Travel money planning

Best Travel Card for Europe: Wise, Revolut, N26, Bybit

For most travelers, Wise or Revolut is the best travel card for Europe: both hold euros and other currencies and have options with no monthly fee. N26 is the strongest pick for residents of its supported countries, and Bybit Card EU suits people who already keep crypto with Bybit EU. Pack a backup card on another network and a little local cash.

By DmytroUpdated 11 Oct 202613 min read

A train under the arched iron-and-glass roof of a railway station — Photo: William Dmytrow / Unsplash

Short answer

Wise: mid-market rate plus a conversion fee, no card subscription; on an EEA account ATM cash is free up to EUR 250 a month, then 2.69%, and the card costs EUR 7 (as of 10 Oct 2026).
Revolut Standard: free plan; no Revolut exchange fee up to GBP 1,000 a month, then 1%, plus 1% at weekends where it applies; 5 withdrawals or GBP 200 a month free (UK, as of 26 Sep 2026).
N26: no N26 fee on card payments in any currency; 1.7% on non-euro cash on Standard and Smart (EU plans, as of 26 Sep 2026). For residents of supported countries.
Bybit Card EU: 0.5% above the Mastercard rate on foreign-currency payments, EUR 100 of free ATM cash a month, then 2% (as of 26 Sep 2026). Carry a backup card on another network.

Card fees for one month in Europe outside the euro area

N26 Smart10.00 EURExchange 0.00 · ATM 5.10 · Plan 4.90 · Card 0.00 · card delivery extra
Bybit Card EU10.50 EURExchange 6.50 · ATM 4.00 · Plan 0.00 · Card 0.00 · crypto conversion extra
N26 Standard15.10 EURExchange 0.00 · ATM 5.10 · Plan 0.00 · Card 10.00
Wirex Standard≥ 7.00 EURExchange 0.00 · ATM 2.00 · Plan 0.00 · Card 5.00 · + conversion fee shown in the app
Wise≥ 8.35 EURExchange 0.00 · ATM 1.35 · Plan 0.00 · Card 7.00 · + conversion fee shown in the app

Not ranked: Nexo Card Base (virtual card only on this plan: no ATM cash; total covers card payments)

Sample trip: EUR 1,000 by card + EUR 300 cash a month in two ATM withdrawals, 30% of spending at weekends; the first card or its delivery is counted once. Fees as of 26 Sep 2026 – 10 Oct 2026. Hatched end: the card’s conversion fee depends on the currency and is not in the bar. Open the full travel card cost calculator

The best travel cards for Europe and who each suits

Two multi-currency accounts, a euro bank account and a crypto-funded card cover most trips.

Wise suits travelers crossing several countries who want euros and other currencies in one account. It converts at the mid-market rate plus a fee that depends on the currency, with no foreign transaction fee and no card subscription. Its free ATM allowance is small (EUR 250 a month on an EEA account, then 2.69%, as of 10 Oct 2026), and Wise sets ATM fees by the country that issued the card.

Revolut suits UK and EEA residents who spend moderate amounts and want cards, exchanges and transfers in one app. The Standard plan is free and, in the UK, exchanges up to GBP 1,000 a rolling month without a Revolut fee. Paid plans from GBP 3.99 a month raise the allowances (UK, as of 26 Sep 2026).

N26 suits residents of its supported European countries who want a euro bank account. It adds no fee to card payments in any currency on every plan, which makes it a strong card for Poland, Czechia or Hungary, and eligible deposits have deposit protection.

Bybit Card EU suits people who already keep crypto with Bybit EU. Foreign-currency payments cost 0.5% above the Mastercard rate (as of 26 Sep 2026), crypto conversion is priced separately, and the exchange holds your funds. Bybit EU issues the card to residents of eligible European countries.

Whichever card is your main one, carry a second card from another provider, ideally on the other network (a Visa if the main card is a Mastercard, or the reverse), and keep it in a different bag.

