Travel money guide: Europe

If you’re heading to Europe to sightsee the Eiffel Tower, a Spanish flamenco dance or go on a business trip, you’ll want to find out common methods of payment in the specific country that you’re visiting. Most European countries easily take Visa and Mastercard credit cards as a form of payment. Travel with a Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card to avoid all the foreign transaction fees that most credit cards charge.

However, you’ll need euros or the local currency in some countries like the Czech Republic where restaurants and smaller shops may not be friendly to plastic. While there are European countries that use their own currency — for example the Czech Republic and Hungary — the euro is the national currency of the majority of Western and Central European nations.

Our picks for traveling to Europe

Travel card with no annual fee

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

★★★★★
Finder rating: 3.5/5

Go to site

Send and receive 50+ currencies right from your phone

Wise Multi-currency

★★★★★
Finder rating: 4.5/5

Go to site

28+ currencies and real exchange rates. Crypto deposits aren't FDIC insured.

Revolut

★★★★★
Finder rating: 4.5/5

Go to site

Travel card, debit card or credit card?

A prepaid travel card can be a good idea if you’re staying within the European financial zone and the United Kingdom. If you’re traveling to another destination like Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden or Hungary, you’re better off using a credit card which waives the fee for foreign transactions — no ATM fees are a bonus too.

While there are travel cards that don’t charge you for currency conversion — the back-end fees, exchange rate margin and juggling another account make a travel-friendly debit card a better option.

A credit card and debit card combination makes for a good mix to access cash and make purchases. A credit card is a must: Interest-free cards give you time to pay back your purchases, some cards offer free travel insurance and credit cards give you peace of mind through access to emergency cash.

Don’t use a credit card for cash withdrawals, it’s almost too expensive to justify. Use a debit card or a prepaid travel card to withdraw cash.

These are your options for spending money in Europe

Compare credit cards for travel

Using a credit card

Look for travel-friendly credit cards that you can swipe without being charged a foreign transaction free — typically 2% to 3% — or international ATM fee. For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card will avoid the pesky foreign transaction fees while offering you 2x miles on all purchases. Choosing a travel credit card often means that you get purchase protection, travel insurance or a rental car collision waiver as part of your benefits, helping you get more bang for your buck with your card.

Pros

• May have no international ATM fees

Cons

• Operator fees may apply
• Cash advance fees

Which credit card issuers are accepted in Europe?

You’ll find Visa and Mastercard to be widely accepted in Europe. Generally speaking, you’ll find merchants in Europe willing to accept American Express cards and even fewer that will take Discover cards. If you have an American Express card, you’ll have the best luck using it in areas frequently traveled by tourists or business travelers.

	Merchant acceptance	ATM acceptance
Visa	High	High
Mastercard	High	High
American Express	Medium	High
Discover	Low	Medium

Compare travel credit cards

Sort by:

Name	Product	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card		Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel	2x miles on every purchase, every day, 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles when you book on Turo, the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023	$95		Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months ​from account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card		Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel	Earn unlimited 1.25x miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel	$0		Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card		70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.	3 miles per $1 on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 1 miles per $1 on all other purchases	$50		Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

loading

Prev

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Next

Compare up to 4 providers

Clear selection

Compare

Best international debit cards

Using a debit card

Visa and Mastercard branded debit cards will work throughout Europe without problem.

There are fees that come with international debit card use — mainly currency conversion fees and ATM fees. With a Betterment Checking debit card, you can get foreign and ATM fees reimbursed as you go to keep your wallet padded on your journey.

• Tip: Debit card providers like Bank of America and Barclays are members of a Global ATM Alliance that waives international ATM fees.

Pros

• May have no international ATM fees
• No ATM operator fees on European bank ATMs for cash withdrawals

Cons

• International ATM fee and currency conversion fee apply when withdrawing cash

“Although the United Kingdom is not a part of the Euro Zone, all travel cards let you load pounds sterling. Preload both euros and pounds and you can use the one card to spend on both sides of the English Channel.”

Cash pickup services

Paying with cash in Europe

There are places where you’ll need cash, but card payments are pretty standard throughout Europe. Contactless card payments are common in places like France and Germany, but cash is necessary if you’re heading off the beaten track — places like smaller Greek islands predominantly use cash.

