Dollars? Rupees? Yuan? Baht? Riyals? Euros? Pounds? What is your local currency called and what is it worth?

Just like the rest of France, Martinique’s official currency is the Euro (€). That means that. despite being over 5000 miles away, you will use the same currency in Martinique as you would in Estonia!

For a current exchange rate, visit xe.com.

Accessing your money abroad:

We recommend using your banking card (ATM/debit) attached to your U.S. bank account. Using ATM cards enables you to access your own personal bank account from any ATM machine around the world. The primary advantages of getting money from an ATM are 24-hour access and preferential exchange rates.

ATMs

The Visa Plus network is the standard, but machines on the Cirrus network, which accepts most foreign ATM cards, can be found in larger cities and tourist towns. Note that some machines will only accept cards held by their own customers.

Cash & Currency

The Euro, like the US Dollar, is subdivided into 100 cents. Banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, and €500 while coins are comprised of ¢1, ¢2, ¢5, ¢10, ¢20, ¢50, €1, and €2 denominations.

Credit Cards

You can expect a transaction fee on all international credit-card purchases. Holders of credit and debit cards can buy euros and sometimes U.S. dollars in some banks, though you can expect to pay a high transaction fee. Cards are widely accepted at some midrange and most top-end hotels, as well as top-end restaurants and some travel agencies.

Exchanging Money

This is not the recommended method of accessing your funds while in Martinique. The only place to exchange USD to Euros is at “Change Caraïbes” and there are 2 offices in Forte-de-France: 4 rue Ernest Deproge and 104 Rue Arago. There is also a small kiosk at the airport. All locations will charge a commission. It is recommended that you exchange your USD to Euro before arrival or simply plan to use your ATM card.

For more information on currency and exchange, check out Lonely Planet.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT USING YOUR DEBIT CARD ABROAD:

Check with your bank to make sure you can use your card overseas, and to inform them that you will be living abroad. Give them your dates, and all the countries you anticipate traveling to. It is not uncommon to be cut off from your bank account after using your card abroad, even after giving them forewarning. If this happens, don’t panic! Banks do this to protect their clients, and we should be grateful. If this happens to you, you just need to contact your bank to ensure them that you are in possession of your card and that you need to have access to your account while you are abroad. If you have a shared account with a family member and their name is also on the account, sometimes it’s helpful to get word to them to call the bank for you, considering the potential time difference between Martinique and home.

 #CISabroadtraveltip: Call your bank a few weeks before you leave to notify them of your travel dates and countries visited AND call again a day or two before your departure to confirm they have your travel plans recorded.

In order to withdraw cash from an ATM using a debit or credit card, you must have a 4-digit pin. While you’re most likely very familiar with your debit PIN, you might not know a PIN for your credit card. Be sure to ask before you travel, banks will not release this information over the phone, via text, through an email or in any other way than to mail your PIN to the mailing address associated with your account. It is a good idea to have both options available – an ATM card and a credit card – just in case of an emergency. When you use your bank card, the ATM machine will automatically convert the money into the local currency for you.  Please ask your bank about their fees associated with international transactions, they may charge you anywhere from $5.00 to $7.00 per transaction, and that adds up!