Wise, Revolut, N26 and Bybit Card EU compared

Card payments, cash, plan cost and who can open each account.

For paying in another currency, N26 adds no fee on any plan and Revolut Standard adds none on weekdays within its monthly allowance, while Wise and Bybit Card EU charge a conversion fee or markup on each converted payment.

Travel cards for Europe: main fees by card
Card	Paying in another currency	ATM cash	Plan and card cost	Who can open it
Wise (EEA pricing, 10 Oct 2026)	Mid-market rate + conversion fee by currency; no foreign transaction fee	Free up to EUR 250 a month, then 2.69% of the amount above	No card subscription; physical card EUR 7, digital card free	Depends on country of residence and verification
Revolut (Standard, UK, 26 Sep 2026)	Revolut rate; free up to GBP 1,000 a rolling month, then 1%; +1% at weekends where it applies	5 withdrawals or GBP 200 a rolling month free, then 2% (minimum GBP 1)	Standard free; Plus GBP 3.99 to Ultra GBP 55 a month	UK, EEA, US and many other countries
N26 (EU plans, 26 Sep 2026)	Mastercard rate, no N26 fee on any plan	Non-euro cash: 1.7% on Standard and Smart, no N26 markup on Go and Metal; euro quotas by plan and country	Standard free; Smart EUR 4.90; Go EUR 9.90; Metal EUR 16.90 a month; virtual card free, physical EUR 10	Residents of N26’s supported European countries, including Switzerland
Bybit Card EU (26 Sep 2026)	0.5% above the Mastercard rate; crypto conversion priced separately	EUR 100 a month free, then 2% on the amount above	Virtual and first physical card free; replacement EUR 5	Residents of eligible European countries, through Bybit EU

Wise reviewCard, conversion and ATM fees in detail.Revolut reviewPlans, allowances and what each tier adds.N26 reviewEuro account plans, cash rules and eligible countries.Bybit Card reviewEU and regional card fees and limits.

What your trip costs with each card

Enter your trip and the cards are ranked by what they charge in fees, using each card’s published prices for where you live.

Where you live

Where you travel

Currency at the destination

Trip length, months

Card payments in a foreign currency, per month

ATM cash in a foreign currency, per month

ATM withdrawals per month

Share of spending at weekends

Enter foreign-currency amounts at their value in EUR.

Assumes a euro card used in Europe outside the euro area (for example in Czechia, Poland or Hungary), so payments and cash are converted.

Of the cards with a full price, N26 Smart is cheapest: about 10.00 EUR; Bybit Card EU costs 10.50 EUR. Wirex Standard costs 7.00 EUR and Wise 8.35 EUR, each plus a conversion fee that depends on the currency (the app shows it before you pay). Nexo Card Base has only a virtual card on this plan, so it cannot withdraw cash and is left out of the comparison.

1
N26 SmartCheapestEEA (euro account) · Review
Trip total: 10.00 EUR
Per month: 10.00 EUR
Exchange
0.00 EUR
ATM
5.10 EUR
Plan
4.90 EUR
Card
0.00 EUR
card delivery extra
Fees as of 26 Sep 2026 · source
2
Bybit Card EUEEA (euro account) · Review
Trip total: 10.50 EUR
Per month: 10.50 EUR
Exchange
6.50 EUR
ATM
4.00 EUR
Plan
0.00 EUR
Card
0.00 EUR
crypto conversion extra
Fees as of 26 Sep 2026 · source
3
N26 StandardEEA (euro account) · Review
Trip total: 15.10 EUR
Per month: 15.10 EUR
Exchange
0.00 EUR
ATM
5.10 EUR
Plan
0.00 EUR
Card
10.00 EUR
Fees as of 26 Sep 2026 · source
4
Wirex StandardEEA (euro account) · Review
Trip total: 7.00 EUR
Per month: 7.00 EUR
Exchange
0.00 EUR
ATM
2.00 EUR
Plan
0.00 EUR
Card
5.00 EUR
+ conversion fee shown in the app
Fees as of 26 Sep 2026 · source
5
WiseEEA (euro account) · Review
Trip total: 8.35 EUR
Per month: 8.35 EUR
Exchange
0.00 EUR
ATM
1.35 EUR
Plan
0.00 EUR
Card
7.00 EUR
+ conversion fee shown in the app
Fees as of 10 Oct 2026 · source
6
Nexo Card BaseEEA (euro account) · Review
Trip total: 3.50 EUR
Per month: 3.50 EUR
Exchange
3.50 EUR
ATM
0.00 EUR
Plan
0.00 EUR
Card
0.00 EUR
virtual card only on this plan: no ATM cash; total covers card payments
Fees as of 26 Sep 2026 · source

