Hungary, the Danube, thermal baths and castle wines.

Which part of Hungary to choose?

For a traveller coming from Spain, Hungary begins and almost always ends in Budapest. The capital has what most people come for: the Danube between Buda and Pest, the Parliament, the castle and the thermal baths, from the 16th-century Turkish bath at Rudas to the open-air pools at Széchenyi. Three or four nights is enough to see it properly. With a week, use it as a base and head out on day trips: almost everything worth seeing is less than two and a half hours away by train, bus or car.

• Budapest: three or four nights for the city and its baths.
• Szentendre: the artists' town, 40 minutes away on the HÉV suburban train.
• Danube Bend: Visegrád castle above the curve of the river and Esztergom basilica facing Slovakia.
• Eger: a castle, cellars in the Valley of the Beautiful Woman and a Turkish bath, two hours away by train.
• Lake Balaton: the largest lake in central Europe, with Tihany Abbey.
• Hévíz: a thermal lake where you can swim all year round.
• Gödöllő: Sisi's palace, 45 minutes away on the HÉV H8.
• Vác and Nagymaros: a Baroque square, the Memento Mori mummies and the ferry across from Visegrád, 25 minutes away by train.
• Tata: a castle on a lake and a walkway over natural springs, an hour away on the M1.
• Hollókő: the Palóc village and World Heritage Site, an hour and a half away by car.
• Keszthely: the Festetics Palace at the western tip of Balaton, 6 km from Hévíz.
• Pécs: Roman tombs, Ottoman mosques and Zsolnay ceramics, for one or two nights.

How do you get there from Spain?

By plane, to Budapest. There are direct flights to Ferenc Liszt Airport (BUD) from Madrid and Barcelona all year round and, depending on the season, from other Spanish cities; the flight takes between two and a half and just over three hours. From the airport you can reach the centre on the 100E bus in about 40 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Hungary is part of the European Union and the Schengen Area: a valid national ID card is enough. The currency is not the euro but the forint (HUF). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including on public transport; if a cash machine or card reader offers to charge you in euros, choose forints.

How to get around

Without a car, around Budapest and on the Danube day trips: metro, tram and the HÉV suburban train to Szentendre; train or bus to the Danube Bend and, in season, a boat; a direct train to Eger. With a hire car, collected at the airport, for Lake Balaton, Hévíz and the villages on the northern shore, where trains exist but the distances between villages stretch out. Hungarian motorways require an electronic vignette: you buy it online before you drive on them, and if you hire a car in Hungary it usually comes with one, but ask.

When to go and what it costs

Spring and autumn are the best seasons: Budapest is pleasant to walk around and the open-air baths can be enjoyed without the heat. In winter, the Christmas markets and the steam rising from the outdoor pools have their following, and prices drop in January and February. July and August are hot and Balaton fills up. Hungary is still cheaper than Austria or Italy for food and accommodation, although Budapest is no longer the bargain it was twenty years ago.

What has changed at the baths

Since 1 August 2025, the Széchenyi and Rudas baths in Budapest have not admitted children under 14. The Gellért baths have been closed for renovation since 1 October 2025 and are expected to reopen in 2028. Outside Budapest, Eger's thermal bath and Hévíz lake have their own rules: each listing sets them out.