💳 Essentials
Money, cards and exchange
Hungary uses the forint, not the euro. Cards work almost everywhere — the traps are all in how you convert.
The currency
Hungary is in the EU but not in the eurozone. The currency is the forint (HUF), written as *Ft* after the amount. Prices run to four and five digits, which takes a day to stop feeling alarming.
Some places in the tourist centre accept euros. Almost none of them give you a good rate for it — you are paying a private exchange fee decided by the shop. Pay in forints.
Cards
Contactless cards work essentially everywhere: restaurants, shops, taxis, transport ticket machines, market stalls. Cash is worth carrying in small amounts for market vendors, tips, and the occasional old-school place.
The one thing to get right
When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your own currency, decline it. That is *dynamic currency conversion*, and the rate is set by the terminal operator, not your bank. Always choose to be charged in HUF.
Exchange booths
Avoid the ones on the main tourist streets advertising "0% commission" in large letters. There is no commission because the margin is in the rate. If you need cash, use a bank ATM or an exchange office away from Váci utca and the Castle District, and always ask what you will receive *before* handing over money.
ATMs
Prefer machines attached to actual banks. Free-standing ATMs in tourist areas frequently add their own fee on top of your bank's, and they are the ones that push dynamic currency conversion hardest.