Players & Delegations · Info Hub

Welcome to Budapest,
let's play.

Your complete practical guide to the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Final 2026 — arrival and check-in, the official hotel, meals, transport, training, the match protocol and everything worth seeing in the city.

Competition
16–19 July 2026
Venue
Városliget · Napozórét
Official Hotel
Hotel Lions Garden
Preliminary Inquiry
Wed 15 July · 17:30
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A personal welcome

Dear guests,
welcome to Hungary!

Vatai Gabriella, President of the Hungarian Volleyball Federation

Dear guests,

On behalf of the Hungarian Volleyball Federation, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Budapest for the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Final 2026. We are ready to host you and to make this the best experience in town.

Hungary is investing heavily in the promotion of our sport, and we aim to become a point of reference in European beach volleyball. From the Beach Pro Tour tournaments to the Nations Cup Finals, being "part of the games" has become a genuine pleasure for everyone in the organisation.

On these pages you will find everything you need for your stay in Budapest. I wish you a pleasant time in Hungary and great success on court — see you on the sand!

Vatai GabriellaPresident · Hungarian Volleyball Federation
At a glance

The essentials

The handful of things every delegation needs on day one. Details for each are further down the page.

📅Competition16–19 July 2026Training days on site: 14–15 July
📋Preliminary InquiryWed 15 July · 17:30–18:30At Hotel Lions Garden (Official Hotel)
🏨Team & Officials HotelHotel Lions GardenCházár András u. 4, 1146 BudapestOpen in Maps →
🏝️VenueVárosliget — NapozórétNext to Heroes' Square · 1.3 km from the hotelOpen in Maps →
🍽️MealsAll at Hotel Lions GardenLunch 12:00–15:00 · Dinner 19:00–22:00
🪪AccessAccreditation cardYour card is your key — meals, venue & gym
Step 1 · On arrival

Preliminary Inquiry (PI)

Your delegation's official check-in for the competition. Please arrive together — one country and one gender at a time.

When & where

🗓️
Wednesday, 15 July 2026 · 17:30–18:30
Men & women together
📍
Hotel Lions Garden (Official Hotel)
Cházár András u. 4, 1146 Budapest · Maps →

Good to know

👥
Come as one delegation
Everyone from the same country & gender arrives together.
🪪
Bring your ID
Every accredited person shows their passport or valid ID.
👕
Branded accessories
Any branded accessories must be approved during PI.
✍️
Golden Set responsibility
Delegations name the person responsible for naming players in the Golden Set.
💧

Water & sustainability: to avoid single-use plastic, the event uses refillable water dispensers. Every player receives a reusable water bottle at the Preliminary Inquiry — please use it throughout. Only the pairs playing a match receive pre-set bottled water, and only for the duration of that match.

What to bring to PI

Have these ready when you arrive.

  • Passport or valid IDFor every accredited member of the delegation.
  • All competition uniforms in two coloursBoth kit colours for every team.
  • Be photo-readyAfter registration you'll dress in the official uniform for the presentation & social-media photo shoot.
📺

Kit colours: the Competition Management will tell you which of your two kit colours to wear for each match — so always keep both colours with you.

Stay & meals

Hotel Lions Garden

The Teams & Officials Hotel — your base for the week, a short walk from both the City Park and the venue.

Accommodation

The Local Organiser provides hotel accommodation and meals for up to six (6) delegation members per team.

🛏️
Twin rooms & full board
From the afternoon of 15 July (dinner) until +1 day after your elimination (breakfast).
📍
Hotel Lions Garden
Cházár András u. 4, 1146 Budapest · Maps →
🚶
Walk to the venue
1.3 km — an easy stroll through the City Park.
💳

Extras are on you: mini-bar, phone calls, laundry and similar are each person's own cost, settled at check-out.

Meals

All meals are served at Hotel Lions Garden and are taken with coupons. Everyone collects their coupons for 15–18 July during the Preliminary Inquiry. If you play on a further competition day, you collect that day's coupons at the hotel information desk.

