Situated in Western Romania, right near the Hungarian border, Arad is very often considered a cute transit city. Many who want to travel further to Budapest or Vienna and come from Southern or Easter Romania, would make a stop here.

But that is also means, for locals, it’s a real “travel hub”. With no border crossing (as of January 2025), it’s so easy to just cross to Hungary and spend a day in Szeged, Békéscsaba, Gyula or even Budapest.

And sometimes, escaping the daily routine just for a day is exactly what anyone needs and we make no exception. We often plan short trips over the weekends and hiking day trips to break the routine.

So, with that in mind, here are some ideas for day trips from Arad , for anyone who is visiting – or living here – and wants to travel close-by.

1. Moneasa

The mountain resort is within easy reach from Arad by car or bus. The bus takes 3 hours, though. I would recommend visiting the resort during a weekend, if you don’t drive. There isn’t that much to do but if you do stay longer, you can hike one of the many trails. Or why not visit in July during the Pancake Festival (yes, that’s a real thing).

During the summer, you can hike the trails while during winter you can try your luck at tackling the snow.

2. Lipova / Radna Monastery / Soimos Citadel

You can easily get to Lipova by car or train. Get off at Radna stop. Then you can visit the city – not that there’s too much to do, but still -, walk to the Monastery, hike up behind it and also go to Soimos Citadel (7 km walk from the train station). It’s easily done within a day trip.

3. Hodos-Bodrog Monastery

It can be reached by train or car. It is located 15 km from Arad and is an old monastery, filled with secrets…and serenity.

4. Timisoara

Before we had our own Mall with CinemaCity in Arad, people would go to Timisoara and they still go to check out clubs and bars . The nightlife is somewhat different than the one in Arad. I remain a non-fan of Timisoara though even after going to Tango events for years… (Long story short, we still tango – in fact we teach now – but we vibe better with Oradea and Budapest).

5. Oradea

Another large town, but this time to the North. It is worth it to take a train, bus or car ride to the city and check out the historical sites. We’ve been quite a few times, both for Tango events and just…pleasure. The city is cute, you can walk about, take photos, and if you have time (or stay over the weekend) even go to Felix and relax in thermal waters.

6. Szeged, Hungary

Just a short hop in Hungary, Szeged offers historical sites, good food, excellent coffee and a good excuse to just…travel.

7. Budapest, Hungary

It takes 4 h by train and less than that by car to get to Hungary’s capital and it’s best to plan a weekend trip. I recommend the Christmas Markets for the mulled wine and handmade stuff. Walk along the Danube, see the city from above, enjoy the food. There are amazing cafes, plenty of events to check out, and if you Tango, plenty of that, too.

It can be done in a day, especially with two drivers, but I’d say.. book at least a night in Budapest and enjoy more of it.

8. Ceala Forest

It can be reached after a 45 min walk from the city center. There are plenty of trails within the forest and you can also choose to catch some tan (during summer, of course).

>>read more about: A walk in the woods

9. Siria

Home to Romanian writer Ioan Slavici, Siria is easily reached by bus or train . Hike up to the citadel and spend some time in nature. Hike down and take a detour to Feredeu Monastery.

10. Macea

Located just 23 km from Arad, Macea is home to a beautiful botanical garden. We visited on a lovely fall day but it can be just as nice during spring. The easiest way is to drive there, so if you don’t have a car, ask your friends to tag along (or rent a car if you have a license).

11. Gyula

Gyula can easily be reached by car from Arad in about 1 1/2 h. It’s a small (really small with 35,000 inhabitants) city but it’s picturesque and filled with tourists. The Castle, the lovely center and the thermal baths attracts tourists from Europe (mostly).

12. Oroshaza

By definition, a resort where thermal spas are at their best. It can be easily a day trip (whether you drive there or take the train). You can spend time splashing in the various pools, enjoying the good weather or playing beach volley.

13. Békéscsaba

It’s the latest “addition” to this list as we’ve finally took a day trip, for my birthday (in December 2024). What does December mean in this part of the world? Yeah, wet & cold. And of course, it was both. It rained. A lot.

But even with the dreadful weather, we took some nice pics, walked about and ate the best lentils soup (vegan) ever. The city does require a visit when it’s…dried and warmer though. Oh and we found an amazing coffee shop with specialty coffee and vegan sweets.

All photos by Cristina P. and may not be used without permission