Can anyone tell me whether I can wear swim-suit for the thermal bath as well as the massage place in Szechenyi Bath? or I have to be completely nude?
Thank you

You'd better be wearing a swimsuit in the pools! I'm not sure about the massage, but the baths are open to the public and it's not nude bathing (at least, I didn't see any when I was there last time). It's just like any other public pool. A bathing cap might also be mandatory.

If I'm wrong, please let me know.

Thank you pavfec.
I was reading the posts in the forum and some said it's absolutely nude...that's why I am a little confused. Since you were there and you didn't see any, I think I feel more comfortable now. Do you recommend going there?

I was talking to my mom last night (she's from Hungary) and she said that there are pools where you go n the nude, but they seem to be accessible from the changeroom only. I was there in 1995, so a while ago, but I swam in the outside pools (in December!). You definitely have to have a bathing suit.

I do recommend going there. It's a fun experience, and for me anyway, swimming is a fantastic way to wash away the fatigues of travelling!

I have only been to the Gellert bath in Budapest, but I assume that perhaps the same conditions apply at the Szechenyi since they are in the same community, etc.

At the Gellert, there were actually two types of baths. There was one that was directly attached to the dressing room and catered to women only (men had a separate one on their side as well). Bathing suits were optional in this area, and there were many people in both--bathing suits and birthday suits.

The co-ed pool in the middle of the complex was not bathing suit optional (if I remember correctly) and did not require bathing caps either.

Massages were nude and in communal rooms--definitely different from other spas I have been to in the States, but hey, what the heck, right? I was only going to be there once!

Hope this helps! --MP

WE went to the Szechenyi at christmas last year, but just to look! Everyone in the outdoor baths was definitely wearing bathing costumes, but I can't speak for the other areas. Our reading of the notices indicated that you could hire a cossie and towel but the deposits were pretty high.
I'm sure they're used to foreigners and little ways, if you can't bear being nude at all.

I went to the bath this past January, everyone wore swimming suit no matter indoor or outdoor, most people had slipper on while walking from one area to another also.

I got so turned off by seeing those folks in the icky Gellert Baths-eek! that I had no desire to participate in the bath/spa scene in Budapest!

What struck me as odd about the Gellert was those little aprons in the women's section. I couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. Finally, I just used the darn thing to sit on.

At the Szechenyi people wear suits even in the steam rooms and saunas.
Everyone- everywhere.

pavfec, swimming caps are not needed. Thank goodness, I haven't had one of those since I was a little kid taking swim lessons.

Thanks everyone!
I am going in Sept and will probably go there and take a look if time allows. If I can be there in the baths with swim-suits I'll give a try, if not I'll just take a peek and leave.

Don't worry schow, everyone had swimsuits on everywhere we went at Szechenyi Baths in June. We had a great time. I'm posting my report now and say a bit about our time there.

My mother, who has enjoyed public baths all over Europe, once told me that only Germans go all-nude at public baths. (She was at a hammam in Istanbul and was told this by an attendant who has worked there for 20 years.) Americans, Brits, and Muslim women ALWAYS wear bathing attire.

Kevin St. Just Mitford

Never only always.

We spent a couple days in the Szechenyi baths in May and everyone wore bathing suits at both the indoor and outdoor pools. I don't think it's optional. The baths were a highlight of our trip and we wound up staying a couple extra days in Budapest because of them.