Open the full travel card cost calculator

Paying in euros vs other European currencies

Most EU countries use the euro; Poland, Czechia, Hungary, the UK and Switzerland do not.

The euro is the currency of most EU countries, but not of all of Europe. Poland (PLN), Czechia (CZK), Hungary (HUF), Romania (RON), Sweden (SEK) and Denmark (DKK) are EU members with their own currencies, and the UK (GBP), Switzerland (CHF) and Norway (NOK) are outside the euro area. A Berlin–Prague–Budapest trip runs in three currencies.

In euro countries, pay from a euro balance: N26 is a euro account, and Wise and Revolut let you hold euros in the app, so no conversion happens. In PLN, CZK, HUF, GBP or CHF, the card converts as you pay. N26 uses the Mastercard rate with no fee, Wise charges its conversion fee and Bybit Card EU adds 0.5% (as of 21–26 Sep 2026). Revolut Standard is free within GBP 1,000 a month (UK, as of 26 Sep 2026) but adds 1% at weekends where that fee applies, so convert weekend money on a weekday.

If a shop terminal offers to charge you in your card’s currency, decline and pay in the local one; otherwise the shop’s provider sets the rate.

How foreign exchange fees workWhat makes up the price of a card payment abroad.FX fee calculatorEnter an amount and your card’s fees to see the total cost.

Virtual euro cards: free options for Europe

N26, Wise EEA and Bybit Card EU all issue a virtual euro card at no charge.

The free virtual euro cards are N26 Standard (virtual card free, EU, as of 26 Sep 2026), the Wise digital card on an EEA account (free, as of 10 Oct 2026) and Bybit Card EU (virtual card free, as of 26 Sep 2026). Revolut also issues virtual cards in its app. Each one appears in the app right after the account is approved, so you can add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay and pay in shops before a plastic card arrives.

Use the virtual card for online bookings, phone payments and as a spare card number. For ATM cash and desks that want to see the card, order a physical one: EUR 7 with Wise in the EEA (as of 10 Oct 2026), EUR 10 with N26, and the first physical Bybit Card EU is free (as of 26 Sep 2026).

Prepaid and top-up euro cards

Top up a euro balance in Wise or Revolut and spend it like a prepaid euro card.

The practical prepaid euro card today is a top-up account: you load money, hold it in euros and pay by card. Wise in the EEA charges EUR 7 for the card, no subscription and no Wise fee on ATM cash up to EUR 250 a month, then 2.69% of the amount above (as of 10 Oct 2026). Revolut Standard is a free plan and exchanges up to GBP 1,000 a rolling month without a Revolut fee (UK, as of 26 Sep 2026).

Convert to euros before the trip and the card spends from that balance with no conversion at the till. Money left over stays in the account in euros for the next trip. N26 works the same way for residents of its supported countries, except that the whole account is already in euros.

ATM withdrawals and DCC in Europe

Stay inside your free allowance, decline the ATM’s conversion and withdraw fewer, larger amounts.

