Bucharest: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
English|
EUR 50 - 60 Casa Locato
 Centrally located in Bucharest, this hotel is near the Herastrau Park and offers apartments with wooden floors. It has a 24-hour front desk and free … MoreEUR 28 - 29 Casa Sofia
 Situated a 10-minute drive from the Romexpo Exhibition Centre, Casa Sofia offers air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi. Dinamo Stadium is 550 metres a… MoreEUR 93 - 281 Centre Ville ApartHotel Complex
 Featuring a casino and gym, a Mediterranean restaurant and a Steaks and Seafood show-kitchen restaurant, Centre Ville ApartHotel offers rooms with air… MoreEUR 55 - 215 Christina Hotel
 The Christina Hotel in the centre of Bucharest offers exclusively designed rooms, only a 5-minute walk from Piata Romana and 10 minutes from Piata Vic… MoreEUR 27 - 35 City Hotel Bucharest
 The City Hotel Bucharest is located 2 minutes from the Plaza Romania shopping centre and 15 minutes from the city centre, offering modern rooms and fr… MoreEUR 29 - 162 Coca Suites
 Coca Suites is located in the centre of Bucharest, close to museums and other major sights. It offers modern, air-conditioned apartments with access t… MoreEUR 24 - 35 Complex Unid
 Enjoying a privileged location in the centre of Bucharest close to Piata Unirii, Complex Unid offers fully furnished and equipped studios and apartmen… MoreEUR 75 - 159 Crowne Plaza Bucharest
 Fresh, contemporary and welcoming, Crowne Plaza Bucharest offers a reassuring blend of global standards, first-class accommodation and facilities. Thi… MoreEUR 65 - 160 Crystal Palace Hotel
 The Crystal Palace Hotel is conveniently located in a quiet residential area, close to the most important exhibition centre in Bucharest – the RomEx… MoreEUR 34 - 102 Dalin Center Hotel
 Dalin Center Hotel was built in 2008 in the centre of Bucharest and it is situated in the financial and commercial district, boasting individually dec… MoreEUR 45 - 89 Dalin Hotel
 Situated 500 metres from the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, close to Unirii Square and the House of the People, this is a great base for business… MoreEUR 22 - 48 Das President Hotel
 The Das President Hotel is located just 200 metres from Bucharest´s central railway station Gara de Nord. It offers air-conditioned room with fl… MoreEUR 38 - 50 Digital Accommodation
 Situated in various central locations in Bucharest, Digital Accommodation offers modern, air-conditioned studios and apartments with cable TV and kitc… MoreEUR 34 - 120 Downtown Accommodation
 Downtown Accommodation Apartments is situated in different central locations in Bucharest close to Victoriei Square or University Square. They provide… MoreEUR 59 - 180 Duke Hotel
 Duke Hotel is centrally located (Piata Romana), very close to the shopping and entertainment area with 20 minutes drive from Otopeni International Air… MoreEUR 34 - 59 EastComfort Bucharest Apartments
 EastComfort Bucharest Apartments offer a diverse range of well-equipped apartments on various central spots in Bucharest.
