Travel to Hungary — everything you need to know
When to go to Hungary?
- April – October — Pleasant season : Ideal temperatures (18–28°C), café terraces, festivals (Budapest Summer Festival) and a lively Lake Balaton. June–August are the warmest months, but also the busiest.
- December — Christmas markets : Budapest's Christmas markets (Vörösmarty tér) are among the most beautiful in Europe. Mulled wine, kürtőskalács and lights along the Danube.
Weather in Hungary
Check the weather city by city, starting with Budapest.
- Budapest: daytime highs from 5 to 29 °C depending on the season, 44 mm of rain per month on average.
- Lac Balaton: daytime highs from 6 to 28 °C depending on the season, 47 mm of rain per month on average.
What to do in Hungary?
Hungary is dominated by Budapest — one of Europe's most beautiful capitals, built on both banks of the Danube: Buda (castles and hills) and Pest (grand boulevards and Art Nouveau cafés). The thermal baths (Budapest sits on 118 hot springs), Lake Balaton, the puszta (steppe) and the wines of Tokaj and Eger make Hungary a rich and affordable destination.
Budapest — Pearl of the Danube
Budapest is split in two by the Danube: Buda with its royal castle (UNESCO), Fisherman's Bastion and wooded hills; Pest with its grand Art Nouveau boulevards, neo-Gothic Parliament (one of the largest in the world) and the lively streets of District VII. The sunset panorama from the citadel is unforgettable.
Highlights : Budapest Parliament — the largest in Europe (UNESCO), Buda Castle and Castle District (UNESCO), Fisherman's Bastion — panorama over the Danube and Pest, Dohány Street Synagogue — the largest in Europe.
Budapest thermal baths
Budapest sits on 118 hot springs — the richest spa city in the world. Széchenyi (1913, the largest open-air bath in Europe), Gellért (palatial Art Nouveau), Rudas (16th-century Ottoman) and Kiraly are architectural landmarks as much as living social spaces. A deeply Hungarian cultural experience.
Highlights : Széchenyi — large Art Nouveau open-air baths (1913), Gellért — bath in Viennese Secession style, Rudas — 16th-century Ottoman bath with an oculus dome, District VII ruin bar — Szimpla Kert.
Lake Balaton — Hungary's sea
Lake Balaton (594 km²) is Central Europe's largest lake — nicknamed 'the Hungarians' sea'. Its north shore (Badacsony) is covered with volcanic vineyards producing the country's finest white wines; the south shore offers sandy beaches and lively villages. Tihany Abbey (11th century) on its peninsula is one of Hungary's oldest.
Highlights : Tihany Benedictine Abbey (11th century) on its peninsula, Badacsony vineyards — white wines grown on volcanic soil, Swimming in Lake Balaton (warm water in summer, 26°C), Cycling around the lake (210 km, dedicated bike path).
Tokaj and Eger — Wine routes
Tokaj (UNESCO) produces the 'wine of kings, king of wines' according to Louis XIV: Aszú, a noble-rot sweet white among the world's greatest wines. The Tokaj wine region is a World Heritage Site. Eger, a Baroque town set among hills, is famous for its red 'Bull's Blood' and its castle that resisted the Ottomans.
Highlights : Tokaj cellars — tasting Aszú in noble-mould cellars, Eger Castle — heroic resistance against the Ottomans (1552), Eger's Valley of the Beautiful Women — cave cellars and wine, Hollókő village — intact UNESCO Palóc village.
Travel budget for Hungary
Hungary offers some of the best value in Europe: thermal baths, food and accommodation cost around 40–50% less than in Western Europe. Budapest is the most expensive part of the country, but still very affordable. The forint fluctuates — euro payments are sometimes accepted (at an unfavourable rate).
- Backpacker : 45–75 €/j — Hostel + vendéglő + public transport + thermal baths
- Comfort : 85–160 €/j — 3★ hotel + restaurants + activities + wine
Practical tips for travelling to Hungary
- Flight from Paris : ~2h20 (Wizz Air, Ryanair, Air France direct CDG/Beauvais–Budapest). Plenty of connections.
- Visa : No visa required — Schengen area. A French national ID card is sufficient.
- Currency : Forint (HUF). Card payments are widely accepted. Avoid street exchange offices (terrible rates) — use bank ATMs instead.
- Language : Hungarian (an isolated, difficult language). English is widely spoken in Budapest. Less common in the countryside. German can sometimes help.
- Electricity : Type C/F (European) — 230V. No adapter needed.
- Health : No special precautions. EHIC valid. Good standard of healthcare.
- Thermal baths : Go to the baths at least once: it is a Hungarian social institution, not just a tourist attraction. Bring flip-flops and a swimsuit. Széchenyi stays open until 10 pm.
- Wines : Hungary produces exceptional underrated wines: Tokaj Aszú (sweet white), Egri Bikavér (Bull's Blood, red) and Villányi (southern red). Buy them directly from the cellars.
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