In short
- Closest to Therme: the two Băneasa-Sisești apartments, ~16 minutes by car on a Saturday morning and ~17 on the way back on Saturday night (13.9 km).
- From the Old Town, by Piața Unirii, the drive is ~34 minutes, more than twice as long.
- Without a car: bus 442 stops right at Therme; from Băneasa it takes 50–60 minutes.
- Self check-in at any hour after 15:00, so you can let yourself in after a whole evening at Therme.
- A kitchen, a washing machine and free private parking at the three Băneasa apartments; at Panorama Lake, a tumble dryer too.
Accommodation near Therme Bucharest: how long the drive takes
Therme, the spa in Balotești just north of Bucharest, lies on the DN1, not inside the city. That turns the usual ranking of places to stay upside down: a very good apartment in the centre leaves you with a long drive, while our Băneasa apartments are the closest.
We measured the drive with Google Maps from each building to Therme: on a Saturday at 09:30, when you set off; on the way back, on Saturday at 22:00 and on Sunday at 19:00; and at weekday rush hour, if you go after work. Every route runs along the DN1.
- Băneasa-Sisești (with terrace and with balcony, at the same address): 13.9 km. ~16 minutes on a Saturday morning, ~17 back on Saturday night and ~21 on Sunday evening; on a working day, up to ~25 at rush hour.
- Băneasa Panorama Lake: 16.6 km. ~20 minutes on a Saturday morning, ~19 back on Saturday night and ~24 on Sunday evening; up to ~30 at rush hour.
- Herăstrău: 16.4 km. ~22 minutes on a Saturday morning, ~20 back on Saturday night and ~26 on Sunday evening; up to ~35 at rush hour.
- Crângași, in the west of the city: 20.3 km. ~30 minutes on a Saturday morning, ~27 back on Saturday night and ~35 on Sunday evening; up to ~45 at rush hour.
In a straight line, the three Băneasa apartments are all about 12 km from Therme (11.7 km from Băneasa-Sisești, 12.1 km from Panorama Lake), and Crângași 17.6 km. By road the trip is longer (from Panorama Lake, by about 37%), so go by the times above, not the line on the map. Rain or the Sunday-evening traffic on the DN1 can stretch any of them.
~16 minutes to Therme, with free private parking. See when the two Băneasa-Sisești apartments are free:
Getting to Therme without a car: bus 442
Bus 442 (shown as R442 in some apps) runs from Piața Presei Libere to Therme through Băneasa, Otopeni and the airport, and stops right at the entrance, at the Therme București stop. We asked Google Maps for the public transport route, arriving at Therme on a Saturday at 10:00 and on a weekday at noon; the times include the walk to the stop:
- from Băneasa-Sisești: bus 205 to Gara Băneasa or Aeroportul Băneasa, then the 442; 50–60 minutes;
- from Băneasa Panorama Lake: bus 205 or 304, then the 442; 55–67 minutes;
- from Herăstrău: bus 301 to Aeroport Băneasa, then the 442; 56–64 minutes;
- from Crângași: tram 41 to Piața Presei, then the 442; 73–80 minutes.
From the centre it takes longer: from Piața Victoriei, bus 100 to Primăria Otopeni and then the 442, 53–58 minutes; from Piața Unirii, the same way, about 68; from Gara de Nord, the airport train and then the 442, 65–73.
Timetables change, and in the evening the last bus back is what matters: check them in the STB app or on Google Maps before you go. By car or taxi the trip is two to three times shorter.
Which of the three northern apartments suits you
All three are whole apartments with self check-in, so you do not meet anyone on arrival. By road, Băneasa-Sisești is a few minutes closer to Therme than Panorama Lake; what really sets them apart is the space, the amenities and the kind of stay each one is meant for.
A couple on a day trip: Băneasa Panorama Lake
The Băneasa Panorama Lake apartment has one bedroom and room for up to 4 guests, a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, air conditioning, a washing machine and a tumble dryer, handy for swimsuits and towels. It has an enclosed terrace-style balcony with a view of the city and the lake. Parking is free at the property, which matters if you come by car. It is in the Panorama Lake complex, at Șoseaua București–Târgoviște 4A.
A longer stay, a work trip or a medical stay: Băneasa-Sisești
The Băneasa-Sisești apartment is about 85 m² on the ground floor (there are 4 steps at the building entrance), with a terrace facing the apartment’s own yard and outdoor furniture. The bedroom with a double bed and the sofa bed in the living room sleep up to 4, and a cot can be requested for a fee, so it also works for a family with a small child. It has a bathtub, a washing machine in the apartment, a kitchen you can actually cook in, Wi-Fi and a free private parking space.
After a full day at the spa, a bath and a load of washing in the evening are exactly what a hotel room does not give you. If your stay also includes medical appointments, we wrote separately about staying near Enayati Medical City as a patient or companion.
