Richard wrote:
In France, 10 or more
years ago my cards wouldn't work in French Railways' ticket
machines, because they were not chip and PIN. (They would not even
accept the card as identification for a booking already paid for on
the net.) Now (well, 2005), they don't work on the Paris Metro even
though they are chip and PIN.

2005 isn't "now", and in my *recent* experience UK cards do now work on
the Paris Métro.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)