Do you need cash in Slovakia? Essential tips from a local

Do you need cash in Slovakia?

Short answer? Theoretically, no, especially since May 2026. 

But practically? Yes, you still need cash when visiting the country.

What does that mean?

It means don’t go rushing into the currency exchange office, yet.

How much cash you need for a trip to Slovakia depends on a few things – we’ll explain it all.

Plus, as Slovak locals, we’ll give you extra tips you won’t find elsewhere, so you can have a stress-free holiday.

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Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

Why should you trust our advice?

We get it. The world is a scary place these days and trusting information online the way we used to trust our low-rise jeans in 2007 is hard.

But fear not!

We’ve got credentials!

Please peruse:

• Mirka grew up in Slovakia. She’s your genuine local.
• Daniel has spent years visiting Slovakia and, more recently, we even set up a homebase there, so he’s your honorary Slovak.
• We post about Slovakia a lot, because it’s a great country to visit, and yet it’s not on the travellers’ radar yet.
• If you have any doubts (or a low-rise jeans pic you want to share), you can always drop us a message on our Instagram.
• And if you wish you could get help from Slovak locals when planning your trip? Book a call with us and we can chat about your ideas!

Okay, so are we good now?

In that case, let’s talk about whether you need cash in Slovakia!

Do you need cash in Slovakia?

You learned in the intro that you do need cash in Slovakia, but it comes with, well, a “but”.

Because, card payments are widely accepted, and, since May 2026, all businesses have to offer a cashless payment option. So everything depends on:

• Where in Slovakia you travel
• What you are planning on doing during your trip

Don’t worry, we’ll give you more info and insider tips!

What currency does Slovakia use?

Slovakia uses euros, so you don’t have to worry about needing some obscure currency you’ll then have lying around in your drawer, because you haven’t spent it all (and you vowed to definitely go back at some point!).

Before joining the eurozone in 2009, Slovakia had its own currency called the Slovak Koruna (Crown).

If you’re interested in the history of money, you can find Museum of Coins and Medals in Kremnica—where you can also find Kremnica Mint, one of the oldest continuously operating mints in Europe (established in 1328!). 

A note on using euros

The good thing about Slovakia using euros?

It’s easy to combine your trip there with a visit to Austria, without needing to worry about 2 different currencies!

You can:

• Easily fly to/from Vienna airport, since it’s just an hour bus ride from Bratislava
• Visit Vienna as part of your trip to Slovakia
• Spend a day in a fairy tale (includes WALKING to Austria from Bratislava!)

Slovakia is so well-positioned in the centre of Europe, it makes sense to visit other countries around it on the same trip, if you have the time.

Having said that, remember that you will need:

• For Prague/Czechia – Czech Koruna (Crown)
• For Krakow/Poland – Polish złoty
• For Budapest/Hungary – Hungarian Forint

This is why it’s important to always research ATMs when planning a trip and having great debit cards that will save you money.

How much cash do you need for a trip to Slovakia?

We’ve mentioned a few times that while you do need cash in Slovakia, everything depends on your situation.

Because you might end up just whipping out your card (or a phone) everywhere and wondering why you even bothered taking the euros.

In that case, don’t go shouting at us – we tried warning you!

Can you do Slovakia without cash?

You absolutely can do a trip to Slovakia without cash.

If you, for example:

• Pop over to Bratislava from Vienna, on a day trip
• Visit Bratislava for a party weekend, like a stag do
• Go hiking in the famous High Tatras mountains and stay in a popular mountain village

You can get away with just having a card. Though a little note here, make sure it’s a good debit card, so you don’t end up wasting money.

Theoretically, you should be able to pay without cash everywhere, since May 2026.

That’s when it became compulsory for all businesses to offer at least one cashless payment option (much to the unhappiness of many small business owners).

In reality though? Things are not that simple.

Are cards widely accepted in Slovakia?

Cards and other cashless payments are accepted in:

• Supermarkets and other bigger shops
• Cafes, restaurants, bars
• Generally in bigger cities

But!

Yes, we’ve come to the big but.

This is why you should still take cash on your trip to Slovakia:

• Even though all businesses have to offer a cashless payment option, this can be just a QR code. Meaning you will need a smartphone with internet, a payment app, and for the business to not say “sorry, technical issues, cash only today”. Which is only too common in Slovakia.
• It’s always good to have emergency cash with you when you travel. We’re all about travelling safely, which includes having good travel cards and emergency cash.
• Since Slovakia uses euros, it’s not difficult to source and use the cash – you can easily spend it in many other European countries afterwards.
• You might really regret not having cash in some situations. Let us talk more about this.

When do you need cash in Slovakia?

While all businesses should be offering cashless payment options in Slovakia, you might find yourself in a situation where you’ll be wishing you had a few euros in cash.

Because “should” doesn’t always mean they actually do. Or that it will work. And then you might be kicking yourself for not taking those €10 with you.

Just think:

• Many public toilets are paid. If it’s a coin-operated toilet? Or it falls under an exception to the cashless option rule? That’s a prime example of a situation when cash can save your butt. Literally.
• Visiting in summer? Prepare for scorching temperatures (also Slovakia is land-locked, so it will be dry heat. Yay!). Did you spot an ice cream stall as you were sightseeing? Tough, it’s cash only today, because their card machine is acting up, so you’ll keep melting until you find an ATM. (Btw, ice cream is massive in Slovakia in summer. You’ll find stalls and cafes everywhere and the selection of flavours will blow you away.)
• Planning to come during the end-of-summer market season, which, btw, we highly recommend? Or visit the magical Christmas markets? It would be a shame if you couldn’t try local hot mead, a gingerbread heart, or buy a beautiful handmade souvenir, just because you don’t have cash (and your data isn’t working so paying via a QR code is not possible).
• Many businesses prefer cash. So even though the law now says cashless options are compulsory, you can bet your randomly allocated window seat on a plane that many will find a way around that rule. The best thing for you? Having multiple ways to pay (this is smart no matter where you travel).

Use this when planning your trip to Slovakia

Want a stress-free holiday in Slovakia? Plan it using tips from locals!

Here are posts you might find helpful:

A bear and a diarrhoea sufferer walk into a sauna…

No matter where in Slovakia you go, these will be useful:

• Can you drink tap water in Slovakia? Or will you regret it for many hours in your hotel’s bathroom afterwards?
• How safe in Slovakia? What do you need to look out for?
• What are the spa rules in hotels in Slovakia, so you don’t embarrass yourself?
• On another note, so we’re not just scaring you, here are the unusual experiences you can have in Slovakia (other than sharing a sauna with a bear!)

Spotting a canal man while dining in a UFO 

Visiting Slovakia’s capital city, Bratislava? Check out these posts:

• Save money on the airport bus when you fly into Bratislava
• Save even more money by not getting fined in the city
• Can you cover Bratislava in 1 day? Yes, if you know the right route to take
• Want a more adventurous holiday? Visit these 5 cities from Bratislava. Or go off-the-beaten path and check out these 2 hidden gems tourists don’t know about.

If you happen to get a tick and need medical attention

For any emergencies, make sure you’re covered by great travel insurance.

If you don’t know which insurance company you can actually rely on, we’ve got a great tip for you:

True Traveller.

They offer features other companies don’t.

Their customer service is mindblowing.

And their prices are unbelievable (we thought we did the math wrong. Turns out True Traveller is just that cheap).

We hope we’ve managed to convince you that yes, you do need cash in Slovakia. Even if you’ll never end up taking it out of your wallet.

Always better to be safe than sorry.

Especially when it involves public toilets!