Restaurants, cafés, banks,… MoreEUR 49 - 80 El Greco Hotel
 El Greco Hotel enjoys a prime location close to Bucharest´s historical centre and the National Theatre. It features elegantly decorated rooms an… MoreEUR 92 - 196 Epoque Hotel
 Located near Cismigiu Central Park, Epoque Hotel has a full-service spa offering various massages and exotic beauty treatments. Other facilities inclu… MoreEUR 60 - 110 Euro Hotels Polizu
 Situated 500 metres from the Gara de Nord Railway Station and a 10-minute walk from Bucharest’s centre, Euro Hotels Polizu offers comfortable air-co… MoreEUR 70 - 110 Euro Hotels Triumf
 Enjoying a central location only 400 metres from the Arcul de Triumf and the Japanese Garden in Bucharest, this hotel offers free Wi-Fi and free priva… MoreEUR 56 - 154 Golden Tulip Times Hotel
 This is a modern centrally located 4-star hotel, in the heart of business and financial area, dedicated to those business people wanting more out of t… MoreEUR 70 - 102 Golden Tulip Victoria Bucharest
 Overlooking Bucharest´s historical Calea Victoriei Street, The Golden Tulip Victoria offers airport transfers, 24 hour-room service and a privat… MoreEUR 32 - 90 Grand Accommodation Apartments
 Benefit from the central locations of studios and apartments operated by Grand Accommodation, providing easy access to subways, buses and taxi station… MoreEUR 62 - 450 Grand Hotel Continental
 Beautifully located on Victoriei Street in the heart of Bucharest, the classically decorated Grand Hotel Continental is steps away from the National A… MoreEUR 40 - 90 GrandVille
 GrandVille is situated in the centre of Bucharest, and offers modern rooms and apartments with free Wi-Fi and free parking less than 5 minutes’ walk… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bucharest: Guide
Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city, as well as the most important industrial and commercial center of the country. With its 2 million inhabitants in the city proper and more than 2.4 million in the urban area, it is also one of the largest cities in Eastern Europe.
Districts
Bucharest is divided in 6 official districts (sector, plural sectoare), numbered from 1 to 6, each has its own mayor and council. They are counted clockwise, starting from Piata Unirii. An unofficial district system is in far wider use, as people refer to places by using the neighborhood they are located in (cartier, cartiere). Neighborhoods cover the entirety of the city, both slums and rich suburbs. A neighborhood may cover 200.000 persons (such as Balta Alba) or 1.000 persons (such as Primaverii).
Understand
Bucharest is usually the entry point for most people into Romania. On the other hand, the city itself isn't particularly appealing to all tourists, and it is usually a matter of personal taste whether visitors like it or not. Some people adore it and think it really has a special feel to it, others feel uncomfortable due to the grey Communist-era buildings and lack of charm or tourist attractions. Yet again, others believe the urban myths about crime, homelessness and poverty, even though these are only what they state to be - myths. Bucharest offers some excellent attractions, and increasingly has the sophisticated, trendy and modern edge to it that defines a Europe|European capital. If you're in the region, it would be negligent to not visit it, even if just for the curiosity of seeing such a paradoxical city.
Language
The official (and native) language is Romanian. Most educated people born after about 1970 will speak reasonably good English; most educated people born before about 1970 will speak reasonably good French. The Gypsies speak their native Romany, as well as Romanian, and sometimes English. Other than that, you'll find some people who know German and Italian. Beyond that, as in any major city, there will be a smattering of other languages.
Climate
Bucharest has, like most of Romania, a temperate-continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. This region of Romania gets all four seasons, although spring is brief and falls mainly in April. The average high daily temperature in summer is about 28ºC and in winter about 0ºC. It can get really hot and dry during the summer (40ºC) and really cold during the winter (-20ºC). Best time to visit is April through June, September through October and early December.
Time
Bucharest is in the Eastern European time zone (UTC+2, UTC+3 from April to October).
Get in
By air
Bucharest has reasonable connections with most European capitals and with the largest cities in Romania, but it can be difficult to find a direct flight to Bucharest from outside of Europe. Starting June 2007, will open a direct service between Bucharest and New York city (JFK airport).
Most of the flights, both international and domestic, land at the Henri Coanda International Airport, located in Otopeni 18 km north of the city downtown. The airport, built in 1968, is now undergoing a massive modernization effort, but is so far still lacking in means of reliable transportation to downtown Bucharest. To get there travelers can choose between car rentals, taxi (Fly Taxi), limo service and public transport bus no. 783.
Dating from the 1920s the smaller Băneasa (Aurel Vlaicu) Airport is located much closer to the city center and is used primarily by low-cost airlines. Being situated in Bucharest proper it is easily accessible, either by taxi or public transportation.
There are plans to build another large airport south or east of the city.
By bus
There are bus connections between Bucharest and large cities in Europe (especially in Southern Europe) and also to many large and medium sized cities throughout Romania. Bucharest has several bus terminals: Baneasa (for northern bound routes), Obor (east), Filaret (south), Alexandriei (south-west), Militari (west), Grivita (north-west).
