ATM. Use a bank ATM and choose euros instead; keep the counters for emergencies.

Can I exchange money after security at CDG?

Yes. Travelex has booths across the terminals including airside, so connecting passengers can exchange currency without leaving the secure area — though the rates are poor, so only use them if you must.

Should I pay in euros or my home currency at CDG?

Pay in euros. When an ATM or card machine offers your home currency (Dynamic Currency Conversion), it sets its own rate, usually several percent worse than your card network's. Choosing euros is almost always cheaper.

Do I need cash when I land in Paris?

A little. Cards and contactless work widely, but some small cafes, markets and a few transport ticket machines prefer coins or chip cards. Carry around €30 to €50 in small notes and coins for those and for tips.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) ATMs & Currency Exchan

Gate 37 · Money

Global Airport ATM & Currency Exchange Finder

Pick a country and airport to see every bank ATM and exchange counter by terminal, split into airside and landside, with hours and the fee traps to avoid.

25 major airportsAirside and landsideChecked Oct 2026

CDG · Paris, France

ATMs and currency exchange at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

ATM spots

Exchange

EUR

Currency

Quick answer: CDG has ATMs throughout all three terminals, before and after security. Currency exchange at CDG is handled mainly by Travelex, with booths across the terminals, usually close to the ATMs. Where to find ATMs and currency exchange across CDG’s three terminals, which option gives the best rate, and how much cash you need for Paris.

Partly verified against official listings on 20 October 2026.Locations are listed by zone from the airport’s own information; exact units are shown on the airport map.

ATMs by side of security

Inside the airport: airside

After security or passport control: gates, transit halls, baggage reclaim.

T2AirsideBoarding areas
Bank ATMs
Boarding areas, after security
Usually 24 hours
Dispenses EUR
General area
T1AirsideBoarding areas
Bank ATMs
Boarding areas, after security
Usually 24 hours
Dispenses EUR
General area

Outside security: landside

Public areas: arrivals hall, check-in, departures hall.

T2LandsideArrivals
Bank ATMs
Arrivals and check-in, near CDGVal and the RER/TGV station
Usually 24 hours
Dispenses EUR
General area
T1LandsideArrivals
Bank ATMs
Arrivals and check-in levels
Usually 24 hours
Dispenses EUR
General area
T3LandsideTerminal
Bank ATMs
Arrivals and check-in
Usually 24 hours
Dispenses EUR
General area

Fee and DCC warning

If an ATM or card machine at CDG offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and choose EUR. That offer is Dynamic Currency Conversion: the machine sets its own exchange rate, usually a few percent worse than your card network's. Check the operator fee on screen before you confirm, and cancel if it is high.

Nearby currency exchange counters and kiosks

Operators: Travelex. Airport counters price in a margin; compare the quote with the mid-market rate in your banking app first.

T2LandsideCounter
Travelex
Booths across the halls, near the ATMs (Terminal)
Varies by location
EUR plus major currencies
Rate note: Airport rates are widely criticised; avoid large amounts.
General area
T1LandsideCounter
Travelex
Booths near the ATMs (Terminal)
Varies by location
EUR plus major currencies
Rate note: Airport rates are widely criticised; avoid large amounts.
General area
T3LandsideCounter
Travelex
Booth (availability varies) (Terminal)
Varies by location
EUR plus major currencies
Rate note: Not always staffed; use an ATM instead.
General area

Sources:Charles de Gaulle: banking services Charles de Gaulle: en

France · CDG airport money guide

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) ATMs and Currency Exchange: France Airport Money Guide

This guide lists every ATM and currency exchange point we could confirm at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, sorted by terminal and by which side of security it sits on. Use the finder above to filter by terminal. Below, you will find how to get euro (EUR) at the lowest cost, whether you are landing in Paris or only passing through CDG on a connection, and which screens and counters to say no to.

CDG has ATMs throughout all three terminals, before and after security. Currency exchange at CDG is handled mainly by Travelex, with booths across the terminals, usually close to the ATMs. Where to find ATMs and currency exchange across CDG’s three terminals, which option gives the best rate, and how much cash you need for Paris.

Terminal financial overview

Paris Charles de Gaulle has three terminals, with Terminal 2 split into halls 2A to 2G, all linked by the free CDGVal shuttle train. Getting euros is easy, but airport exchange counters here are among the poorest value in Europe, so an ATM withdrawal is almost always the better choice. This guide shows where the machines and counters sit, how to avoid markups, and how to reach Paris.

CDG has three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 (halls 2A to 2G, plus the TGV and RER station) and Terminal 3. The free CDGVal shuttle train links them. The station signed “Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 1” actually serves Terminal 3, while Terminal 2 has its own RER and TGV station.

Each terminal has ATMs and Travelex booths, so you can get euros wherever you land. For trains into Paris, Terminal 2 has its own RER B and TGV station, while Terminals 1 and 3 connect to the RER by the free CDGVal shuttle.

Across 3 terminals, this page lists 5 ATM locations (2 airside, 3 landside) and 3 exchange counter, kiosk or machines (0 airside, 3 landside). Terminal 2 (2A-2G) has the widest choice.

Terminal 2 (2A-2G): Air France, SkyTeam and most long-haul flights. 2 ATM locations, 1 exchange point.
Terminal 1: Star Alliance and other international airlines. 2 ATM locations, 1 exchange point.
Terminal 3: Charter and low-cost flights. 1 ATM location, 1 exchange point.

