Keszthely in Hungary

keszthely is easily accessed by rail, road and air. Trains run twice daily from Budapest’s keleti station along the southern shore of lake Balaton passing through the lakeside towns of Siofok, balatonfoldvar, Balatonelle, Balatonboglar and Fonyod. Take the first class fare as this provides a more comfortable compartment and is very reasonably priced. The journey of around 175 kms takes about 2hrs 30 mins as stops are made at all major towns along the lake. A change of train is also required at Fonyod to pick up the local line to Keszthely and Tapolca.

Keszthely is easily reached by road from Budapest using M7 / E71. This highway bypasses Szekesfehervar and Siofok on the southern flank of Lake Balaton and is relatively traffic free except in the peak tourist months of June, July and August. If you are willing to take a little more time to reach your destination you will be rewarded with a more scenic route using highway 71 along the north shore of lake Balaton. This route will take you through Balatonfured and passes the Tihany peninsula, which is well worth a detour.

The nearest airport is at Sarmellek approximately 10Km south of the city and is served by regional airlines. From the airport Keszthely is easily accessed via route 75.

Keszthely is the regional centre for an efficient and cheap bus system, although not always as frequent as one would wish. The main bus terminal is directly outside the railway station. Buses are available from here for Heviz, Fonyod, Tapolca, Badascony and Balatonfured.

Local Rail services are also available to towns along the north shore of lake Balaton, and during the summer months Lake ferries also service the lakeside towns.