During your stay
Shopping
There are no limits on what you can buy and take with you when you travel between EU countries, as long as it is for your own personal use and not for resale. Taxes (value added tax and excise duties) are included in the price you pay and no further payment is due in any other EU country.
However, special rules apply in the case of goods subject to excise duty, such as alcohol and tobacco products. To determine whether tobacco and alcohol are for your own use, each country can set guide levels. If you carry a larger quantity of these goods, you may be questioned to check that you have no commercial intent. However, countries may not set their guide levels lower than the amounts in the table below.
Don’t forget to take a reusable bag with you when you go shopping. EU rules are helping to reduce the use of plastic bags that litter and damage the environment. Most countries charge for each bag you get when shopping.
Tobacco | Alcohol |
---|---|
800 cigarettes | 10 litres of spirits |
400 cigarillos | 20 litres of fortified wines (such as port or sherry) |
200 cigars | 90 litres of wine (of which maximum 60 litres of sparkling wine) |
1 kg of tobacco | 110 litres of beer |
Help for consumers
As a consumer, you are guaranteed fair treatment, products that meet acceptable standards and a right of redress if something goes wrong, wherever you are in the EU.
You can be assured of the highest food safety standards because of strict laws on the production, processing and selling of food. Food labelling rules mean clear, comprehensive and accurate information on food content.
You are protected from a wide range of unfair commercial practices, both online and in shops. Pre-ticked boxes on websites are banned so that you do not unintentionally pay for travel insurance when buying a plane ticket online, for example.
The full price, including VAT and the unit price – the price per kilogram or per litre – of all goods for sale must be clearly displayed. When booking accommodation or a flight online, the total price, including charges and taxes, must be visible from the start of the booking process.
The European Consumer Centres Network gives practical information on EU consumer rights, as well as free advice and assistance with cross-border complaints or disputes.
The EU Ecolabel can help you to identify environmentally friendly products, hotels, youth hostels or campsites.

This label will help you find organic products.
Money
The euro (€) is currently used every day by more than three quarters of EU citizens, or around 347 million people 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. Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City use the euro as their national currency, in agreement with the EU. A number of countries and territories, such as Kosovo (*) and Montenegro, also use the euro as their de facto currency.
(*) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Today, cross-border euro payments, including cash machine withdrawals and card payments, cost the same as they do at home for EU citizens, although you may still be charged a currency conversion fee if you live outside the euro area. You can now also easily check and compare conversion charges when paying with your card or withdrawing cash abroad.
Block any lost or stolen bank cards immediately by calling the issuer. Make a note of the number to ring before you travel.
If you enter or leave the EU with €10 000 or more in cash (*) (or its equivalent in other currencies) you must declare it to the customs authorities.
(*) Cash means banknotes, coins, bearer negotiable instruments and certain types of gold.
Staying healthy
Don’t forget to take your European health insurance card with you on your travels – just in case you need medical treatment while you are away. The card is available for free, normally from your national health insurer, and gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. If you have to pay for healthcare, you will need to keep all your bills, prescriptions and receipts so that you can apply for reimbursement in the country you are visiting or when you get home.
Find out how to apply for a card.
The European health insurance card is not a substitute for travel insurance, as it does not cover costs such as repatriation or mountain rescue in ski resorts. You may want to take out travel insurance to cover such risks.
A prescription from your doctor is valid in all EU countries, but you should check that the prescribed medicine is authorised for sale and is available in the country you are visiting. Make sure your prescription contains all the relevant information about you, the prescribing doctor and the prescribed product.
With e-prescriptions, it is now possible for travellers to collect medicine prescribed electronically by their doctor from a pharmacy in some EU countries, while some doctors can also access important patient information in their own language.
Check to see if these services are available where you’re going.
There are, in general, no vaccination requirements when travelling in the EU. However, there are requirements or recommendations for some of the EU’s overseas territories. Check with your doctor before you go.

More than 95 % of the EU’s bathing water sites meet the minimum water-quality standards and over 85 % meet the more stringent ‘excellent’ level.
Check out the interactive map to find out what the quality of the water is where you are going.
Things to do
For ideas and information on what to see and do, have a look at the European tourist destinations website or go to the websites of the official national tourist organisations of each EU country (see EU map).
The EU promotes many cultural projects and events across Europe every year. In particular, it supports the European Capitals of Culture, an initiative which aims to highlight Europe’s rich cultural diversity.
2024
Bad Ischl (Austria)
Bodø (Norway)
Tartu (Estonia)
Dublin (Ireland) and Grosseto (Italy) are the 2024 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, respectively.
The European Commission supports EU countries in rewarding non-traditional, emerging sustainable tourism destinations in Europe through the European Destinations of Excellence award.
Since 2018, the EU has been giving 18-year-old Europeans the chance to travel for free across Europe for up to one month and discover the continent’s rich cultural heritage. So far, more than 200 000 young Europeans have received a DiscoverEU travel pass. The initiative offers young travellers the chance to connect with each other through organised meetups and take part in an exciting programme of activities. On top of their travel pass, all DiscoverEU travellers also receive a discount card and can take advantage of over 40 000 discounts on cultural events, accommodation, education, services and products in over 30 countries across Europe.