“How much cash in euros should I take?” is a frequent question on this forum. I thought I’d relay my experience in Slovakia this month. We were in Bratislava for 2 days, then based in the High Tatra mountain town of Starý Smokovec after that. Some souvenir shops were cash only and of course coins are needed for WCs. Hotels and restaurants uniformly took a card, although the lodging tax in Starý Smokovec had to be paid in cash. Most activities (e.g., cable cars) took cards, but our wooden raft trip on the Dunajec River required cash, and we only found that out at the ticket booth. If something might be expensive, best to find out beforehand.
I found that it can be difficult to access more than €250 from an ATM, at least where we were. In Starý Smokovec and Poprad they tended to have €100, €200, or €250 limits. One in Poprad gave me more but only with my credit card and PIN—my debit card was limited. It’s not the daily limit set by my bank, which is at least $400. I believe it may have something to do with using an American card. The ATM at which I finally had success was described as “more American friendly” (sorry I can’t remember its brand). Also, FYI, if the withdrawal amounts available for selection on the screen are not what you want, try the button that allows you to select the banknotes you want—that may give more options. Probably everyone else already knows that, but I didn’t.