Two groups, or a working day between two days off: Băneasa-Sisești 2
Băneasa-Sisești 2 is at the same address, Strada Petre S. Aurelian 10: about 92 m² on an upper floor, with no lift, and a balcony instead of a terrace. The living room is separate from the bedroom, so one person can rest while the other works. If you are coming as two groups, or the first apartment is already booked for your dates, this is the natural choice: the same building, two apartments.
A hotel near Therme spa Bucharest, or a short-stay apartment?
The differences that matter for a Therme visit are not the ones in the brochures:
- Arrival. Self check-in at all five apartments, at any hour after 15:00, so you can arrive after Therme closes. Check-out is by 10:00. Early check-in and late check-out can be requested, for an additional charge, subject to availability; if you arrive before 15:00, ask for early check-in in advance.
- The whole place. A kitchen, a living room, your own bathroom and, at the two Băneasa-Sisești apartments, a terrace or a balcony. For four people, the difference from a double room is large.
- Classification. All five are classified at 3 stars by the Romanian Ministry of Tourism, with the certificate number shown on each apartment’s page. Apartments for rent are classified from 1 to 3 stars, not 1 to 5 like hotels, so 3 is the top of the category.
- Invoice. We issue one for every stay, including business stays.
- House rules. No pets, no smoking indoors and no parties or events.
The nightly price is shown on each apartment’s page. Pick your dates in the calendar and the booking card shows the total for your stay, line by line: that is the final price.
North or centre? The trade-off, in figures
If you are in Bucharest only for Therme, the north wins easily. If you add two days in the city, the sums change, and it is worth saying so honestly. In a straight line, Piața Victoriei is 2.9 km from Herăstrău, 3.1 km from Crângași, 5.9 km from Băneasa-Sisești and 7.5 km from Băneasa Panorama Lake. Piața Unirii: 5.1 km from Crângași, 5.8 km from Herăstrău, 9.0 km from Băneasa-Sisești and 10.6 km from Panorama Lake.
In other words, the Băneasa apartments are roughly twice as far from the centre as Crângași or Herăstrău. If your plan is one day at Therme and three more in the city, the Crângași apartment is worth a look: it is in the west of the city, has two bedrooms and sleeps up to 6, and Crângași metro station is 370 m away, about a 5-minute walk, so getting to the centre does not depend on traffic.
The trade-off works both ways: from there Therme is ~30 minutes by car on a Saturday morning, almost twice as long as from Băneasa-Sisești. A hotel in the Old Town has the same problem: from Piața Unirii it is 22.7 km, ~34 minutes on a Saturday morning and ~40 back on a Sunday evening. Herăstrău sits in between: close to the centre and ~22 minutes from Therme.
If you fly the next day
Therme and Henri Coandă Airport are on the same side of the city, so the two fit into one trip. From Băneasa-Sisești the departures terminal is 9.7 km by road, about 14 minutes by car on the DN1 in light traffic and up to ~20 at rush hour; from Panorama Lake it is 12.2 km, ~17 minutes, up to ~25.
The times from each apartment, early morning included, are in our guide to staying near Otopeni Airport. A transfer to or from the airport can be arranged on request, for an additional charge; it is not included in the rate.
It is also worth saying what an apartment cannot do: for a 5 a.m. flight, a hotel by the airport remains the better choice. The apartment suits an afternoon flight, the night after you land, or a stay of a few days in which the airport is the end of the trip, not the plan.
Questions about staying near Therme
How long is the drive to Therme?
From Băneasa-Sisești, the closest apartments, ~16 minutes on a Saturday morning (13.9 km). From Panorama Lake ~20, from Herăstrău ~22, from Crângași ~30. On the way back on a Saturday night, 17–27 minutes, depending on the apartment.
How far is Therme from Bucharest city centre?
From Piața Unirii, ~34 minutes by car on a Saturday morning (22.7 km); from Piața Victoriei, ~26 (19.2 km). From Băneasa-Sisești, ~16.
Which bus goes to Therme?
Bus 442, which stops at Therme București. You reach it by bus 205 or 304 from Băneasa, by bus 301 from Herăstrău, and by tram 41 from Crângași to Piața Presei; 50–80 minutes in all, depending on the apartment. From the centre, take bus 100 to Primăria Otopeni, then the 442: 53–68 minutes.
Can I check in late at night, after Therme?
Yes. With self check-in you let yourself in at any hour after 15:00, with the instructions you receive before you arrive.
Is there parking at the apartment?
The three Băneasa apartments have free private parking at the property. At Herăstrău and Crângași parking is free, on the public street.
What are Therme’s opening hours and prices?
Therme sets them, and they change with the season and the day; check them on the Therme București website before you go.
Closest to Therme: Băneasa-Sisești
Two apartments at the same address, each with a free private parking space, ~16 minutes by car from Therme on a Saturday morning.
How a booking is confirmed
You pick your dates and the number of guests in the apartment’s calendar and see the total; you send the request, and the conversation continues on WhatsApp, where we confirm availability. The booking is final only after we confirm it. All five apartments are run by ARKADIA INOVATION SRL (CUI 47935937), and the site also has a Romanian version.