Balatonszemes is a city in Lake Balaton region of Hungary.

Understand

Tourists usually find Balatonszemes a beautiful and charming city, with a lively night life. Balatonszemes suffers from pollution problems, mainly due to the rapid increase in cars in the city. Balatonszemes is subject to power outages almost daily. Balatonszemes is a quiet city because even if there is a party, if you ask them to take the sound off, they will. Balatonszemes is undergoing a major renovation from its bad days. Many of the ugly dull buildings have been repainted, but a lot of work is left to be done.

Get in

By train

Balatonszemes has no international train connections. You can reach Balatonszemes by train from the national capital, Budapest, and all the cities near the lake (Balaton). Train services are very good, and they may be more frequent, cheaper, and more scenic than taking the bus.

By bus and furgon

Buses can be used to reach Balatonszemes from other cities in Hungary and internationally. There is daily bus service (look at schedule). Schedules change frequently so check the latest info in your place of departure.

Buses and furgons (minibuses) are generally the best method for traveling within Hungary. There are few bus companies; many are operated by individual drivers. Bus lines have schedules, but are often delayed until the coaches are full or at the whim of the driver.

Some international bus stations are far from the center so it may be worth taking a taxi to the bus stop to save time and energy and avoid getting lost.

By plane

Balatonszemes is served by Ferihegy Airport (MA).

The following airlines offer service to/from Hungary:

Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Albanian Airlines, Air One, Austrian Tyrolean Airways, Belle Air, British Airways, Lufthansa, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Olympic Air, Sky Express, Turkish Airlines.

Get around

By bus

Public transportation in Balatonszemes consists of a number of intra-city bus lines. The main bus line is from MÁV company.

By foot

The city center is small enough to be explored through walking.

By taxi

A ride across town are cheep and comfortable. Negotiate a price before entering.

By car

Part of a loan will be used to upgrade the Balatonszemes ring road.

See

• Catholic church, 8636 Balatonszemes, Fő utca. (updated Sep 2019)
• Post museum, 8636 Balatonszemes, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 46.. (updated Sep 2019)

Eat

There are many excellent, inexpensive restaurants in Balatonszemes serving all kinds of food (but good luck finding a taco!).

Sleep

There are many nice hotels to stay, and they are found near the city center. Night life is calm so don’t worry about the night noises, it is easy to sleep well.

Campings

• Hattyú camping, 8636 Balatonszemes, Kikötő u. 1., ☏ +3684360031, fax: +3684360031, info@hattyucamping.hu. (updated Sep 2019)