currency for Romantic Danube Budapest to Nuremberg

[tropical dreams]

Can anyone offer advice on handling currency for small purchases tips etc. I really don't want to get a lot of currency I may never use again. Is American money or Euros accepted? Most expenses I will just charge so I am not even sure how much to get out at the atm.

Thanks

[mskaufman]

I am planning to take a few dollars (equivalent) for snacks and if we use public transportation in Budapest. We have a three day Prague extension which is more problematic as to how much we will actually need. We will probably go light and augment with the ATM.

[rahrah50]

I did this trip last May...I always like to have a little local currency. Most of my purchases were done with my credit card but ATM's were easy to find and I would get $20-$40 worth of local currency, depending on how long we were there. I think that Euros were also accepted.

[jeb_bud]

You can use euros everywhere on that itinerary. In Budapest you’ll probably get a lousy exchange rate but to me paying an extra buck or two for a lunch was a small price to pay for the convenience.

 

Big ticket items can be bought with your credit card. You only need cash for small shops and cafes.

 

 

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[jklc123]

And for public toilets. I got caught without florints in a small town outside of Budapest. The attendant didn't want a euro.

Edited April 5, 2018 by jklc123
wanted to add something

[mskaufman]

And for public toilets. I got caught without florints in a small town outside of Budapest. The attendant didn't want a euro.

 

Good to know. Probably the case in the Czech Rep also.

[esanders64]

In regards to currency exchange, any advice on where and when to exchange? We are arriving on a Sunday late afternoon in Budapest, and we’re trying to figure out whether it makes sense to exchange at the airport, or wait until Monday morning in Budapest. For Sunday, we’re being taken straight to the ship, so I am guessing we won’t need Hungarian money until Monday.

 

 

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[CPT Trips]

ATMs should be readily accessible in Budapest on a Sunday. Just ask for a description of the sign (I think it's blue and green) that indicates a bank machine rather than a currency exchange machine as the latter have fees.

[jeb_bud]

On our cruise in 2015 on Scenic Opal the ship was docked right across the river from the Parliament building. There was an ATM near the subway station about a five minute walk from the ship. If they dock there this year getting to the ATM is easy.

 

Some ATMs charge significant fees, and some are pretty reasonable. I haven't looked lately but there used to be a good article at ricksteves.com about ATMs in Europe and how to avoid high fees.

[TravelerThom]

On our cruise in 2015 on Scenic Opal the ship was docked right across the river from the Parliament building. There was an ATM near the subway station about a five minute walk from the ship. If they dock there this year getting to the ATM is easy.

 

Some ATMs charge significant fees, and some are pretty reasonable. I haven't looked lately but there used to be a good article at ricksteves.com about ATMs in Europe and how to avoid high fees.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-machine-atm-tips

 

I’ve been very pleased with Charles Schwab’s debt card tied to a savings account with them. No brokerage account required. No Foreign Transaction Fees and they reimburse bank charges for using their machines. Perhaps a limit in there somewhere but we have not encountered it (example: seemed like every bank ATM in Thailand had a flat fee equal to about US$6 if you were not their customer; all those charges were covered). Account pays 0.40% - not great but better than many. No service charges. We specifically do NOT have it tied to other accounts, just top it up to twice what we think might be worst case and use it at ATMs and also use credit cards as appropriate.

[mtebor]

In regards to currency exchange, any advice on where and when to exchange? We are arriving on a Sunday late afternoon in Budapest, and we’re trying to figure out whether it makes sense to exchange at the airport, or wait until Monday morning in Budapest. For Sunday, we’re being taken straight to the ship, so I am guessing we won’t need Hungarian money until Monday.

 

 

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I often go to Canada living close to the border, the best place I found for currency exchange is at the local Mall. Their currency exchange is better than the bank or AAA or anything I found up in Canada

[wheezedr]

Euros will work just fine, including in Budapest. As noted make sure the ATM is a bank machine to get the best rate. I also recommend the Schwab debit card, Fidelity May have an equivalent, they immediately reimburse any charges.

[janegraybc]

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-machine-atm-tips

 

 

 

I’ve been very pleased with Charles Schwab’s debt card tied to a savings account with them. No brokerage account required. No Foreign Transaction Fees and they reimburse bank charges for using their machines. Perhaps a limit in there somewhere but we have not encountered it (example: seemed like every bank ATM in Thailand had a flat fee equal to about US$6 if you were not their customer; all those charges were covered). Account pays 0.40% - not great but better than many. No service charges. We specifically do NOT have it tied to other accounts, just top it up to twice what we think might be worst case and use it at ATMs and also use credit cards as appropriate.

 

 

 

Do you use a debit card or credit card?

 

 

 

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[Capt_BJ]

we got EURO thru our bank b4 departing .... having heard that F was needed in Budapest we used an ATM in the airport baggage claim area and the exchange rate was not an issue. Since we took a taxi to town on our own the F were handy for that but we found restaurants had prices posted in F and Euro ....

 

hint, load a currency converter app on your phone and it is easy to determine how good/bad the conversion offered is ... app I use pulls current

rates any time I have a data connection, iow daily when connected to the longships wifi even if phone is off for cellular ....

 

EURO was good for the rest of the places Bud' to Nur' and used bank ATM's as needed. As we continued our trip E was fine everyplace until we got to UK .... where I converted some remaining Euro to Pounds.

[TravelerThom]

Do you use a debit card or credit card?

For ATMs I use an ATM/debit card. For meals, hotels etc I use a credit card: generally better protection against fraud plus rebate. Europe operates on chip AND PIN. There are work arounds (eg train ticket kiosks generally require a PIN; you can stand in line for an agent and pay a surcharge and may be able to purchase without a PIN) but they expect you to have a PIN. Get a PIN if at all possible. Hint: I have an ATM card with PIN and a credit card from the same institution; I was told they were not set up to issue PINs for credit cards; BUT their system defaulted to using the same PIN for both. YMMV

[gnome12]

For ATMs I use an ATM/debit card. For meals, hotels etc I use a credit card: generally better protection against fraud plus rebate. Europe operates on chip AND PIN. There are work arounds (eg train ticket kiosks generally require a PIN; you can stand in line for an agent and pay a surcharge and may be able to purchase without a PIN) but they expect you to have a PIN. Get a PIN if at all possible. Hint: I have an ATM card with PIN and a credit card from the same institution; I was told they were not set up to issue PINs for credit cards; BUT their system defaulted to using the same PIN for both. YMMV

I NEVER want my debit card and my credit card to be linked in any way. I want no risk of getting a cash advance on my credit card from an ATM rather than a debit card transaction as happened to my sister once.