Can I pay by credit/debit cards or Euro in Budapest?

In Budapest, credit and debit cards are largely accepted, especially in tourist areas, though there's also a significant number of business that only accept cash.

It is however more advisable to pay in cash, especially if you're there for more than a day. When paying, you will keep getting the question "cash or card"?

If paying in credit or debit cards, you will notice your bill often comes with a "service fee" which is often an extra 10% of your bill. This is pretty high and adds up fast.

To avoid overpaying, withdraw cash at an ATM and pay by it instead.

As for ATMs, there are lots of "Euronet" and other tourist targeted ATMs especially in areas frequented by tourists.

You're better off withdrawing from a Hungarian bank such as OTP ATMs which are also common.

The advantage of local bank ATMs is they do not offer to convert the currency for you but instead use the Visa/MasterCard rate. Euronet and other ATMs may offer "Dynamic Currency Conversion", but this tends to be at a worse rate than if you either decline the offer or use a local ATM.

What's best? Cash is best. If you're in Hungary for more than a day or will be spending on more than a few transactions, withdraw cash from a Hungarian ATM and pay in cash. This avoids the 10% service fee that many establishments will add to your card and also means you can pay in lots of places that don't take cards.

Comments

WhatsApp Solution: Sorry we were unable to restore any of your message history backup

*This method only works if you are trying to transfer WhatsApp from one phone to another, and have not deleted WhatsApp data or formatted the old phone. If you already uninstalled WhatsApp and deleted data or logged into a different number, it won't work. If you get the “Sorry we were unable to restore any of your message history backup” when trying to restore your WhatsApp messages, trying to restore again from the same backup will probably fail. The issue seems to be caused by an issue with your backup file such as if you repeatedly tried to backup with internet connecting and disconnecting.

Dennis List of Clubs to Dance At

Kenya Nairobi Brew Bistro Rooftop/Westlands Nested on the 11th floor in Westlands commercial/shopping district. A long time favourite especially of white 40/50 year old foreigners. One of the few clubs in Nairobi with a dance floor. Locals especially during the last weekend of the month. (Deep House Music Only) Koda / Muze Bastions of the Nairobi Deep House Scene which plays South African Afrohouse from Thursday to Sunday. Entrance fee. Check out their pages for acts. Both located in Westlands KenRail Towers

Beers in Kenya: A sober opinion

Note: This is a dated post and has since been mostly passed by events. SAB Miller beers including Castle and Peroni are no longer widely available in Kenya after their exist. Sirville Brewery was bought out by Brew Bistro before being permanently shut in a tax dispute. Kenya is a land of milk, honey, beaches and taxes. I have penned, or is typed, a newer post here . Peroni - One of the best beers in Kenya. Did a taste of canned and bottled Italian, and bottled Tanzanian I like the tangy flavour and body in Tanzanian Peroni. The can is close. Heineken drinkers will like the Italian one. I have had a short beer swigging stint in my life. It has however been long enough for me to share my opinion of Kenyan beer. Interestingly, over the course of sharing such opinions with other drunkards connoisseurs, I have found that we all have different views as to what beer is the best, which one makes you too drunk, or which one gives one free, extra hangover for every ha...

Nairobi's Top 4 Texas Brisket Places Reviewed and Ranked

Brisket on a bed of roast vegetables with barbecue sauce at Texas Brisket, Kikuyu This review has been updated after a number of you suggested I try the brisket at County2County. What's the best place to have Brisket in Nairobi? What's even brisket? Brisket is one of the toughest cuts in a cow, from around the belly. It is so tough that it has to be smoked for about 16 hours to tenderise. But that there, is the catch. 12 to 16 hours later, it is the most flavourful and softest cut you will ever have. So full of flavour and so soft you can pick it apart with your fingers. However, due to the long cooking time involved, only a few places offer brisket in Nairobi. The best so far is Texas Brisket which is located within Kikuyu Railway station. They do the meat for a proper 16 hours, and will usually have a fatty or non-fatty portion. The fatty portions are more tasty. A 500 gram serving goes for KSh. 900 and a 1 KG order comes with a serving of fre...

Kenyan Beers and Craft Beer Reviews for 2025

It's 2025, and you asked for yet another Kenyan beer review. Let's cut straight to the chase - we keep the many stories for once we are drunk. Right? This year we categorize the beers according to breweries. Bila Shaka / Bateleur Flagship is Bila Shaka which is a rich flavoured but bitter IPA with 6% volume. They focus more on quality and experimenting. Home to many pleasantly (sweet per 2 people. I agree) favoured beers like Dire Straits, and for the ladies who love it a lot on the sweeter side, there's Honey Badger. These come in at about 5% or so. Jua Kali isn't as sweet as the above and is a mixed rice and barley beer, for some reason popular in the hot coast. Capitan is their bar beer and is a light-ish, pleasant beer at 4% volume and a good time passer when you're there for a long and good night and have things to do the next day. My favourite local brewer and highly recommended, especially Dire Straits. It's a medium beer, don...

Dennis Kioko

Search This Blog