She wasn't even wearing a mask!

Arriving in Budapest airport last night I hadn't a forint to my name, so I joined the queue at the pénzválto to change some cash to be at least able to pay the bus fare into town.

The sign said "0% commission" in huge letters. Then I looked at the board of exchange rates – in a much smaller font – for the euro: buy at 247, sell at 344.

Exchange rates,
Budapest airport

So they'd give me 247 forints for €1, but it would cost me 344 forints to get my €1 back. No wonder they can charge zero commission with a spread like that!

A quick internet check – now that I'm back in the EU I can surf with my phone without it costing a fortune – showed the official rate to be 313 forints to 1 euro.

The large print giveth,
And the small print taketh away!

I left the queue and took money out of an ATM. The machine offered me two options: take the "guaranteed" rate of [I can't remember] or let my bank decide. I chose the latter. Let's hope!

And the smiling lady behind the window didn't look at all like a robber.