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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
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 by bikeVolánbusz from Hévíz bus station, about 15 min, or 5 mi 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 north; wine cellars and the old church, but you need a bike or taxi for the lake.Village feel 1.2–1.9 mi 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.