Important: Summer store hours change in Hungary, especially around Lake Balaton

With the arrival of summer, many store hours in Hungary are changing, particularly in popular vacation spots like Lake Balaton. It is recommended to check the operating hours of local branches of various store chains, as many around Balaton now stay open until 10 PM, with some extending to 11 PM. Additionally, morning opening times are often earlier, around 6:00 or 6:30 AM. Here’s an overview of the summer hours for major chains such as Lidl, Penny, Aldi, Tesco, and Spar.

Lidl’s summer hours at Lake Balaton

Lidl informed Pénzcentrum that eight of its stores around Balaton (located in Balatonfűzfő, Balatonlelle, Fonyód, Keszthely, Siófok, Sümeg, and Tapolca) will have extended hours from 10 June to 1 September. Depending on the store, they will open at either 6:30 or 7:00 AM and close at either 9:00 or 10:00 PM from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, all stores will uniformly open at 7:00 AM and close at 8:00 PM.

Penny’s summer hours at the Hungarian sea

Penny stated that various factors were considered when setting the summer hours for its Balaton stores, including the last school day (21 June 2024) and customer shopping habits. The new hours, effective from 17 June to 4 September, will see stores open until 9 PM from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, three stores (in Balatonalmádi, Siófok, and Gárdony) will stay open until 8 PM, while others will close at 6 PM as usual.

Aldi’s summer opening hours at Balaton

Aldi has designated several stores around Lake Balaton as high-traffic locations, resulting in extended hours. The changes affect ten stores in places like Siófok, Balatonlelle, Keszthely, and others. These stores started longer hours from 16 May, with even further extensions from 14 June to 20 August.

Tesco’s summer hours at Lake Balaton

Tesco is also adjusting its summer hours, with some stores around Balaton open until 11 PM. The availability of Tesco’s home delivery and store pickup services will continue, including same-day delivery options. Key locations such as Veszprém, Siófok, Balatonfüred, and Keszthely will also offer on-demand orders through partners like Foodora and Wolt.

Spar’s summer hours at Balaton

Spar has 23 stores around Balaton, the most in Siófok and Balatonfüred. These stores generally open between 6:00 and 6:30 AM and close between 8:00 and 9:00 PM, with some exceptions, like a store in Siófok that stays open until 10 PM. Additionally, Spar’s express stores at gas stations operate 24/7.

Spar’s online shop delivers to over 200 locations, and the drive-in service is available in 36 Interspar hypermarkets and 4 Spar supermarkets. For the Balaton season, areas like Vonyarcvashegy, Cserszegtomaj, and Gyenesdiás are now included in the delivery zone, with home delivery also available in Hévíz starting 5 June. There will be extended store pickup hours in Keszthely and Veszprém from 17 June.

Read also:

• Beaches at Lake Balaton: Entrance ticket prices increased by 50% in some places
• Bad news: Hungary’s busiest motorway to be partly closed during the holiday season