Pros:

• A CC can be very convenient when travelling, especially to the US or other "credit card countries".
• A CC can be the only way to pay online for certain services, mainly from companies outside the EU.
• Your purchase might be better insured using your CC. (But chances are your bank or personal insurance already covers you, check first).

Cons:

• Small businesses in Europe might not accept your CC or resent you for using it because of the fees.
• The interest rates are ridiculous, if you need to borrow money do it any other way . CC debt is actually worse than overdrawing your account, which would be the typical European definition of "stupid debt".

And remember:

• Credit history is not a thing in Europe. Being allowed to borrow a lot of money is actually a negative when you apply for a mortgage or something like that.
• Ease of use is reversed in Germany (or the Netherlands, or Austria etc). You are the exception paying with CC and a lot of the times it's a hassle, with waiters and cashiers being unfamiliar with your (specific) CC and the like.

A friend of mine once said this about owning a CC in Europe: "If you can afford it you don't need it, and if you need it you can't afford it". I think that sums it up nicely. I use mine for the first two mentioned pro's, and nothing else.

Pros:

• A CC can be very convenient when travelling, especially to the US or other "credit card countries".
• A CC can be the only way to pay online for certain services, mainly from companies outside the EU.
• Your purchase might be better insured using your CC. (But chances are your bank or personal insurance already covers you, check first).

Cons:

• Small businesses in Europe might not accept your CC or resent you for using it because of the fees.
• The interest rates are ridiculous, if you need to borrow money do it any other way . CC debt is actually worse than overdrawing your account, which would be the typical European definition of "stupid debt".

And remember:

• Credit history is not a thing in Europe. Having a high credit limit is actually a negative when you apply for a mortgage or something like that. They treat it like potential debt (or in some cases as actual debt).
• Ease of use is reversed in Germany (or the Netherlands, or Austria etc). You are the exception paying with CC and a lot of the times it's a hassle, with waiters and cashiers being unfamiliar with your (specific) CC and the like.
• Always, always pay off CC debt immediately, before the interest sets in, see bullet 2 of cons.

A friend of mine once said this about owning a CC in Europe: "If you can afford it you don't need it, and if you need it you can't afford it". I think that sums it up nicely. I use mine for the first two mentioned pro's, and nothing else.