Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in France or I have to give them cash
Best advice is to message the hostel a day or two before arrival and ask directly if they accept card at check-in. Most will say yes, but not all will mention the minimums, fees, or machine issues unless you ask. I always carry enough for at least one night in cash just to be safe.Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in France or I have to give them cash
My hostel in Bordeaux took Revolut and Monzo with no issue. No fees, no weird conditions. But a girl in my dorm said her prepaid card got rejected even though she had money on it. It seems like some older terminals in France don’t like prepaid or app-based cards. Having a backup Visa or Mastercard from a traditional bank is always a good idea.
In Paris I stayed at a chain hostel and paid by card with no problem. They even took Apple Pay. Same in Lyon, no issues. But in smaller towns like Annecy and Carcassonne, they asked for card but then added a two or three percent surcharge. The guy at reception said it's to cover their processing fees. I was fine paying it, but it’s something to watch out for.
I stayed at five different hostels across France last month and all of them technically accepted cards, but two of them asked for cash when I checked in. One in Avignon said their card machine was down and the other in Toulouse had a sign saying payment by card only for stays over 50 euros. I didn’t argue and just paid in cash, but it was unexpected. Since then I always carry at least 100 euros in small bills for check-in just in case.Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in France or I have to give them cash