Page 212 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Budapest

210  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS
SHOPS AND MARKETS

Shopping in Budapest has changed where locals come to do their shopping.
dramatically since the more spartan days of For a more tra ditional shopping experience,
Communism. A huge variety of consumer don’t miss a visit to some of Budapest’s
goods, both foreign and home produced, are many markets. These range from stunning
now avail able here. Major shopping streets 19th-century food halls such as the Great
include the pedestrianized and fashionable Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok), to flea
Váci utca (Váci Street, see p131), good for folk markets such as the huge and lively Ecseri
art and Zsolnay porcelain, and the less Flea Market, for everything from bric-a-brac
fashionable, but much cheaper Nagykörút, to furniture and antiques.

Opening Hours
Most shops in Budapest open
from 9am to 5:30 or 6pm Monday
to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm
on Saturday. Greengrocers,
bakeries and supermarkets open
from 7am until 8pm. Shopping
centres, department stores and
plazas are open from 10am to
9pm except Sundays, when
most shops that are not run
by the owners themselves
remain closed. A small number
of shops stay open twenty-
four hours a day.
Westend City Center shopping mall
How to Pay for signs at the entrance), but it VAT Exemption
Credit and debit cards can be is advisable to carry some cash The price of all goods in Hungary
used to pay for goods and in Hungarian forints as smaller includes a value-added tax of
services in many shops (check vendors may not accept cards. 27% (ÁFA). With the exception
of works of art and antiques, it is
possible for non-EU residents to
claim back the value-added tax
on anything costing more than
50,000 forints. However, before
buying expensive goods with
the intention of reclaiming the
VAT, it is advisable to consult
the vendor about whether they
have the necessary VAT-reclaim
form. Then, present your goods
at customs within 90 days of
purchase, along with the VAT-
reclaim form, to receive your
customs certification. You will
need your sales receipt and
currency exchange or credit
card receipt, plus the customs
certification, to apply for your
refund within 183 days of your
return home.

Department Stores
and Malls
On the Buda side of the Danube
is Allee, where one can find
Traditional folk crafts, on sale around Váci utca almost anything ranging from

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