MÁV is gearing up for the summer season at Lake Balaton with more frequent departures, additional capacity, direct trains from several regions of Hungary, designated bike spaces, and over 200 air-conditioned buses on standby for emergencies. The peak season will begin on June 20 and run through August 30.
During the summer vacation period, MÁV trains and buses will run more frequently and with additional capacity on routes to the Lake Balaton area, one of Hungary’s main tourist destinations. Connections between Budapest and Balaton will be expanded, as well as connections from Transdanubia, northern, eastern, and southern Hungary.
MÁV notes that bicycle transport will be available on all trains to Balaton, and trains with high-capacity bicycle cars will run regularly on both shores of the lake. For major trains to Lake Balaton, including InterCity and express services, seat reservations are mandatory for long-distance trips.
Goal: Greater Capacity and a More Reliable Schedule
The company says that this year, in addition to maximizing capacity, it aims to improve schedule reliability in the Lake Balaton area. The schedule retains the trains already familiar to passengers but also includes adjustments based on the experience of recent years.
MÁV states that some changes have been introduced to reduce the risks caused by breakdowns and to ensure that very long routes do not cause additional delays in the lake area. If necessary, the FLIRT and KISS electric trains running to Balaton will be able to reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h between Budapest and Székesfehérvár to improve punctuality.
At the same time, prices have been adjusted according to the actual level of comfort of the vehicles, and onboard catering services have been specifically enhanced. MÁV notes that serving the peak tourist season at Lake Balaton is one of the most complex organizational operations in Hungarian public transport, further complicated this year by construction work on the Déli körvasút, Budapest’s southern railway ring.
News for the South Shore
MÁV points out that, based on experience from recent decades, most trips to Lake Balaton are headed for destinations on the south shore. For this area, the company is counting on more stable travel times between Budapest and Székesfehérvár and a simpler fare system based on the actual level of service.
Balaton InterCity trains will depart every two hours from Budapest’s Déli Station to Keszthely, with a dining car attached. These trains will be hauled by Vectron locomotives, and seat reservations will cost 990 forints (2.78 EUR) in second class and 1,990 forints (5.58 EUR) in first class.
The Tópart trains, operated with FLIRT multiple units, will run as express trains. Although they are modern and air-conditioned, they do not offer the classic InterCity comfort, so seat reservations will cost 650 forints (1.82 EUR). For express trains without air conditioning, the reservation fee will be 300 forints (0.84 EUR).
On weekends, MÁV will introduce two new InterRégió trains to support Sunday returns. One will run between Fonyód and Budapest-Kelenföld, and the other will be extended to Győr, offering direct connections to towns such as Tatabánya, Komárom, and Győr, without changing at Kelenföld.
Adjustments on the northern shore as well
On the northern line of Lake Balaton, the main goal is to reduce delays and increase predictability. MÁV says this is supported by a reduction in the number of speed restrictions and maintenance work on signaling systems.
Kék Hullám InterCity trains will run this year only between Budapest and Tapolca, for more stable service. Between Budapest Déli Station and Balatonfüred, traction will be provided by modern TRAXX locomotives, and between Balatonfüred and Tapolca by high-powered Henschel diesel locomotives.
To improve service quality, MÁV will gradually introduce, starting June 15, eight first-class, air-conditioned cars equipped for bicycle transport, sourced from ÖBB.
The city of Szombathely will maintain direct connections to the northern shore of Lake Balaton via two pairs of Tanúhegy express trains, which will run as far as Balatonfüred. On the western side of the lake, the service will be supplemented by a daily pair of express trains between Tapolca and Keszthely, providing a better connection between the northern and southern shores.
Direct Trains from Several Hungarian Cities
MÁV will continue to operate direct summer trains from major Hungarian cities to Lake Balaton this year, despite limitations caused by infrastructure work. The company says these services were used by nearly 250,000 passengers last year.
However, construction on Budapest’s southern railway ring limits service between Budapest-Kelenföld and Ferencváros, where traffic runs on a single track. For this reason, the Aranypart, Szabolcsi Tekergő, Aranyhíd, and Ezüstpart express trains will not begin running until June 26.
Other seasonal weekend and holiday trains, such as Vitorlás, Csabai Tekergő, and Panoráma, will provide direct connections from the Hungarian Plain and the eastern part of the country starting at the beginning of the vacation season on June 20.
Additional daily trains to the lake will run from the major cities of Transdanubia. From Szombathely, the Lesence trains and the new direct Tanúhegy trains to Balatonfüred will be available, while from Kaposvár and Pécs, the Fenyves trains will run. The Helikon InterRégió service will continue to connect Keszthely and Győr every two hours.
Onboard dining and bicycle services
MÁV is also expanding its onboard dining offerings. In the dining cars of the Balaton InterCity trains, in addition to classic goulash, cold fruit soup and vegan chili will be available. On the Kék Hullám InterCity trains heading to the northern shore, the bistro cars will offer, in addition to the usual buffet items, nachos with cheddar sauce and cucumber kombucha. As was the case last year, some trains will feature bistro services operated by MOL Fresh Corner.
For bicycles, seat reservations remain mandatory on trains to Lake Balaton. Between May and the end of September last year, MÁV sold 110,000 bicycle reservation tickets.
The company recommends that groups of cyclists choose high-capacity trains. The Vízipók rapid trains can carry up to 40 bicycles, while the Ezüstpart and Aranypart express trains can carry up to 46 bicycles. The KISS trains used on some services have 16 spaces for bicycles, while other trains can carry between 18 and 26 bicycles.
Over 200 buses ready for emergencies
To quickly address technical issues that may arise during the summer, particularly during heat waves, MÁV announces that it has prepared a special response capacity.
Over 200 air-conditioned MÁVbusz buses will be on standby at 53 response points across the country, including along the routes on the shores of Lake Balaton. These buses can be quickly put into service to ensure the continuation of the journey in the event of incidents or situations where a train cannot provide the expected level of comfort, for example due to an air conditioning malfunction.
In critical situations, station staff and seasonal workers will help passengers get information and, if necessary, direct them to replacement buses.
Bus connections coordinated with trains
MÁV will also expand bus services to Lake Balaton. The group says that in recent years, it has steadily expanded bus access to the lake area, both through direct routes from several regions of Hungary and through local connections coordinated with trains.
During the summer, several regional buses on both shores of Lake Balaton will operate with adjusted schedules, extended routes, and better connections to rail services.
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