🥐
Breakfast
Mon–Fri 06:30 – 10:00 · Sat, Sun & public holidays 07:00 – 10:30
🍽️
Lunch
12:00 – 15:00
🌙
Dinner
19:00 – 22:00
🏐
Late Golden Set games
Timing to be confirmed — in special cases, dinner boxes are provided.
📞
Meals contact
The venue

Városliget, next to Heroes' Square

For one weekend a full beach-volleyball arena rises in Budapest's City Park: a centre court wrapped in grandstands, alongside the side competition courts — right beside Vajdahunyad Castle and the Széchenyi Baths.

The competition courts set up on the Napozórét in Városliget

Walk to the venue

The courts are on the Napozórét in Városliget, by Olof Palme sétány — about 1.3 km, a 15-minute walk from Hotel Lions Garden straight through the City Park. No shuttle: it's easy walking distance.

Open walking route in Maps →
QR code opening the walking route from the hotel to Olof Palme sétány in Google Maps Scan to open the hotel → venue walking route on your phone.
⏱️
Accredited access window
From 75 min before the first match until 30 min after the last match each day.
Getting around

Transportation

Transport for official delegation members is provided by the organiser. Here's how it works.

Airport ⇄ Hotel ⇄ Venue

🛬
Airport → Hotel Lions Garden
Provided by the organiser · ~20 minutes.
🚶
Hotel → Venue
Walking distance (1.3 km) — no transport provided.
🛫
To the airport (departure)
Aim to be at the airport about 2 hours before your flight. Your bus departs from the hotel entrance — please be there in good time.
✈️

Airport pick-up: every delegation has already been notified of its airport pick-up time. If you haven't received yours, please contact Éva Huszár, Hotel & Transportation Manager.

Transport contact

One point of contact for all transfers.

👤
Éva Huszár
Hotel & Transportation Manager

Heading home: plan to reach the airport around 2 hours before your flight, and wait at the hotel entrance in good time to catch your bus.

Prepare & train

Training & gym

On-site training courts before the competition, plus a gym within walking distance of the hotel.

Training courts

Available on site on 14 & 15 July, 09:30–18:30.

🏐
One booking per day, per federation
1.5-hour slots. Two teams share a court at the same time — from the same or different federations.
📅
Book with Balázs Benkő
Contact him for bookings; he confirms successful reservations.
+36 70 647 5749 · benkobalu@gmail.com
📊
Live availability
Track open training slots in the shared table. Open the schedule →

Gym — TempelFit 2

Within walking distance of the hotel. Your accreditation card is all you need to get in — no extra card or transport required.

🕗
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00
📍
On court

Match-day protocol

Exactly what happens in the minutes leading up to each match, so you always know where to be. The times below count down to the first serve, marked 0.

Centre Court

Show-court protocol

−12'Floor manager asks the warm-up court manager to escort the teams to the centre court.
−10'Attendants / court staff collect personal belongings, bags and shoes in a big box. The referees check the players' uniforms.
−9'Match announcement & countdown. Officials and ball kids are welcomed, then the players in official match uniforms. Team A to the far time-out area, Team B to the closest. Host country always enters as Team B
−7'Coin toss in front of the scorer's table.
−6'Official warm-up begins (3 min) — TV transmission starts.
−2'30Warm-up ends, players return to their Player's Area. Referees shake hands and take position; referees are presented; individual player announcements & entry (~20 sec each). After the last entry, the first referee whistles and players shake hands under the net.
0Start of the match.
Side Court

Side-court protocol

Players and coach enter the court as soon as the previous match's players have cleared the field of play.
−5'Coin toss in front of the scorer's table.
−4'Official warm-up begins (3 min).
−1'Warm-up ends, players return to their Player's Area. Referees shake hands and take position; players enter the rear of the court. The first referee whistles and players shake hands under the net.
0Start of the match.
🎥

Video sharing: match videos may be used for scouting only and are subject to rights. Coaches may film the side courts with their own cameras, and a recording of each match can be downloaded from the video platform.

🎥 Open the video platform →
Between matches

Explore Budapest

You're playing in one of Europe's most beautiful city parks — and the best of Budapest is right on the doorstep. A few favourites within reach of the venue.

