For people visiting European countries for the first time, you need to know about the Euro currency. It is a simple currency to use but you need to be aware in the difference in notes

Has the euro affected prices ?
In general, yes. It has been common practice to 'round-up' prices to the nearest decimal and there is evidence of this happening all over. It was thought that this 'hiking' of prices would have an effect on the cost of living. However, most people don´t appear to be worried and prices don´t seem to have gone up too much. In fact, some prices have actually gone down. The euro seems to have been accepted by the Spanish, with great success. The euro has been fantastic for other EU citizens visiting Spain.

All vending machines have now been converted for euros and it has proved a good time for many companies to install totally new machines, such as the new computerised systems for the parking at airports etc. The multi-language system uses the latest technology - and strangely enough the machine rounds down the euro and gives change. See our cost of living guide here.

And what´s happened to the peseta ?
All over Spain there were special celebrations to mark the withdrawal of the national currency and monuments have been erected in its memory. The cost of destroying 33,000 tonnes of peseta coins was shared between two companies who recycled the coins into boat propellers, beer barrels and refrigeration tubing. Banknotes were pulped by the Banco de España and converted into ´briquetas´. Some elderly Spaniards still refer to pesetas, especially when dealing with property prices.