Tom Johnson Head of ICE Online Business said: Its easy to assume that if its Europe it must be Euros. This catches out people heading to Turkey most frequently which has the Turkish Lira as legal tender and is one of few places in Europe offering great value against the Pound this summer, giving holiday makers almost 155 Lira more this summer compared to last on a 500 currency exchange.
Its even easier to assume its Euros if its an EU country. But currently only 17** of 28 EU members have adopted the European currency creating some currency confusion for travellers. For example if you are visiting Croatia, you might wonder whether youll get a better exchange rate on Euros of Kunas. The fact is, right now theres very little difference. Youll get 8% less this year than last on your currency conversion when you buy either Croatian Kuna or Euros. On the more positive side, the cost of living in Croatia is quite low with a beer averaging at 3 and a meal for four just 28; you dont need a big budget to have a good time.
Most people know that Poland is in the EU, but the currency currently remains the Zloty, not Euros. Denmark and Sweden both use their own form of the Krone, despite being in the EU but to add to the confusion, Finland does use Euros.
Tom Johnson concludes: Wherever holidaymakers are heading, its important to do some research on the local currency. The Eurozone may seem familiar territory, but it still has some surprises up its sleeve and holidaymakers can get caught out. Order the right currency before leaving the UK, preferably online to obtain the most competitive rates and to avoid additional charges incurred through ATMs when using debit and credit cards abroad. Travellers to Euro destinations should also consider a fee free prepaid currency card such as the ICE Travellers Cashcard as a more secure and convenient way to pay for goods and services than carrying cash.