Euro countries on our routes: Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo and (since 1 January 2026) Bulgaria.
01
Why it matters
Getting money wrong rarely ruins a trip, but it adds up: a 10% loss on a bad ATM conversion here, euros changed at a poor rate there, a pocket full of dinars you can't spend in Croatia. A little planning saves real money and a lot of small stress at bakery counters and taxi ranks.
The good news: cards work in almost every hotel, supermarket and restaurant in the cities, ATMs are everywhere, and you only need small amounts of local cash.
02
Historical, cultural, and geographic context
The 10 countries at a glance
| Country | Currency | About €1 = | Cash or card? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | Euro (EUR) | €1 | cards almost everywhere |
| Croatia | Euro (EUR) since 2023 | €1 | cards almost everywhere |
| Montenegro | Euro (EUR) | €1 | cards in towns, cash for beaches and markets |
| Kosovo | Euro (EUR) | €1 | cash still common |
| Bulgaria | Euro (EUR) since 1 Jan 2026 | €1 | cards widely, cash in villages |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Convertible mark (KM / BAM) | 1.96 KM (fixed) | cards in cities, cash elsewhere |
| Serbia | Dinar (RSD) | about 117 RSD | cards widely in cities |
| North Macedonia | Denar (MKD) | about 61.5 MKD | cards in cities, cash elsewhere |
| Albania | Lek (ALL) | about 92 lek | cash is king outside Tirana |
| Romania | Leu (RON, plural lei) | about 5.35 lei | cards widely |
Rates are mid-market rates from late October 2026 and change daily (except the KM, which is fixed to the euro).
Five euro countries, but only three in the eurozone
Slovenia (2007), Croatia (2023) and Bulgaria (2026) joined the eurozone properly. Montenegro and Kosovo are different: they simply adopted the euro on their own around 2002, after using the German mark, without being EU members. For you it makes no difference: euro notes and coins work exactly the same.
Kosovo detail: since February 2024 the euro is the only currency for cash payments in Kosovo, including the Serbian-majority north, where the dinar used to be common.
Bulgaria's switch to the euro in 2026
Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Both currencies were accepted during January, and since 1 February 2026 only the euro is legal tender. The fixed conversion rate was 1.95583 lev to €1. If you still have old leva at home, the Bulgarian National Bank exchanges them for free with no end date; commercial banks may now charge a fee. Many blogs still say "bring leva": they're out of date.
Bosnia's convertible mark: the euro's twin
The konvertibilna marka (KM, code BAM) was created in 1998 at a fixed rate to the German mark, and it's now fixed to the euro at 1.95583 KM. Locals round it to 2 KM per euro. Banknotes come in two designs, one in Latin and one in Cyrillic script, and both are valid everywhere in the country.
Romania: the leu stays for now
Romania is in the EU and in Schengen but still uses the leu. It has no fixed date for the euro; the official goal has long been 2029, and a political agreement in summer 2026 didn't set a new date.
03
Key takeaways
Five of the ten countries use the euro, including Montenegro and Kosovo, which are not in the EU.
Bulgaria switched fully to the euro in 2026; Romania still uses the leu.
In Bosnia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania you need some local cash; Albania is the most cash-heavy.
The biggest avoidable cost is accepting home-currency conversion at ATMs and card terminals.
Quick facts
Quick facts For first-time visitors
Euro countries on our routes: Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo and (since 1 January 2026) Bulgaria.
Bosnia's convertible mark is fixed to the euro: €1 = 1.95583 KM, usually rounded to 2 KM.
Approximate rates in October 2026: €1 = 117 Serbian dinars, 61.5 Macedonian denars, 92 Albanian lek, 5.35 Romanian lei.
Bulgaria's lev stopped being legal tender on 1 February 2026.
Always choose local currency at ATMs and card terminals to avoid dynamic currency conversion.
04
Gallery
Market notes
Market-specific tips For first-time visitors
01
Use a card with no foreign transaction fees; cards work in most city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.
02
Decline "pay in your home currency" on every ATM and card terminal.
03
Skip standalone tourist-street ATMs and use bank ATMs instead.
04
Spend or change KM, dinars, denars, lek and lei before leaving each country.
05
What defines it today
Country by country: what we tell our guests
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: use KM. Euros are often taken in tourist shops in Sarajevo and Mostar, but usually at 2 KM per euro and with change in KM. Cards work in hotels, supermarkets and most restaurants; bakeries, ćevapi places, markets, toilets and many taxis are cash. You can't spend KM in Croatia, so use them up or change them before you leave. See also our Sarajevo winter guide for local food prices.
