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Voykit pocket guide · Hungary
Hévíz
Go for 2 nights if you want to bathe in the thermal lake; skip if you want nightlife or a beach — it is a quiet spa town of 4,700.
Hévíz is a small spa town 8 km from Keszthely, built around Lake Hévíz — the world's second-largest thermal lake and the largest that is biologically active. The water comes up at about 40°C and never drops below 24°C, so you can swim outdoors in January. Two nights covers the lake, Egregy and a Keszthely half-day; most people come for a cure, not for sightseeing.
- Country
- Hungary
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded, peak prices), Nov–Mar (many restaurants closed)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- HUF
- Money
- Currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF, Ft). Cards are widely accepted in Budapest.
- Daily spend
- Budget Ft 12,000–18,000 excl. bed · Mid Ft 18,000–28,000 excl. bed · High Ft 28,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Yettel, Telekom and One (Vodafone) sell prepaid SIMs; passport needed.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Ambulance 104 · Police 107 · Fire 105
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard continental two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurant without service charge: 10–15%, said as you pay.; Restaurant with szervízdíj: Nothing extra.; Taxi: Round up.; Bath masseur: HUF 1,000–2,000.
- Water
- Tap water is safe. Restaurants sell bottled water; ask for 'csapvíz'.
- Toilets
- Public toilets often charge HUF 200–400; carry coins.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | Ft 500–900 |
| Lángos | Ft 650–1,200 |
| Main course, mid-range restaurant | Ft 2,000–2,700 |
| Lunch menu (héti menü) | Ft 990–1,400 |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | Ft 700–1,100 |
| Spa daily ticket | Ft 5,200 |
| Taxi within town | Ft 1,500–2,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BUD · Budapest Ferenc Liszt
- About 2.5–3 h by road; direct buses from Budapest-Népliget take about 2.5 h
- ZAG · Zagreb
- About 2.5 h by road; check car-hire one-way fees
- GRZ · Graz
- About 3 h by road
Typical fares
- Hévíz → Keszthely, bus
- about Ft 250, 15 min
- Budapest-Népliget → Hévíz, direct bus
- about Ft 3,705, 2.5 h
- Budapest → Hévíz via Keszthely, train plus bus
- about Ft 3,380, 3 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
There is no local public transport. Everything in town is walkable — lake to bus station is about 15 minutes. HeBi public bike rental covers the longer runs to Egregy and Keszthely; regional Volánbusz services link to Keszthely and other Balaton towns.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Hévíz thermal lake
- Hévízgyógyfürdő spa
- Egregy wine hill and Árpád-age church
- Roman ruins and the Flavius legend
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Keszthely | Volánbusz from Hévíz bus station, about 15 min, or 8 km (5 mi) by bikeVolánbusz from Hévíz bus station, about 15 min, or 5 mi (8 km) by bike | About 30 min |
| Zalavár historical memorial park | Bus or car towards Keszthely, then local road | About 45 min |
| Zalakaros | Car or bus via Keszthely | About 1 h |
| Balatonfüred | Bus or train via Keszthely | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Around the lake and Dr. Schulhof sétány
- Steps from the spa entrance; quietest and priciest, best if the lake is the whole point of the trip.
- Town centre (Rákóczi utca and Nagyparkoló tér)
- Shops, market, bus station and most restaurants within a 10-minute walk; the practical default.
- Egregy
- Village feel 2–3 km (1.2–1.9 mi) north; wine cellars and the old church, but you need a bike or taxi for the lake.Village feel 1.2–1.9 mi (2–3 km) north; wine cellars and the old church, but you need a bike or taxi for the lake.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good day | Jó napotyoh NAH-pot |
| Thank you | KöszönömKUR-sur-nurm |
| How much is it? | Mennyibe kerül?MEN-nyee-beh KEH-rool |
| The bill, please | A számlát, kéremaw SAM-lat KEH-rem |
| Where is the spa entrance? | Hol van a fürdő bejárata?hol van aw FUR-dur BEH-yah-rah-taw |
| Can I pay by card? | Lehet kártyával fizetni?LEH-het KAR-tyah-val FEE-zet-nee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Jó napot, handshake; avoid: First names with elders
- Names: Family name first when written; avoid: Assuming the second name is the surname
- Toasts: Eye contact; avoid: Clinking beer glasses with older people
- History: Listen; avoid: Joking about Trianon or 1956
- Home visit: Shoes off; flowers or wine; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly
Scams and watch-outs
- The lake is the only reason to come: if you do not plan to bathe, two nights is too many.
- Spa tickets are timed (3-hour, 4-hour, daily) and prices change by season — check the official site before you go.
- Many restaurants and the Egregy wine houses close from November to March; check opening dates outside summer.
- No local buses: without a bike or taxi, Egregy and the Roman ruins are a long walk.
Very safe. The real risks are hot-spring dehydration, slippery wet floors at the spa, and unlit roads between Egregy and town after dark — carry a light and use a taxi.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hévíz yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Hévíz thermal lake
- Hévízgyógyfürdő spa
- Egregy wine hill and Árpád-age church
- Roman ruins and the Flavius legend
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Hévíz official town and tourism site: www.heviz.hu/
- Volánbusz (regional bus operator): www.volanbusz.hu/en
- Wikivoyage: Hévíz, revision 5336293 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336293
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hévíz
Erre a címre, kérem
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Hévíz; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Budapest. Nearest consulates: none in town — check Budapest.
Tourinform Hévíz, Rákóczi utca 2, is the local information office; hours vary by season — check.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/heviz). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.