A weaker euro makes a foreign-currency price cost more euros only when the euro has fallen against the currency used for that price. If a meal still costs 100 units of the destination’s currency, you need more euros to pay for it after that currency strengthens against the euro. Your actual cost also depends on your card or cash provider’s exchange rate, fees, taxes, and any price changes made locally.
What does a weaker euro mean for spending abroad?
Exchange rates compare two currencies at a time. If the euro weakens against a destination’s currency, each euro buys fewer units of that currency. A fixed local-currency price therefore converts into a higher euro amount. If the euro strengthens instead, the conversion cost falls, all else equal.
For example, if a purchase costs 100 units of a foreign currency, you will need more euros to buy those 100 units when the euro has weakened against that currency. This isolates the exchange-rate effect; in real life, the local price may also change.
There is no single exchange rate for “abroad.” The euro may move differently against different currencies, and the relevant comparison is the currency used for your trip and the dates when you pay. The European Central Bank’s nominal effective exchange rate is a weighted measure against a basket of trading partners, not a quote for any one destination (ECB explanation of the nominal effective exchange rate).
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How to read exchange rates—and what rate you will actually pay
ECB reference rates are not consumer transaction quotes
On its 6 October 2026 reference-rate page, the ECB listed these rates with the euro as the base currency:
| Currency | ECB reference rate on 6 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| US dollar | €1 = US$1.1269 |
| Japanese yen | €1 = ¥178.15 |
| British pound | €1 = £0.84880 |
| Swiss franc | €1 = CHF 0.9359 |
These are dated reference rates, not evidence that the euro had weakened against each currency, and not guaranteed rates for a card payment or cash exchange. The ECB says the rates are for information and that using them for transactions is strongly discouraged (ECB euro foreign exchange reference rates). Your bank, card issuer, ATM operator, merchant, or cash-exchange provider may apply a different rate and charge fees.
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Compare the total conversion cost
When comparing payment methods, look beyond the headline exchange rate. Check your card’s foreign-currency fee, any separate currency-conversion fee, the ATM owner’s charge, and—if exchanging cash—the provider’s commission or difference between its buying and selling rates. Banco de España notes that rates fluctuate, buying and selling rates normally differ, and providers may charge fees (Banco de España guidance on foreign currency).
Paying by card or withdrawing cash abroad
Choose who converts the purchase
A card terminal or ATM may offer to charge you in euros instead of the local currency. That makes the displayed amount easier to recognize, but the merchant or ATM provider’s conversion may include a markup. EU consumer guidance says the provider making this offer should disclose the cost as a percentage markup over the latest ECB reference rate; you can reject the conversion and pay in local currency. The European Commission’s Your Europe guidance says of paying in local currency: “This is often the cheapest option” (Your Europe guidance on pricing and payments).
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Before leaving, check your card’s terms for foreign-currency and ATM fees. At the terminal or ATM, compare any displayed conversion markup with those terms, and account for both your own provider’s fees and the ATM owner’s fee. No one payment method is always cheapest: the result depends on the rates and charges offered for that transaction.
Flights, tickets, and other travel prices
For flights and other travel tickets sold in the EU, mandatory taxes, fees, and charges must be included in the total price from the start of the booking process. Optional extras, such as travel insurance, must be identified clearly and offered on an opt-in basis, under Your Europe’s pricing and payments guidance.
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Those display rules make it easier to compare the listed total, but they do not eliminate currency-conversion costs if a ticket is priced in another currency. Compare the full price shown by each seller, separate optional extras from required charges, and then consider how your payment provider will convert the amount.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Buying goods abroad: EU purchases and imports are different
Goods bought in another EU country
For personal purchases in another EU country, the general rule is that VAT is paid once in the country of purchase. You can bring the goods home without a customs declaration when they are for personal or family use rather than resale, according to Your Europe’s VAT guidance. A weaker euro can raise the euro cost of the purchase before you account for any payment-conversion charges.
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Online orders shipped from outside the EU
Buying from a non-EU seller is a different situation: VAT, customs duties, and excise duties may be due, with the amounts and collection arrangements depending on the goods and circumstances. A weaker euro can increase the converted purchase price, but it does not by itself determine the taxes or import charges. Check the applicable charges for the specific item and shipment using Your Europe’s VAT information.
VAT refunds for visitors to the EU
Non-EU residents visiting the EU may qualify for a VAT refund on eligible goods if they present the goods and refund documents to customs within three months. The process is not harmonised across the EU, and countries may set different procedures or eligibility conditions. A refund is not available for every visitor or every purchase; see the country-specific conditions in Your Europe’s VAT guidance.
Quick Recap
A practical way to budget in euros
- Identify the currency and payment date. Use the currency in which the hotel, meal, ticket, or product is priced; a general euro movement does not tell you how it performed against every destination currency.
- Estimate the conversion. Convert the foreign-currency price into euros using a dated rate as a reference, not as a promise of what your provider will charge.
- Add payment costs. Include your card’s foreign-currency fee, any ATM-owner charge, or cash-exchange commission and spread.
- Check the full purchase price. For travel tickets, distinguish mandatory charges from optional extras. For goods, consider whether VAT or import charges apply based on where and how you buy.
- Allow for prices to move. Exchange rates and local prices can change between budgeting and payment, so a conversion estimate is not a guaranteed final cost.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