ATMs at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

CDG has ATMs throughout all three terminals, before and after security. Withdrawing euros from a bank ATM gives you the Visa or Mastercard network rate, which is far better value than the airport exchange booths. The machines accept international cards on the Visa/Plus and Mastercard/Cirrus networks.

Inside security (airside)

After security, ATMs are in the boarding areas across the terminals, convenient for connecting passengers who cannot leave the secure area.

Before security (landside & arrivals)

Before security, ATMs sit in the arrivals and check-in areas near the exits toward the CDGVal shuttle and the RER and TGV stations. Arriving, use an arrivals-area ATM, then take CDGVal to the RER B station for trains into Paris.

ATM fees and how to keep them down

Within the eurozone a euro withdrawal is simple, but fees still vary: your own bank may add an out-of-network or foreign-ATM fee and a foreign-transaction fee of around 1–3%. Keep the total down by taking out one larger amount rather than several small ones, declining any offer to be charged in your home currency, and preferring a recognised bank’s ATM over an independent machine.

Currency exchange counters at CDG

Currency exchange at CDG is handled mainly by Travelex, with booths across the terminals, usually close to the ATMs. Rates at the airport are widely criticised as poor — travellers report losing well into double-digit percentages compared with a city-centre ATM — so avoid changing large amounts here if you can.

Getting from CDG into Paris: how to pay

You can reach Paris from CDG mostly without cash, but ticket machines can be fussy. The RER B runs from the airport stations to central Paris in about 30–40 minutes. Buy tickets at the staffed ticket office if your card is refused — some CDG ticket machines accept only chip-and-PIN cards or coins and reject many foreign cards. Roissybus, taxis (flat fares to central Paris) and ride-hailing also serve the airport and take cards. Check Ile-de-France Mobilites for the current RER fare.

Inside vs. outside security strategy

For the best value, withdraw euros from a bank ATM and choose euros rather than your home currency; given CDG’s poor counter rates, this matters more here than at most airports. If you are connecting airside, the boarding-area ATMs cover you. If you are arriving, an arrivals-area ATM is quickest before CDGVal and the RER. Use Travelex only for emergencies.

As a rule at CDG: withdraw EUR from a bank ATM landside when you arrive, buy only small amounts at a counter, and sell leftover euros back before security when you leave. Airside counters exist for convenience, not value, and once you are through passport control you cannot walk back out to compare.

Ways to get EUR at CDG, cheapest first
Option	Typical cost	Best for
Pay by card in EUR	Lowest with a no-foreign-fee card	Transport, shops, food
Bank ATM, landside arrivals	Low: your bank’s fee plus any on-screen operator fee	A cash float on arrival
Airside ATM	Low to medium, same rules	Connections, last-minute cash
Pre-ordered currency	Medium: better than the walk-up rate	Larger amounts, planned trips
Travelex walk-up counter	Highest: margin built into the rate	Small top-ups, selling leftovers

Avoiding Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) markups

Dynamic Currency Conversion is the offer to charge a foreign card in its home currency instead of EUR. It looks helpful because you see a familiar number, but the ATM or shop sets the exchange rate, and it is usually several percent worse than the rate Visa or Mastercard would apply. Airports are where most travellers meet it first.

Whenever an airport ATM or a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency instead of euros, decline it and choose euros. That “convenience” option, called Dynamic Currency Conversion, lets the machine set its own exchange rate, which is typically 3–7% worse than the rate your own bank or card network would use. Paying in the local currency always routes the conversion through your card network (Visa, Mastercard), which is almost always cheaper.

At an ATM, when the screen asks to convert or offers a "guaranteed rate", choose decline or without conversion.
At a card terminal, if asked "EUR or your currency?", pick EUR. If staff choose for you, ask them to redo it.
Read the operator fee on the ATM screen before you confirm. If it is high, cancel and try another bank's machine.
Check your receipt: a printed exchange rate or the word "DCC" means a conversion was applied.

Local cash vs. card tips for Paris

You need only modest cash in Paris. Cards and contactless are widely accepted on the Metro, in shops and in restaurants, but carrying some euros helps for small cafes, bakeries, markets and tips. Keep around €30–€50 in small notes and coins — and remember some airport transport machines prefer chip cards or coins. Tipping is modest: service is included by law, so rounding up or leaving a euro or two is plenty.

Before you fly, check two things with your bank: the foreign transaction fee on card payments and the fee for overseas ATM withdrawals. A card that waives both makes paying in EUR the cheapest way to spend in France. Tell your bank you are travelling if it still asks, carry a backup card from a different network, and keep the airport counter for small top-ups only.

Prices and operators at airports change. We checked this page against the official Charles de Gaulle and operator listings on 20 October 2026; confirm hours on the airport's own map on the day you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

ATMs are in the arrivals and check-in areas of all three terminals, near the exits toward the CDGVal shuttle and the RER and TGV stations. Use one after you land, then take CDGVal to the RER B for Paris.

About this tool. This free Boarding Gate tool lists airport ATMs and currency exchange points from official airport and operator listings, with the date each was checked. Airports move counters and change hours, so confirm on the airport's own map before you travel. Built and maintained by Raja Qaiser.