Introducing the EuroThe Euro (€) is a great currency for travelers to master. My beloved German Deutsch-Mark is gone, as well as the French Frank, the Austrian Shilling, Belgium Frank, Greek Drachma, the Spanish Peseta, the Irish Pound, the Italian Lire, Luxembourg Frank, the Dutch Guilder, Portugal Escudos and the Finish money bunches. Wow! The monetary agreement was written up in eleven languages including Danish and Swedish, whose countries didn't even adopt the new currency. (Those silly people.) What wasn't silly is that the restaurant and hotel owners in Germany charge the same prices in €s as in the old German Deutsch-Marks, thus doubling the prices of everything touristy. With the American Dollar being very weak against this currency, countries from Portugal to Sweden and everywhere in between have become very expensive indeed... 
A 20 € note. Just think of it as a 35-dollar bill. (Or whatever it is now.) 
The mighty Euro. One side is always the same for any given denomination. On the other side of each € coin is an image from each country, just like the states on our US quarter. I'll let you figure out which country is which...
Even the tiny countries of Monaco, San Marina and the Vatican get to strike their own coins, not available or allowed for centuries.
Europe has changed indeed. It makes it so much easier to travel, since so many countries share the same currency. Money management is easy with ATMs all using the same money. It has become more like the United States of €, for better or for worse. Here are some important road skills: What to do about Lost Travelers Motion Sickness and Sea Sickness Electronic Travel Applications Audio Tours for museums and cities
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