Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is not toured like a city but as two shores: the north is narrower, with vineyards, villages and Tihany Abbey on its peninsula, the south is flat and sandy, built for swimming. 2–3 days split those two sides, with a third if a trip into the hills above the lake is added, to Badacsony or Herend. Balatonfüred, on the north shore, has its own railway station with a direct train from Budapest and works as the natural base.

Balaton has no commercial airport of its own, so the gateway is Budapest (Déli station) — from there it is train to Balatonfüred (from Budapest-Kelenföld/Déli). The base for touring is Balatonfüred: it has a direct rail line, the most developed hotel scene on the lake, and sits equally close to Tihany (12 km) and the road towards the hills to the west. The shoreline runs about 197 km, and Balatonfüred and Keszthely, at opposite ends, are 55 km apart — which means the lake is not done in one day, a side is chosen instead.

The lakebed is why Balaton works as a family lake: maintained beaches, mostly flat sandy/grassy bottom (especially south shore), especially on the south shore, so the water stays shallow well past the edge. The north side has a different point — vineyards on the hills behind Balatonfüred and Badacsony, villages with churches, and BAHART, the scheduled lake boat that links the shores without a car, a one-way ticket €6.60 (one-way).