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Major city · Hungary

Keszthely

Base here 2 nights to see Festetics Palace and the lake shore; the town itself is a half-day, so pair it with Hévíz or the Balaton beaches.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
HUF
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Mar (museums on reduced hours, lakefront quiet)
Airports
BUD · ZAG
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Hungary ↗Hungary is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Hungary ↗The currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF), not the euro: decline dynamic currency conversion at cards and ATMs.
  • Hungary ↗Motorways need an electronic vignette (e-matrica) bought before you drive on them.

Keszthely is the oldest town on Lake Balaton and its western gateway, 2.5 hours from Budapest by train. The Festetics Palace and its gardens are the reason to come; the rest of the town is a compact, walkable strip of small museums, a pedestrian street and a lakefront promenade. Two nights covers it well, with a day for Hévíz or the beaches at Gyenesdiás and Vonyarcvashegy.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Keszthely, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeFt 500–900
  • Sit-down mealMain course in a centre restaurantFt 2,500–4,500 (≈ US$8–14)
  • BeerDraught beer (0.5 l)Ft 700–1,200
  • Metro or bus rideLocal bus ticketFt 220 (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketFestetics Palace, all exhibitionsFt 3,700 (≈ US$11) adult / Ft 1,850 (≈ US$6) senior or student
  • Budget bedFamily apartment (up to 4), a night, per roomFt 22,000 (≈ US$65)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomFt 24,000 (≈ US$70)
  • High-end bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomFt 45,000 (≈ US$140)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget Ft 12,000 (≈ US$35) · Mid Ft 20,000 (≈ US$60) · High Ft 35,000 (≈ US$110)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Festetics Palace (Helikon Palace Museum)Lake Balaton western shoreSmall quirky museums on Kossuth Lajos utcaLángos on the lakefront promenade
Airports
BUD Budapest Ferenc Liszt International (About 2.5–3 h by train or bus via Budapest; no direct rail link from the airport) · ZAG Zagreb Franjo Tuđman (About 3.5–4 h by road; useful for some western routes (check))

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Keszthely: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

3°C

−3°C

6 rd

Feb

5°C

−2°C

6 rd

Mar

10°C

1°C

7 rd

Apr

16°C

5°C

8 rd

May

21°C

10°C

9 rd

Jun

24°C

14°C

9 rd

Jul

27°C

16°C

8 rd

Aug

26°C

15°C

8 rd

Sep

21°C

12°C

7 rd

Oct

15°C

7°C

7 rd

Nov

8°C

3°C

8 rd

Dec

4°C

−1°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is compact and walkable: palace, main square, pedestrian street and lakefront are all within about 20 minutes on foot. Local Volánbusz services cover the edges and the animal park; taxis are cheap for short hops. Bikes can be rented through the West Balaton Tourinform network and picked up or dropped off in nearby towns.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Hévíz

go

Door to door: About 20–30 min

Bus or taxi from Keszthely, about 8 km

Thermal lake and spa; the reason most people add a day here.

Gyenesdiás

go

Door to door: About 15–25 min

Local bus or bike along the shore

Beach and bike paths; easy half-day from Keszthely.

Vonyarcvashegy

go

Door to door: About 20–30 min

Train or bus along the north shore

Quieter beach village; good with a bike.

Balatonfüred

go

Door to door: About 1–1.5 h

Train along the north shore

Larger resort town with a promenade and wine hills nearby.

Siófok

caution

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Train via Balatonszentgyörgy and the south shore

Long for a day return; better as a stop on the way to or from Budapest.

Fonyód

go

Door to door: About 1–1.5 h

Train along the south shore

Hilltop views over the lake; combine with the south-shore rail line.

Zalakaros

caution

Door to door: About 40–50 min

Bus or car, about 30 km south

Spa town; worth it only if you want the thermal baths.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre / Kossuth Lajos utca

Walk to the palace, restaurants and the pedestrian mall; best for a short stay without a car.

Lakefront / Ferenc Csik promenade

Cafés and the beach within a few minutes' walk; the railway separates it from the centre, so check the crossing points.

Near the train and bus stations (Mártírok útja)

Cheapest beds and easiest arrival with bags; about 10–15 min walk to the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Ft 12,000–18,000 (≈ US$35–55) excl. bed
Mid
Ft 18,000–30,000 (≈ US$55–90) excl. bed
High
Ft 30,000 (≈ US$90)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, guesthouse or hotel1 × 2 nights × Ft 24,000Ft 48,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × Ft 20,000Ft 80,000
Train Budapest–Keszthely, one way2 × Ft 3,100Ft 6,300
Bus Budapest–Keszthely, one way2 × Ft 3,700Ft 7,400
Festetics Palace, all exhibitions2 × Ft 3,700Ft 7,400
eSIM, about a week of data2 × Ft 2,500Ft 5,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeFt 15,400
Trip total≈ Ft 42,400 per person per day, bed includedFt 169,500≈ US$500

2026 estimate in forint; travel to Keszthely excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeFt 500–900
Lángos on the lakefrontFt 800–1,500
Main course in a centre restaurantFt 2,500–4,500 (≈ US$8–14)
Draught beer (0.5 l)Ft 700–1,200
Local bus ticketFt 220 (check)
Bike rental, one dayFt 2,200 (≈ US$7) (check)
Festetics Palace, all exhibitionsFt 3,700 (≈ US$11) adult / Ft 1,850 (≈ US$6) senior or student

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Keszthely is a small, low-crime resort town; the real risks are summer storms on the lake, unlit level crossings and pickpockets in the August crowd on the promenade.
  • Museum opening hours shrink sharply outside summer; several small exhibitions are seasonal or by appointment only.
  • The railway line runs between the town and the lake, so use marked crossings rather than walking along the tracks.
  • Lake Balaton's western end is shallower and warms earlier, but summer storms arrive fast; check the forecast before swimming.
  • Some small museums are cash-only or have limited card acceptance; carry forint.

Emergency numbers

General emergency
112
Ambulance
104
Police
107
Fire
105

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

KeszthelyKeszthely

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Erre a címre, kéremTo this address, please

Emergency

  • General emergency112
  • Ambulance104
  • Police107
  • Fire105

Embassy

No embassies in Keszthely; most countries are represented in Budapest. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have embassies there (check addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Budapest-Déli → Keszthely, train: about Ft 3,130 (≈ US$10), 2.5 h
  • Budapest-Népliget → Keszthely, bus: about Ft 3,705 (≈ US$11), 2.5 h
  • Keszthely → Hévíz, taxi: Ft 3,000–5,000 (≈ US$9–15) (check)

Say or show

  • Jó napot — Hello (yoh nah-pot)
  • Köszönöm — Thank you (kur-sur-nurm)
  • Mennyibe kerül? — How much is it? (men-yee-beh keh-rool)
  • Lehet kártyával fizetni? — Can I pay by card? (le-het kar-tyaa-val fee-zet-nee)
  • Hol van a mosdó? — Where is the toilet? (hol van a mosh-doh)
  • A számlát, kérem — The bill, please (a saam-laat keh-rem)

Tourinform Keszthely, Kossuth Lajos utca 30, handles local information and the West Balaton bike network.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Keszthely. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Mar (museums on reduced hours, lakefront quiet) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BUD: rail and bus connections to Keszthely field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: palace and gardens, Kossuth Lajos utca museums, lakefront promenade, station area.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Festetics Palace, Balaton Museum, Marzipan Exhibition) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Summer storm and reduced-hours fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Hungary

Sources