- Croatia and Slovenia: euro and cards everywhere, including most market stalls and cafés. Carry a few coins for parking machines and public toilets.
- Montenegro: euro. Cards work in Kotor and Budva restaurants and hotels; beach loungers, boat trips from the harbour and small bakeries often want cash.
- Serbia: dinars. Belgrade is very card-friendly; outside the cities, carry cash. Euros are not normally accepted for everyday payments.
- North Macedonia: denars. Cards in Skopje and Ohrid hotels and restaurants; cash in the old bazaar, small towns and for taxis.
- Albania: lek, and cash matters more here than anywhere else in the region. Many places quote prices in euros too and will accept them, but change usually comes in lek. Local tip: older Albanians sometimes quote prices in "old lek", which are ten times the real number, so a 2,000 price may mean 200 lek. If a number sounds crazy, ask.
- Kosovo: euro. Cash is still more common than cards in smaller places.
- Bulgaria: euro since 2026; cards widely accepted in cities.
- Romania: lei. Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Bucharest and Brașov; carry some cash for villages and small guesthouses.
ATMs: the most expensive mistake
- Always choose the local currency when an ATM or card terminal asks "charge in your home currency?". Saying yes (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set the exchange rate, often several percent worse, sometimes up to around 13% with some operators.
- Avoid the standalone ATMs in tourist streets that aren't attached to a bank (Euronet is the best-known). They often add a €2–5 fee on top of the poor conversion. Use an ATM inside or outside a real bank.
- Withdraw sensible amounts: a flat fee hurts most on small withdrawals.
- Check the fee on screen before you confirm; you can always cancel.
Exchange offices and euros in cash
Exchange offices (mjenjačnica, menjačnica, këmbim valutor) in town centres usually give fair rates and no commission for euros; airport and hotel desks are the worst. Bring clean, undamaged euro notes; €50 and smaller are easiest. US dollars and British pounds can be changed in cities but at worse rates than euros.
Leftover money at the end
Euros travel with you. KM, dinars, denars, lek and lei are hard to change outside their own countries, so spend them on your last coffee, or change them at a town exchange office before you cross the border. Coins can't be changed back at all.
Crossing several borders on your trip? Read our Balkan border crossings guide too.
"Cards for hotels and restaurants, a little local cash for bakeries, markets and taxis. That covers 90% of a Balkan trip. (Balkland guides)"
07
Local stories and legends
- "Old lek" in Albania: the lek was revalued in 1965, and more than 60 years later many people still count in the old units, ten times bigger. Ask "lekë të rinj?" (new lek?) if you're unsure.
- The German mark legacy: Bosnia's KM, and the euro in Montenegro and Kosovo, all go back to the years when the Deutsche Mark was the trusted currency across the region. You'll still hear older people convert prices "in marks" out of habit.
- Two scripts, one currency: Bosnian banknotes come in Latin and Cyrillic versions of the same note, a small everyday sign of how the country is organised.
08
Practical notes
- Bring a card with no foreign transaction fees and a backup card kept separately.
- Carry €50–100 in small euro notes as a backup that works almost anywhere in the region.
- Get local cash from a bank ATM on arrival in Bosnia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania and Romania; you only need a little.
- Always pay in the local currency when a card machine offers you a choice.
- Keep small notes and coins for bakeries, markets, parking, public toilets and tips.
- Tipping: rounding up or about 10% in restaurants is normal across the region; it's appreciated in cash.
09
Frequently asked questions
Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo and, since 1 January 2026, Bulgaria. Montenegro and Kosovo use the euro without being EU members.
Often in tourist shops, hotels and some restaurants in Sarajevo and Mostar, but usually at 2 KM per euro and with change in KM. For bakeries, markets and taxis, carry convertible marks.
No. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, and since 1 February 2026 only the euro is legal tender. The Bulgarian National Bank still exchanges old leva for free.
Yes. Albania is the most cash-based country in the region. Euros are often accepted, but you'll get better value paying in lek, which you can withdraw from bank ATMs.
No. Always choose the local currency. Choosing your home currency lets the ATM set its own exchange rate, which is usually several percent worse.
It's difficult. Spend them or change them at a town exchange office before you leave the country; coins can't be changed back at all.
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Prepared by Balkland's regional travel team.
Every guide is researched and written by local experts who live and work across the Balkans.