Cash in Hungary is known as the Hungarian Forint – and comes in bills of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 and coins of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. And do watch out for 1 and 2 HUF coins as well as 200 HUF notes – they’ve long since stopped being legal tender, but this won’t stop unscrupulous streetside money exchangers from trying to foist them on you.
Alongside cash, Hungary is thoroughly modern when it comes to using credit and debit cards, with them being accepted in most stores and restaurant – big or small – and in an increasing number of bars. ‘Chip and pin’ as well as ‘tap-and-go’ are the order of business here, so unless you have quite an old card, you’re very unlikely to find yourself needing to sign anything. ATMs are also abundant, but always make sure to transact in the local currency to avoid rip-off conversion rates.