LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The dawn of the New Year brings the debut of the euro. Nearly 300 million Europeans began 2002 with this new common currency. The euro may be a big step toward economic unity on the continent, but, as CNN's Richard Quest has discovered, it's going to take some getting used to.</s>RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): January the 1st brought a fresh meaning to out with the old, in with the new. The euro had arrived. And at Frankfurt's railway station, Germans were starting to get to grips with their new currency. It wasn't easy at first. Some cash machines weren't in operation. Others gave out the cash, but when you came to spend it, no one was quite sure how much it was going to be. Shopkeepers had problems deciding whether to give change in euros or to stick with the old cash. (on camera): So we have paid in euros and we are getting change in euros from that till over there. If we had paid in marks, we would have got marks back from this till over here. That's how it working -- euros. (voice-over): January the 2nd is when the euro will be put to the true test, when tens of millions return to work and use the euro for the first time. And for those who are worried about prices being rounded up, there is already one case of euro inflation at the Frankfurt railway station toilets, where it used to cost 50 pfennigs to visit. That should be about new 25 euro cents. Instead, the price has been rounded up to a nice 50 euro cents. Richard Quest, CNN, Frankfurt, Germany.
Dawn of New Year Brings Debut of Euro