Free cash allowances: EUR 250 a month with Wise on an EEA account (as of 10 Oct 2026), 5 withdrawals or GBP 200 a rolling month with Revolut Standard (UK) and EUR 100 a month with Bybit Card EU (as of 26 Sep 2026). N26 sets euro quotas by plan and country and charges 1.7% on non-euro cash on Standard and Smart. The ATM owner may add its own fee, so read the screen before you confirm.

If the ATM offers to convert the withdrawal into your card’s currency, that is dynamic currency conversion (DCC). Visa says the amount, rate and markup should be shown and the choice left to you. Choose the local currency and let your card convert.

Fixed and minimum fees weigh more on small withdrawals, and Revolut counts withdrawals as well as the amount, so take out cash for several days at once.

Example: EUR 300 of cash in one month (fees as of 26 Sep 2026). With N26 Standard in Prague, EUR 300 worth of koruna costs 1.7% = EUR 5.10 in N26 fees. With Bybit Card EU in a euro country, the first EUR 100 is free and the other EUR 200 cost 2% = EUR 4.00. Any operator fee comes on top in both cases.

Open the N26 example in the ATM calculatorEUR 300 of non-euro cash at 1.7%; add the operator fee from the ATM screen.Dynamic currency conversionHow to spot the home-currency offer and decline it.ATM withdrawal strategyHow much to take out and how often.

Hotel and car rental deposits: credit or debit

A deposit is a hold on your money, and the rental company decides which cards it accepts.

Hotels and car rental desks often place a hold on your card at check-in or pick-up. It is not a final charge, but it reduces what you can spend on that card until it is released. Wise, Revolut, N26 and Bybit Card EU spend money you already hold, so top up by the deposit amount or use a card you do not need for daily spending.

The rental company and the rental country set the card rules; Europcar’s terms, for example, refer to the payment rules of the country where you rent. Read the payment section of the booking: accepted card types, whose name must be on the card and whether you need the physical card. If it asks for a credit card, bring one in the main driver’s name.

Hotel and car-rental deposit holdsHow much hotels and rental desks block, on which card, and when it is released.Credit card vs debit card abroadWhen each type is the better choice on a trip.

What to pack: main card, backup card and some cash

Two cards from different providers, a phone wallet and local cash for the first day.

Main card: Wise or Revolut for a multi-country trip; N26 if you live in one of its supported countries.

Backup card: another provider, ideally on the other network, kept apart from the main card. Wise and Revolut issue Visa or Mastercard depending on the issuing country; N26 issues Mastercard.

Phone wallet: Revolut and N26 support Apple Pay and Google Pay; for Wise and Bybit Card EU it depends on the region.

Cash: a little local currency for the first day and places that do not take cards. Credit card: if you rent a car or a hotel asks for one.

Checklist

Main and backup cards are from different providers, ideally one Visa and one Mastercard.
Both cards are activated and in your phone wallet, and you know both PINs.
The currency of every stop is written down: EUR, PLN, CZK, HUF, GBP, CHF or another.
Revolut users have converted weekend money on a weekday.
You know how much free ATM allowance is left this month on each card.
Hotel and car rental payment terms are read; a credit card is packed if required.
Some local cash and the card providers’ support contacts are kept apart from the cards.

FAQ

What is the best travel card for Europe?

For most travelers, Wise or Revolut: both hold euros and other currencies and have options with no monthly fee. N26 is the pick for residents of its supported countries (no N26 fee on card payments in any currency, EU, as of 26 Sep 2026), and Bybit Card EU for people who already hold crypto with Bybit EU.

Which card is best for paying in euros?

One that pays from euros you already hold: an N26 euro account, or a euro balance in Wise or Revolut. That avoids a conversion at the till.

What are the best prepaid euro cards?

Wise and Revolut, used as top-up euro cards: load money, convert it to euros and spend from the euro balance. Wise charges EUR 7 for the card in the EEA (as of 10 Oct 2026), and Revolut Standard has no monthly fee.

