GBP to EUR exchange rate

Today's mid-market rate is 1 GBP = €1.1665. On its own that number tells you little. What matters is where it sits against the recent range and the long history.

Here is the context most rate pages skip. The pound's all-time high against the euro was €1.752, on 3 May 2000. Its record low was €1.02, on 30 December 2008, during the financial crisis. The pound has never closed below parity with the euro.

The 2016 Brexit vote reset the range. The pair fell 6 percent in a single day and has since traded in a lower band, lately about €1.14 to €1.17, against a five-year average near €1.15.

So a rate near €1.17 sits at the top of the recent band. Use the rate card above for the 30-day and 90-day range to see exactly where today falls.

One honest caveat. A return to the pre-Brexit €1.40 levels looks unlikely in the current era, because the baseline has structurally shifted lower. No one can reliably call the next move.

At today's mid-market rate of €1.1665 to the pound, here is what common amounts are worth.

These are mid-market figures, the benchmark, not a quote. A provider gives you a little less. The live comparison table above shows the real, after-fee amounts. The euro is one currency across the eurozone, so this rate is the same whether your money is heading to Spain, France, Germany or anywhere else in the bloc.

The rates refresh live. For the exact euros a specific provider will send today, use the calculator and comparison above.

Working the other way, here is what a euro amount is worth in pounds at today's mid-market rate. Handy when you have been quoted a price in euros, such as a property or a supplier invoice.

These update with the live rate. A provider's real payout will differ slightly once its rate and fee are applied.

This is where real money is won or lost, and on a property purchase it runs into thousands.

Most of the cost hides in the exchange-rate margin, not the visible fee. UK high-street banks typically build in a margin of 2.5 to 4 percent. Specialists sit far closer to the real rate, often 0.15 to 0.5 percent.

On £1,000, a 3 percent bank margin costs about £30, against roughly £5 with a specialist.

On £10,000, that gap is about £300 versus £50.

On a property, it is bigger again. A €200,000 completion at a 3 percent bank margin quietly loses €6,000. A specialist at 0.3 percent costs about €600, a saving of around €5,400.

The pound and the euro are close neighbours, so this pair usually moves in a narrower band than pound to dollar. A few forces set the tone.

1. The ECB versus the Bank of England. The interest-rate gap is the main driver. In mid-2026 the Bank of England held its rate at 3.75 percent while the European Central Bank's was 2.25 percent, a 150-point gap that supports the pound.

2. Energy. The eurozone imports much of its energy, so a spike in oil or gas prices tends to weaken the euro against the pound, as it did through the 2022 crisis.

3. Close ties. The UK and the EU trade heavily with each other, so shocks often hit both economies at once. That keeps the two currencies tethered and the pair range-bound.

The practical takeaway is that pound to euro rarely lurches far without a clear catalyst, but political and trade news between the UK and the EU can move it quickly.

The euro is the currency UK holidaymakers buy most, and it is also where they lose the most to poor rates. Three rules save real money.

Never buy at the airport. Airport bureaux offer some of the worst rates anywhere, often 8 to 10 percent below the mid-market rate, because they pay for prime terminal space and round-the-clock staff.

Always "pay in euros", never "pay in pounds". When a card machine or cashpoint abroad offers to charge you in pounds, that is dynamic currency conversion, and it usually adds 3 to 4 percent. Choosing euros lets your own bank do the conversion, which is cheaper.

Sort cash or a card before you fly. Order euros online in advance, or use a specialist travel card or an open-banking card that tracks the real rate. These typically add well under 1 percent, versus the roughly 3 percent non-sterling fee on a standard UK debit card.

Britons are the biggest foreign buyers in Spain, and hundreds of thousands live across the eurozone, so property is a major reason for large euro transfers.

A purchase usually has a gap of weeks or months between paying the deposit, around 10 percent, and the balance of about 90 percent at completion.

During that gap, a 2 or 3 percent move in the rate can add thousands of pounds to the final cost, entirely outside your control.

To remove that risk, many buyers use a forward contract to lock today's rate for the completion payment, usually with a deposit of 5 to 10 percent up front. These are offered by FCA-authorised firms and are not suitable for everyone, so weigh the certainty against the cost.

Here is the factual picture, not advice. The pound is trading near the top of its recent band and above its five-year average of about €1.15, so it is buying more euros than it has on average lately.

That does not tell you what happens next. The pair has been range-bound, and analysts in 2026 broadly expect it to stay between roughly €1.14 and €1.18, with several doubting it will push much higher.

Currency forecasts are unreliable and often overtaken by events, so treat any target as a guide, not a promise.

For a large payment on a known date, such as a property completion, a forward contract from an FCA-authorised firm can fix the rate in advance and take the guesswork out.

Updated live. The GBP/EUR rate, the conversions and the provider comparison refresh automatically from our live feeds. The research and figures are reviewed regularly and updated when the data or rules change.

Written by Mike Smith, money-transfer and FX specialist, from primary-source research (Bank of England, European Central Bank, ONS). Live rates are indicative mid-market figures, so confirm the exact quote with your chosen provider before you send. Information only, not financial, investment or tax advice. Forward contracts and similar FX products are offered by FCA-authorised firms and are not suitable for everyone.