Money and Costs
Currency
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Name: |
Euro |
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Code: |
EUR |
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Symbol: |
€ |
Banknotes
Euro banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500, each with a different color. It is often difficult to get change for a €500 banknote.
Coins
One Euro is divided into 100 cents (centesimi, in Italian). Coins of 1, 2 and 5 cents are copper-colored; coins of 10, 20 and 50 cent are gold-colored; 1 and 2 Euro coins are gold-and-silver colored.
Changing Your Money
For currency exchange or to change travelers cheques, banks and post offices are the most reliable places. You may also use a credit card to withdraw cash in Euros from Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), which are widespread and easy to use.
Credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants, hotels, shops and railway stations, however some places may only accept cash. We recommend that students bring along a sufficient amount of Euros or travelers cheques to cover immediate expenses and to have more than a handful of Euros on you at all times.
Tipping
You are not expected to tip, but it is common to leave a small amount of money at bars (€0.20-€0.40 cents) or restaurants (up to a 10% tip). It is not a common practice to tip taxi drivers.