Currency in Hungary: what to use and how to exchange

Hungary kept the forint when it joined the EU in 2004 and still has no fixed euro target date, so every price you meet — museum tickets, train fares, market stalls, rent — is in forint. Notes run from 500 Ft to 20,000 Ft and coins from 5 Ft to 200 Ft. Prices are usually written as "Ft" after the number, so 1 500 Ft means 1,500 forint.

For a first trip, plan for forint and check the rest on the ground. Budapest is widely reported as card-friendly, while smaller shops, markets and rural services are more likely to want cash — confirm with your accommodation or a local before you rely on either (check).

If you need cash, the common advice is to withdraw from a bank ATM or use a bank branch counter rather than an airport or hotel desk, and to compare the rate before you commit (check). Some ATMs offer to convert the withdrawal into your home currency on the spot; declining that and letting your own bank convert is the usual recommendation, but check the fees your bank charges (check).

If you bring foreign cash to change, a bank branch or a central exchange office in Budapest is the usual suggestion, and boards show buy and sell rates you can compare before handing anything over (check). Kiosks advertising "0% commission" are often reported to build the margin into a weak rate, so the commission line alone tells you little (check).

Euros are accepted at some Budapest hotels, tour operators and souvenir shops, but the rate is rarely good and change often comes back in forint, which leaves you holding a currency you did not choose (check). Paying in forint is the simpler default.

Cards: Visa and Mastercard are widely reported as accepted in cities; American Express and Diners are patchier (check). Small vendors may set a minimum spend, and some rural places are cash only (check). Keep a physical card as backup to your phone wallet.