bring travellers checks with me to Budapest rather than cash?

Travelers checks became obsolete with the omnipresence of ATMs. It is much harder to cash them now and the exchange course is not good. The best exchange is from ATM. I always carry some emergency cash in $ and then rely on ATM.

I have to agree. Travelers checks are dead, or at least on life support. I think it would be difficult to find a place to cash them now, and quite time-consuming. You will get bank rates from the ATMs. That is the most cost effective method of getting money. Visit an ATM machine every three days or so and keep the bulk of your cash in a money belt. You should be able to pay for larger purchases -- hotel, train tickets, opera...with a credit card if you wish. Budapest is wonderful. Have a great trip.

What is your objection or concern about withdrawing from an ATMs? The idea of going to a bank and cashing TC doesn't work. No one wants them because of fraud. Anyone with a computer and a color printer can produce TCs. There is no standard for what a TC should look like. At least most folks know how a US dollar should look like. Don't even consider them as emergency back up cash as they will not easily work for that purpose either. A debit card at a bank related ATM is the safest, cheapest, and most convenient way to obtain local currency. We always take two debit cards tied to two different accounts should one card or account not work. But in 15+ years of using an ATM have never had to use the back up. We do nearly everything via cash seldom using a credit card except during the last day or two as we manage our cash so that we return home with a 100E or so in our pocket for the next trip.

Hi, Look at the Thomas Cook guide on Budapest. You can find out there where to cash Thomas Cook travellers' checks into florints.

Hi, I would say the only reason to hold traveler's cheques these days is to lock-in an exchange rate. Just how clever are you? If you like the rate of 1 Euro costing the current rate of $1.32 then you can buy travelers cheques denominated in Euros now. And 100 Euros cost about $135 when you consider the fees Credit Unions and TC companies charge. If the exchange rate goes to 1 Euro for $1.47, a swing from the 1.32 to 1.47 that actually happened last year (2011) between January and late April, you will be rejoicing. If the euro falls further, then you can take comfort in the fact that other purchases are a bargain. BUT, Hungary does use the forint at restauarants and florist stands, and buying traveler's cheques in forints is really a good trick, as it is not considered a major currency, (sorry Hungarians). But major expenses I encountered in Hungary were more than willing to accept Euros. If you seriously consider the Traveler's Cheque route, consult your hotel or B&B and see how willing they are to accept them. Make sure you tell them what currency it will be in. Much less likely to want USDollars. If you are not doing Euros I would use the ATM. Take more than one card, as one may become demagnetized and then you are... wayne iNWI

I would not encourage use of travellers' checks. A few things, though, about ATMs in Budapest, that I encountered: (1) The text on the screen was in Hungarian (Magyarul); once I ed my card, the screen dissolved to reveal the customary series of flags to designate language ion. (2) Some ATM's may be housed with banks or other establishmentsnot outside. I arrived at Keleti rail station from Vienna. I saw no ATMs at all. There appeared to be a bank, but I didn't see any lights on or activity within the bank.

See the section on the Keleti Station in Budapest Connections of the Budapest Guide (p286-287 of the 2nd edition, from 2011, which is current). The issue of ATMs at the station when arriving at Keleti is expained, with where to find them outside. Note that some ATMs here may be in an enclosure that is protected but not inside the bank that you need your ATM card to let you in.

On my two visits to Budapest I found ATM's easy to find and use. I used the one by St. Stephen's Basilica most often as it is a well lit open area that felt very safe. Of course I felt quite safe just about everywhere in Budapest.

If I were you, I'd really try to find a way to withdraw cash from an ATM. I've done all my trips that way and have never had a problem. Yes, you may have to pay some fees (check with your bank), but you can withdraw large sums of money in one go. It's a whole lot safer than carrying hundreds of thousands of forints on you in cash, in my thinking.

The answer to your question is: No, not correct. The very few places where I have seen travelers' cheques cashed in Europe, in the last couple of years, all posted a charge for a hefty service fee to do so (either flat or %). Some as much as 20%!! Whatever ATM fees you would pay for a cash withdrawal once or twice a week will turn out to be cheaper and much easier to deal with. Also figure the hour or so minimum that you will need to get to/find a place to convert your TCs... don't assume that all banks will cash your TCs. You will have to deal with line-ups and maybe even language issues, as you will have to negotiate the change in person. You will also need your passport in hand and be willing to sign a form at the counter. Budapest was very safe when I was there in 2008 and using the ATM to withdraw florints was easy as pie. I arrived in Budapest airport with 300 euros, that I had bought from my bank beforehand, and started out by converting the first 200 euros into florints on arrival. Spending that money gave me an idea of how much to withdraw from the ATM when I needed more. Since my hotel was paid with my Visa card, as were the sightseeing tours I bought, I seem to remember that it was several days before I needed an ATM withdrawal. PS - The 100 euros I held back, I considered to be my "emergency" cash" (kept in 20-euro bills). It's easy to use a 20-euro bill anywhere for a quick conversion to Florints.

When I was in Budapest ATMs were easy to find and much easier than having to exchange.
Be aware that most machines give big bills that you will want to break asap. Most stores there prefer small bills.

The way to immediately get smaller useful bills is to request an uneven amount. For example, instead of 60,000fl, request 59,000 (or 58,000 if it won't give the odd number).
This works well for in other countries that don't use the euro (CR, Poland...). Just know how much of the currency equals one dollar (sorry, non-US residents) so you have a frame of reference for using the currency and plan accordingly. This should be sufficient on your first withdrawal to give you a small enough bill to get your first transportation ticket, e.g.

One reason that travelers checks have lost favor is counterfit. With the advent of color reproduction on the desktop, folks are paranoid about loosing a bundle by acception bogus TC.
Jim

My worse mistake was bringing travelers checks on my first trip to Italy in 2009. I lost 30% of the value after conversion and fees. Most places in Europe only accept cash and some will accept credit card if you are making big purchases ($30+ in local currency). I was in Budapest in October and had no local currency with me. Once I found an ATM machine I had no trouble getting money. As soon as I put my card in the slot, a menu with different flags came up to choose your language.

thank you- I'm finally convienced- no travelers Checks! Thank you---thank you---- Jacque