The euro
You can use the euro in 20 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Discover more about the euro, which countries use it and the exchange rates.
You can use all the notes and coins in all EU countries that have adopted the euro, including many of their overseas territories, such as the Azores, the Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City use the euro as their national currency, in agreement with the EU. A number of countries and territories use the euro as their de facto currency such as Kosovo and Montenegro.
Cash transfers and paying by card
When travelling, most of us avoid carrying large amounts of cash. We often rely on our debit/credit cards to cover our day-to-day expenses during our trips. As long as the payments you make are carried out in euro and within the EU, you should be charged no more for them than for any national electronically processed payment of the same value in euros.
These rules also apply to transactions in euro (e.g. between euro accounts) in countries outside the euro area.
