Lake Balaton is a vacation spot for many Budapest residents - a good spot for a weekend getaway. I imagine that if you lived in Budapest, it'd be ideal to have a house somewhere along Lake Balaton's coast similar to the way Philadelphians escape to the Poconos or the Jersey Shore. Similar to going to those destinations, while it makes for a great local retreat, if you aren't familiar with the area or you don't own a house, your travel itinerary could be somewhat limited.
Szekesfehervar is a small town on the way to Lake Balaton. It's an easy hop off the train, walk around for an hour or two, grab lunch, then hop back on the train again.
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I thought there was a limited more substance here then Pecs. It seemed a little bit wealthier. A bit larger of a town center / tourist zone. Good place to day drink but not sure how much there'd be to do at night. The town offers another side of Hungary beyond Budapest.
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There's a string of towns along Lake Balaton that are easily accessible via a train from Budapest. Siofok seemed to have a bit more substance, a bit more going on (at least from moving Google Maps around) so this was the town I picked to walk around. Not sure if this was the best place but I enjoyed it. Just enough to do to justify the train ride.
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But as soon as I saw the lake I realized, you know, it'd be nice to have a boat. It'd be nice to be staying at a house with a view of this lake. Head out on the boat. Swim a little. Start day drinking. I think that's how you're supposed to enjoy Lake Balaton. Back to Budapest.
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For additional photos see FLICKR ALBUM.