My mother is going to Budapest and Prague without an ATM card. What is the best way to exchange money? Can she use U.S. dollars for small purchases?

She can go to banks. But, I ask - why doesn't she have an ATM card? She sould really get one - it will make her life easier. Also, when she gets off the plane, she will have a hard time getting money at the airport. She can probably get some HUFs before she leaves (American Experss has them here in NY), so that she arrives with some cash.

What will she use for cash? - Will she be taking loads of US cash to transfer into HUFs when she gets to Budapest? Not a good idea to carry all that money. Traveler's cheques? Again, then she would exchange them at a bank.

(You posted this twice BTW)

No, your mother cannot use US$. Now ask her if

1) she wants to stand in long queues at banks every time she wants to cash some travelers checks (since almost no merchants take them)

2) she wants everything to be more expensive since she will get a lousy exchange rate (and have to pay fees to cash them)

3) wants to carry all that paper around w/ her. I mean travelers checks, not currency. She definitely should not take all her funds in $ currency - just too dangerous because if she loses it there is no recourse.

4) only be able to get cash during banking hours (unless she goes to money changers and get an even worse exchange rate)

Then convince her to get an ATM card . . . .

I'm not advocating carrying much cash and exchanging money at the currency exchange kiosks, BUT <b>kenav's</b> statement that your mom will have a hard time exchanging cash at the arrival airports is totally wrong. If there is one guarantee during international travel then having the ability to exchange cash at the airport is probably the easiest one to predict. Many stations, including 1 or 2 before you even exit customs area are available at all international airports.

There is a Bureau de Change in the arrivals hall at Budapest (not always manned, so far as I can remember). I didn't check the rates: I suspect that they are poor enough.

I concur with the advice that she would be better off getting an ATM card. If she can not or will not, then Plan B should be to use CCs as much as possible, minimising cash exchange.

I haven't been to Budapest in a long time, but have been to Prague every other year for a while, and you wouldn't go into a bank there to do this. Prague has quite a few money exchange offices in the Old Town area, they are fairly common and easy to find. Some rates are better than others, of course, if you want to get into comparison. Thomas Cooks used to have very good rates (which I think is now Travelex). They are in the airport, and at Karlova 3 and Narodni 28, both very convenient.


Amex is also pretty good in Prague and you don't have to be a member to use them for TCs, anyway. They might exchange cash, not sure, but if you really aren't taking an ATM card, I wouldn't take all cash, either. They used to have an office right off the bridge to the right on the Mala Strana side. They do have one on Wenceslas Square, no. 56

NO, you can't use USD for small purchases in Prague.

I had trouble with my ATM card last year right before a trip and so just carried cash to Europe and did exchanges at the airport -- and never have I had a &quot;hard time getting money at the airport&quot; in many years of traveling. I really didn't have a problem carrying $500 or whatever in cash in a secure money belt and using credit cards too and did it that way last month to London, too.

When she flies into Budapest, she can get both Forints and Koruna in one visit to the airport exchange desk and it'll be taken care of.

Changing current is very expensive. And carrying large amounts of cash is silly (what if it's lost/stolen).

She should use her credit cards for big purchases and her ATM card to pull money for walking around expenses.

If she doens;t have credit or ATM cards she need to get them before she travels - or she'll be wasting a lot of time and money dealing with US$. There;s no reason she can;t get either in a couple of days.

(And no, people don;t want $ for small puchases - they would be losing money on every sale. Some tourist shops MAY take $ - but you'll end up paying twice as much as if you used the local currency - and typically they'll do it only for larger purchases.)

Thanks for all this great information. I will try to convince her to get an ATM card.