👆 Tap any spot to read more about it.

Heroes' Square
The grand plaza right beside the courts — Hungary's founding chieftains in bronze.
Next to the venue
Vajdahunyad Castle
A fairy-tale castle in the City Park, a 5-minute walk from the arena.
In Városliget
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Europe's largest medicinal bath — perfect recovery after a long match day.
In the City Park
Danube & Buda Castle
The Chain Bridge, the river and the castle hill — the classic Budapest view.
15 min by metro
For fun

Hungary, briefly & brilliantly

A few things worth knowing — and a couple that'll make you smile — about your host country.

🧩

The Rubik's Cube is ours

Ernő Rubik invented it in Budapest in 1974. Hundreds of millions have sold since — one of the best-selling toys of all time.

♨️

Capital of thermal baths

Budapest sits on over 100 thermal springs — a true spa capital, with a grand medicinal bath right next to your venue.

🍺

Don't clink beer glasses

An old custom: many Hungarians don't clink beer mugs. Say "Egészségedre!" (cheers) instead — and clink wine freely.

✍️

Surname comes first

In Hungarian the family name is written first — "Puskás Ferenc," not "Ferenc Puskás." It surprises everyone.

🖊️

Hungarians invented a lot

The ballpoint pen (Bíró), the modern helicopter rotor, vitamin C's discovery, even the basis of the hologram — all trace back to Hungarians.

🌶️

Paprika & goulash

Real "gulyás" is a soup, not a stew — and paprika is a national treasure. Try lángos (fried dough) at the market too.

🗣️

One of Europe's trickiest languages

Hungarian isn't related to its neighbours at all. Don't worry — a smile and "Köszönöm" (thank you) go a long way.

🚇

Continental Europe's oldest metro

The little yellow M1 line under Andrássy Avenue opened in 1896 — it runs straight to Heroes' Square.

🏐

A proud volleyball nation

Beach volleyball is booming in Hungary — from Beach Pro Tour stops to this very final. You're part of that story.

Good to know

Practical Budapest

The small stuff that makes a trip smooth — currency, weather, plugs and a few words of Hungarian.

💶
Currency: Forint (HUF)
Not the euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry a little cash for markets.
☀️
July weather
Hot & sunny, ~28–33 °C. Bring sunscreen, a cap and plenty of water.
🔌
Plugs & power
Type C / F, 230 V. Pack a European adapter.
🚰
Tap water
Perfectly safe and tasty to drink straight from the tap.
🆘
Emergency: 112
One number for police, ambulance and fire. English is understood.
🚇
Getting around
Metro, trams & buses (BKK). The M1 yellow line stops at Hősök tere (Heroes' Square).
💁
Tipping
Around 10% in restaurants; check if service is already included.
🕐
Time zone
CEST (UTC+2) in July.

A few words of Hungarian

SziaSEE-ya
Hi / Bye
KöszönömKUH-suh-nuhm
Thank you
KéremKAY-rem
Please
Igen / NemEE-gen / nem
Yes / No
Egészségedre!EG-ays-shay-ged-reh
Cheers!
Hajrá!HOY-rah
Let's go! (cheer)
BocsánatBO-chah-not
Sorry / Excuse me
ViszlátVEES-laat
Goodbye
Who to call

Key contacts

The people to reach for the things that matter most during your stay.

Tournament Director
Bence Bagics
💬 +36 30 590 0705 ✉️ bagics.bence@hunvolley.hu

🏆 Competition matters & on-site coordination

CEV Supervisor
Pier Paolo Murgioni
✉️ pierpaolomurgioni@gmail.com

⚖️ Competition supervision on behalf of CEV

Court bookings · Training
Balázs Benkő
💬 +36 70 647 5749 ✉️ benkobalu@gmail.com

🏐 Reserve training slots & confirm bookings

Hotel & Transportation Manager
Éva Huszár
💬 +36 30 409 0969 ✉️ huszareva@hunvolley.hu

🚌 Airport transfers & hotel catering