You’ve already mapped out your itinerary, booked your flights, and reserved your first hotels—but you still haven’t figured out how you’ll pay for things in Europe. It’s the question that stalls so many people in the final stretch: carry cash in Europe, trust only your card, or set up a plan B for when something goes wrong mid-trip?
The practical answer: combine an international card with a low IOF (a multi-currency account like Wise, ARQ, or similar) for everyday spending, carry between €100 and €200 in cash for your arrival, and keep a second card from a different bank and network stored separately from your main wallet as a plan B. This combination covers the three scenarios that catch travelers off guard the most: card blocks, businesses that only accept cash, and loss or theft.
Money in Europe: How to Decide Between Card, Cash, and a Multi-Currency Account
The right decision isn’t “card OR cash”—it’s both, in different proportions, depending on where you’re going. Big cities like Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam accept cards even at street markets and in taxis; but villages in the Italian countryside, farmers’ markets, and some small cafés still prefer cash. Since Decree No. 12,499, from June 2025, the IOF on international cards was unified at 3.5%—which made multi-currency accounts (like Wise, ARQ, and AstroPay) more advantageous than a traditional bank credit card, because they convert to euros with a lower spread and, in some cases, avoid that tax altogether.
In practice, anyone doing a multi-country trip—like the classic Rome, Florence, and Venice by train route—benefits from a multi-currency account, because it avoids double conversion: from reais to euros and then from euros to the local currency, in the case of destinations outside the eurozone like the Czech Republic, where it’s also worth checking out the 3-day Prague itinerary. If you’re staying in a single country, or always returning to the same destination, you might do just fine with a good international card and a small cash reserve.
Best Time to Exchange Money and How Far in Advance to Sort It Out
Sort out your payment methods at least 15 days before departure—that’s the average time it takes to open an account on platforms like Wise or ARQ, receive the physical card by mail, and test it on small purchases in Brazil before you fly. Leaving it to the last minute is the most common mistake: a card without an activated chip or without international limits only shows up at the first ATM in Europe, when it’s already too late to fix it calmly.
About exchange rates: there’s no “best month” to buy euros—the rate changes every day, and trying to time the market rarely justifies the risk of waiting too long. What really matters is comparing the spread (the difference between the day’s rate and the price the exchange house or bank charges) before closing any transaction, whether in cash or by loading a balance into a multi-currency account.
How Much Cash to Carry and How to Withdraw Without Losing on the Exchange Rate
For your arrival, between €100 and €200 in cash covers a taxi, a coffee, and small purchases at places that don’t accept cards yet—without leaving too much money exposed to theft. After that, the ideal is to withdraw from ATMs at well-known banks, avoiding the currency exchange machines inside airports, which usually charge a spread well above the market rate.
When withdrawing, if the machine asks if you want the “guaranteed” conversion in reais (DCC—Dynamic Currency Conversion), decline and choose to be charged in the local currency (euros): the machine’s automatic conversion almost always includes a higher fee than your bank’s. Smaller, more frequent withdrawals also reduce the impact if a fixed fee per withdrawal is charged—check your bank’s or account’s fee schedule before you travel.
How to Split Your Payment Methods Across Banks and Networks
Splitting your money between different banks and card networks reduces the risk of being left without access to funds: if one card gets blocked on suspicion of fraud, or an account has app instability, the other one keeps working. The logic is simple: never rely on a single institution for your entire trip.
A split that works well in practice:
- Main card (daily use): a multi-currency account with a good rate (Wise, ARQ, or equivalent), Visa or Mastercard—use it for accommodation, restaurants, and everyday purchases.
- Backup card (plan B): from a different bank than the main one and, if possible, a different network (if the main is Visa, the backup in Mastercard, or vice versa)—stored separately from your wallet, only for emergencies.
- Cash: the initial €100–200, plus a small top-up withdrawn during the trip, kept in a different place from your cards.
- Digital backup access: at least one of the banks with an app that lets you block and unblock your card from your phone instantly, without calling a call center.
This split avoids the most common unexpected scenario: the bank flags “unusual” activity (purchases outside Brazil) and blocks the card for security, even with a travel notice on file. Having a second payment method from a different institution solves it on the spot, without relying on an international call to unblock it.
Plan B: What to Do If Your Card Gets Blocked in Europe
First step: try to resolve it through your bank’s or account’s own app—most allow you to unblock or re-enable international purchases directly from your phone, with no call costs. If the app doesn’t work, use the backup card stored separately while you contact the first bank’s support (the international number is usually on the back of the card or in the app).
If both cards fail at the same time (a rare scenario, but possible if you lose your entire wallet), the cash stored separately becomes your true plan B—which is why it shouldn’t be kept in the same place as your cards. As a last resort, notify someone you trust back in Brazil who can make an international transfer via Wise or similar to a backup account you’ve already set up before traveling.
Where to Keep Each Payment Method During the Day
Never carry both cards and all your cash in the same pocket or backpack compartment. A practical split: keep your main card and a small amount of cash in your everyday wallet; stash your backup card and the rest of your cash at the bottom of your suitcase, in the hotel, or in a hidden money belt under your clothes for higher-risk stretches (night trains, crowded stations). Snap photos of the front and back of your cards before you travel and save them in an email or notes app — it makes canceling fast if they get stolen.
Practical tips to avoid hidden fees
Always check the current terms directly in your bank or account app before you fly — fees, IOF, and spreads change often, and the exact amount on purchase day may differ from what you researched months earlier.
- Always decline automatic conversion to reais (DCC) at card machines and ATMs.
- Notify your bank about the trip even if you’re using a multi-currency account — it lowers the chance of a security block.
- Bring your old cards as a backup to the backup: even with higher fees, they work if everything else fails.
- Turn on push notifications for transactions on your phone — you’ll spot an unauthorized charge right away, not days later.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to bring cash or cards to Europe?
The ideal is to combine both: an international card (preferably a multi-currency account) for everyday spending and between €100 and €200 in cash for arrival and places that don’t accept cards. Relying on just one option raises the risk of running out of access to money at some point during the trip.
How much does IOF cost on international cards in Europe in 2026?
Since Decree No. 12,499, from June 2025, the IOF on international cards has been unified at 3.5%. Multi-currency accounts like Wise, ARQ, and AstroPay usually have a lower effective cost because they convert straight to euros without the full rate of a traditional credit card.
How does the Plan B work if my card gets blocked in Europe?
The ideal Plan B is to have a second card, from a different bank and network than your main one, kept separate from your everyday wallet. If your main card gets blocked, you use the backup while you sort things out through your bank’s app or the international helpline.
Is it worth having cards from different banks when traveling to Europe?
Yes. Splitting between different banks and networks lowers the risk of losing access to money if one gets blocked for suspected fraud or the app has issues during the trip.
Conclusion
There’s no single “right” way to carry money in Europe — there’s the combination that lowers risk: a multi-currency card for everyday spending, cash kept separately for surprises, and a second card from a different bank and network as your Plan B. Get that sorted at least two weeks ahead, and the only thing left to worry about on your trip is enjoying the destination. To keep planning, the complete Vienna guide walks you through another practical step of your Europe itinerary, right here on Voyage Voyage.