Is a virtual card enough for a trip to Europe?

For online bookings and phone payments, yes. Bring a physical card for ATMs and for desks that ask to see it.

What is a euro currency card?

A card that spends from money held in euros, so purchases in euro countries need no conversion. N26 is a euro account; Wise and Revolut hold a euro balance next to other currencies.

Which virtual euro card is free?

N26 Standard, the Wise digital card on an EEA account and Bybit Card EU all issue the virtual card at no charge (as of 26 Sep and 10 Oct 2026).

Should I take cash to Europe?

A little local currency for the first day. Pay by card for most things and withdraw more within your free ATM allowance.

Can I get these cards if I do not live in Europe?

Revolut lists the UK, the EEA, the US and many other countries; Wise availability depends on your country of residence. N26 and Bybit Card EU are for residents of supported European countries only. All of them require legal residence in a supported country and identity verification. Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks have not worked abroad since March 2022.

Do I need a credit card to rent a car in Europe?

Check the booking’s payment terms: the rental company and the country set the rules. If it asks for a credit card, bring one in the main driver’s name; the cards in this guide spend your own balance.

Sources

Wise card fees (US pricing) — Wise
Wise card fees (EEA pricing) — Wise
How can I convert money? — Wise
How much does it cost to withdraw cash with my Wise card? — Wise
Personal fees: Standard plan (UK) — Revolut
Revolut pricing plans — Revolut
What countries are supported? — Revolut
N26 foreign transaction fees — N26
N26 plan comparison (EU) — N26
How often can I withdraw cash for free? — N26
What is an N26 Standard account? — N26
Can I open an N26 account in my country? — N26
How does N26 protect my money? — N26
Bybit Card fees and spending limits (EU) — Bybit EU
How to apply for Bybit Card (EEA) — Bybit EU
Countries using the euro — European Union
Dynamic Currency Conversion Explained — Visa
Application terms: payment and deposit sections — Europcar
Visa Suspends All Russia Operations — Visa
Mastercard Statement on Suspension of Russian Operations — Mastercard

Fees and terms change, so check the provider’s current price page before you sign up. How we compare

Guides to explore

Best Travel Card for the USA: Fees, Deposits and TipsFor a US trip on cards from home, pay with a low-fee debit card and keep a credit card for holds.Wise vs Revolut: Fees, Exchange Rates and ATM LimitsPick Wise if you convert larger sums, hold several currencies or send money abroad: it uses the mid-market rate plus a conversion fee and has no card subscription.Dynamic Currency Conversion: Pay in Local CurrencyDynamic currency conversion (DCC) is the offer, at a shop terminal or ATM abroad, to charge you in your home currency instead of the local one, at an exchange rate set by the merchant’s or ATM’s provider.Hotel and Car Rental Card Holds: How Deposits WorkA hotel or car rental deposit is usually an authorization hold: the amount is blocked on your card and released after checkout or return.

Related calculators

Travel Budget Calculator: Trip Cost and ReserveTravel budget calculator: a 7-night trip at €95 a night and €35 a day for food comes to about €1,478 with a 15% buffer. Add an emergency reserve.FX Fee Calculator: Compare Two Cards AbroadFX fee calculator: compare a 3% bank card with N26, Revolut, Wise, Nexo or Bybit on 1,000 USD of spending abroad, using each card’s dated fees.ATM Withdrawal Fee Calculator for Cash AbroadATM withdrawal fee calculator: Wise, Revolut, N26 or Bybit fees with each free allowance; 4 × 300 EUR a month on Wise is 25.56 EUR. Plan a trip too.

Related comparisons

Money Transfer Apps Compared: Wise, Revolut, PayoneerMoney transfer apps compared: Wise, Revolut and Payoneer on conversion fees, free ATM cash (Wise US: USD 250; Revolut UK: GBP 200, Sep 2026) and receiving.