Pros

• Payment flexibility
• Convenience

Cons

• Difficult to manage expenses
• Higher risk of theft

Traveler’s checks guide

Using traveler’s checks

It’s not necessary to take travelers checks with you on your trip to Europe. Financial institutions offer money back guarantees if you’re the victim of fraud and there’s a limited number of places where you can cash your checks.

Pros

• Acceptance
• Security

Cons

• Can be costly with initial purchase charges
• Not all merchants accept travelers checks

European currency

Although the euro was officially introduced in 1999, European citizens didn’t start to see the new notes and coins till sometime in 2003. The notes are all different colors and feature different architectural designs from different eras.

The main banks in Europe are:

Buying currency in the US

If you really want to buy euros before you leave, consider nonbank foreign exchange providers such as Travelex. Travelex lets you order cash online and pick it up at the airport before you leave.

You won’t need euros to pay for your visa when you arrive in Europe, Americans get an automatic 90 day visa on arrival.

Exchange rate history

It’s very difficult picking the future movement of currency pairs, especially the top two traded currencies in the world. The euro was adopted in 1999, and in 2002 it was introduced as the legal tender — circulating and being used in 12 countries.

The value of the dollar next to the euro dropped significantly in 2008 when an economic crisis made its way around the world. For the last three years, 1 euro has been worth about $1.10 to $1.30.

Find cash and ATMs in Europe

Most airports and banks across Europe will house ATMs inside that are friendly to Visa and Mastercard, though you may see Visa’s Plus or Mastercard’s Maestro or Cirrus symbols on the machines. When you’re withdrawing cash abroad, it’s handy to use an account that doesn’t charge currency conversion or international ATM fees. The Betterment Checking debit card for example reimburses these foreign fees, leaving more cash in your account to spend on your travels.

How much should I budget to travel in Europe?

Countries like France and Germany are a touch more expensive than places like Greece, but no matter where you are in the Europe, your trip is going to be as low-cost or expensive as you let it be.

Some basic prices across Europe

Accommodation is likely to be your biggest expense when you’re visiting Europe. When it comes to food, if you’re eating in a restaurant, prices will be higher than grabbing a bite on the street (gyros in Greece), trapizzino in Rome, or a jambon et fromage baguette (ham and cheese sandwich — far better than it sounds) in France are all less than five euros.

We’ve included a snapshot of some prices for budget, mid-range and top-end hostels and hotels in different European countries below. All prices are in US dollars.

*Prices are approximate and based on summer seasonality and are subject to change.

In most European countries you can expect to pay anywhere from 10 to 30 euros for a meal in a mid-tier restaurant. Once you hit 5-star restaurants, prices will be comparable to high-end restaurants in the US.

• Tip: If you’re at a restaurant, the plat de jour (plate of the day) will be one of the cheapest and best tasting dishes on the menu.

Case study: Kyle's experience

Kyle

Producer

During my Eurotrip, I dropped pins on the map in Amsterdam, Bruges, Paris, Arles and Provence. I brought along my Wells Fargo Propel American Express, Wells Fargo Platinum Visa, Wells Fargo debit card and $500 USD.

When I landed in Amsterdam and was waiting at baggage claim, I spotted a local ATM and withdrew 100 euros using my debit card. The withdrawal cost me $113.49, plus a $5 non-Wells Fargo ATM transaction fee. I didn’t mind the fee because this was enough to buy a SIM card and catch a train downtown — and it left me with about 70 euros.

It didn’t take long to realize that I made a mistake with the credit cards I’d brought. While the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card had no foreign transaction fee, I neglected to research what the American Express acceptance rate was in Europe — not good. And I didn’t want to use my Wells Fargo Platinum Card because that came with a 3% fee for overseas purchases.

If I was traveling alone, I would have come home to a credit card bill riddled with fees. Luckily, my partner brought along her United℠ Explorer Card, which is a Visa (high acceptance rate) and has no foreign transaction fees. Since then, I’ve gotten my own United℠ Explorer Card.

As for withdrawing money from ATMs, I only took out another 100 euros for tipping and small purchases. And the $500 USD I brought along? That, and then some, went right to my partner to repay the money we spent on her credit card.

One piece of advice: Don’t be like me and rely on your partner’s credit card.

Travel insurance for Europe

Eurotrips are almost a compulsory rite of passage for young Americans who want to cross the pond, but don’t let your sense of adventure get you in trouble. Protecting your European vacation with travel insurance is a smart way to ensure that you are financially protected against unexpected travel expenses. Travel insurance may cover: