EUR
Euro
5
5
EUR banknote
5 EUR banknote · Classical gateway
France
travel money guide
Money in France
Meet a wallet of Marianne, Marie Curie and the morning espresso: read the cafe price before sitting, choose the right Paris ticket family and remember that an invisible motorway toll is still a bill.
Euro statusEuro area since 1999
New coin facesIntroduced in 2024
Cafe pricesTax and service included
Paris ticketsTwo network families
TippingOptional
The quick answer
Should you carry cash in France?
Use a low-fee Visa or Mastercard for most spending, keep a separate backup and carry EUR 60-100 in EUR 5, 10 and 20 notes for markets, card minimums, rural stops and small cafe bills.
Cards are widely accepted, but a merchant may display a minimum card purchase. Small euros remain genuinely useful. In restaurants, the displayed price includes tax and service; in transport and on the motorway, the important skill is choosing the correct payment system before the deadline.
Turn over the new French changeSimone Veil, Josephine Baker and Marie Curie now appear on France's 10, 20 and 50 cent coins.
Read before you tap or sitA card minimum and cafe prices must be displayed. Small cash can be easier than negotiating at the till.
Save the plate after NormandyA13 and A14 free-flow tolls read the vehicle, not a paper ticket. Without a toll tag, payment is due within 72 hours.
Meet the EUR
Paper money
Euro notes follow an easy architectural colour ladder - grey €5, red €10, blue €20, orange €50, green €100 and yellow €200 - wherever you spend them in Europe.
EUR
Euro
10
10
EUR banknote
10 EUR banknote · Romanesque arch
EUR
Euro
20
20
EUR banknote
20 EUR banknote · Gothic windows
EUR
Euro
50
50
EUR banknote
50 EUR banknote · Renaissance window
EUR
Euro
100
100
EUR banknote
100 EUR banknote · Baroque gateway
EUR
Euro
200
200
EUR banknote
200 EUR banknote · Iron and glass
EUR
Euro
500
500
EUR banknote
500 EUR banknote · Modern glass and steel
Older series · no longer issued
The euro banknote theme is imagined European architecture rather than real monuments: windows and gateways move from classical to modern styles, while bridges on the reverse suggest connection. Cash by Country artwork is an original, simplified interpretation and is not legal tender.
Shared currency guide One euro, many destinations See where the euro is used, what stays the same and why the coins change. Explore →
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France travel money guides
France makes everyday spending more interesting than it first appears. Meet a new generation of national coin portraits, decode the cafe bill, split Paris journeys into the right ticket families and never mistake a missing toll barrier for a free road.
Marianne, icons, tree of life
The Republic in Your Change
Meet France's two circulating coin generations and the women, symbols and republican motto carried in your pocket.
Turn over the French euros Menu, minimum, carafe
The Café Bill Decoder
Read service-included prices, card minimums, menu versus carte and the free carafe of water.
Decode the French table Rail ticket or street ticket?
The Paris Two-Ticket Wallet
Separate Metro-Train-RER from Bus-Tram, protect the airport exception and choose a dependable ticket medium.
Sort the Paris tickets Drive first, pay within 72h
The Invisible Toll Wallet
Understand France's free-flow motorways, number-plate billing and the payment step that happens after the drive.
Catch the invisible toll Service included, tip optional
Service Compris
Separate the included service charge from a voluntary restaurant, cafe, taxi, hotel or guide tip.
Tip without paying twice One currency, many countries
Where Is the Euro Used?
Meet the euro-area members, agreement countries and de facto users, then see why the notes match while the coins can look local.
Explore the euro
Source desk
The France source desk
Sources include the ECB, France's consumer-protection authority, Île-de-France Mobilités and current motorway-operator guidance.