In my 20 years as the manager of the local Tourinform office, I have met many guests who wanted to go around Lake Balaton by train. Although the idea seems good, as you can do it by bike in one day (the Balaton Cycle Route is only 205 km long), it might not be so much fun by train.
If you look at the map of the Balaton railway, you’ll notice that the tracks don’t run all the way around the lake, but only with sidings and several interchanges. If you start in Gyenesdiás, you will definitely have to change in Tapolca, at the other end of the lake there is no railway near the shore, so you will have to go to Székesfehérvár and change there to Siófok, where you can continue the tour on the south shore. After that, you will most likely have to change trains in Balatonszentgyörgy and/or Keszthely. The journey would take at least 4.5 hours, so it’s not hard to understand that this is not the most enjoyable programme idea with so many changes.
Travelling by train is an exciting experience for the whole family, so don’t miss out! We have 3 train travel tips for you that are guaranteed to delight the whole family.
Our TOP 3 (and a half) train travel tips at Lake Balaton:
1. take the train from Alsógyenes or Gyenesdiás to Tapolca, where you can take a boat trip in the Lake Cave and learn about the secrets of the cave at the Visitor Centre. Then walk to the Mediterranean-style Mill Pond, where you can admire the colourful fish in the huge “aquarium”, discover a restaurant, a playground, bridges, a babbling brook, a beautiful statue of the Little Princess and even an exciting colourful staircase. If you plan your trip for a Tuesday or Friday, you could start your day with a treasure hunt at the flea market in Tapolca.
2. Narrow-gauge railway from Balatonfenyves
Take the train to Balatonfenyves, where you can change to the narrow-gauge railway. It’s like stepping back in time: the train has real wooden benches and is heated by wood-burning stoves in winter. On the way, ask your grandparents if they can tell you about their train journeys.
You can take the train to Csisztapuszta, where you can relax and swim in the pools of the Csiszta Bath. After a pleasant swim you can take the small train back to Balatonfenyves and then a modern train back to Gyenesdiás.
Of course, you can also drive to Balatonfenyves – the narrow-gauge railway is an exciting experience in itself – but you can also combine it with cycling, as the route is only 30 km long.
3 (and a half) For an active experience, we also offer a train trip combined with cycling and boating:
Take the bike to Badacsony. On the way you can admire the view from St Michael’s Chapel and enjoy the beautiful panorama from the golf course in Balatongyörök. In Balatonederics you can visit the Africa Museum, in Szigliget you can wave at the castle, and in Badacsony you can enjoy the wonderful panorama again from the Roman road (which was really built by the Romans!). Yes, you have to climb a hill to get there, but trust us, it’s worth it! Afterwards, it’s even more fun to ride downhill. In Badacsony you can take a boat with your bikes, then go for a swim on the south bank, even in Fonyód. Then you can take the train back home. On the way you can enjoy the panorama of the northern shore, which is dotted with gentle hills, witness hills and overlooked by the mountains of the lake. Anyone who lives on the north shore knows that the south shore is beautiful because you can see the north.
The fitter and more adventurous can extend this tour and even cycle to Tihany. From there you can take the ferry to the south shore and from there take the train home, enjoying the view of the north shore on the way!
Enjoy the train ride!
Fancy a holiday? Take a look at our holiday apartments and send us an enquiry!
Useful links:
Train timetable
Boat timetable
Timetable of the narrow-gauge railway of Balatonfenyves