The timetables for domestic routes are available
By train
Bucharest is linked through daily trains to all neighboring countries’ capitals, to a few Western European ones and obviously to all of Romania’s 42 counties.
All international trains and most long distance internal trains arrive at Gara de Nord (Northern) station, located quite near of the city center, to which it is linked by subway and several buses, trolley, tramway lines.
Some trains to and from the Black Sea Coast use either Gara de Est-Obor (Eastern) station, or Baneasa station.
The other three smaller stations (Basarab, Progresu and Republica) are used exclusively for local and regional trains.
The timetables for domestic routes are available
By car
The city’s entrances from the north (the E15 road coming from Brasov), west (the A1 highway from Pitesti), east (the A2 (Sun) highway from Constanta), south (the E20 road from Giurgiu) and the avenues in the city center are very crowded, especially at rush hours. Inside the city there are few parking spaces and some of the secondary streets are in bad condition.
Get around
Bucharest has one of the most extensive systems of public transport in Europe, even though it can sometimes be confusing and crowded.
Metro (Subway)
The metro, which has four lines (M1,M2,M3,M4) and covers the city quite extensively, is usually a good way to get around even though there are surprisingly few stops in the city center, since the system was originally built to transport workers and commuters from outlying quarters through the city to peripheral industrial areas. If you're staying outside the city center, or even if you want to travel within it, the Metro can be a very fast and convenient way of traveling to your destination avoiding the traffic jams and crowds that frequently characterize surface transport.
The network is very frequent and fairly comfortable, reliable and easy-to-use.Surprisingly for some, it is by far the safest way to travel through the city.Since 2002, Bucharest Metro has embarked on a comprehensive modernization plan, including the replacement of old trainsets with state-of-the-art Bombardier Transportation trains and the renovation of stations and tracks in collaboration with Alstom.
Line M1 runs west-east,meeting up with the M2 (which runs north-south) at Piata Unirii station.Line M3 runs on different west-east route serving the main train station Gara de Nord.The newest line ,M4, partially opened March 1st 2000, very modern and clean, starts from Gara de Nord and ,when completed, will link it with the airports in the northern part of town.
Maps of the subway can be found on the .
A midlet for Java enabled mobile phones is also available .
Buses, trams and trolleybuses
Bucharest has a very complex network of buses, trams and trolleybuses which is, at first glance, fairly confusing to the tourist. This is not because of any inconsistencies within the network, but rather due to the intricate web of hundreds of bus, tram and trolleybus routes found in the city. Once you know your way around the network, however, public surface transport can be a very good way of getting around since there is a bus, tram or trolleybus stop virtually everywhere in this city. The vehicles are usually very frequently, although they can also get terribly crowded at peak hours. Make sure you know the stop you're getting off at - in most trolleybuses and in some buses and trams, following stops are announced automatically and displayed on a screen inside the vehicle. However, these displays tend not to be very reliable, pointing to either a wrong stop or not working at all. If you are uncertain if a stop is the one you want, you can always ask your fellow travelers.
Tickets can be bought from RATB kiosks at a significant amount of stops.Single-use tickets (1,2 lei) are usable on any RATB vehicle, but they must be validated upon entering the vehicle and are valid for a just one ride on one route.Be warned that you cannot buy tickets in the vehicles and if caught by an inspector (controlor) you could be fined with 50 new lei.
It is advisable to buy tickets valid for a day (7 lei) or a week (15 lei) on all surface routes with unlimited rides.
The tickets cannot be currently used on the subway (however, the entire ticketing system is currently being upgraded to use smart-cards. Once the new system will be operational, the new cards will be usable on both RATB and on the subway).A one day valid card with unlimited rides on all subway lines costs 3 lei.
You can check a surface transport map .
Light rail
RATB, Bucharest's surface transport operator, recently unveiled a snazzy new light rail network, which they call "light metro", in the western part of Bucharest. The network is modern, fast and clean, although its reach is currently fairly limited. If you're staying in this area, though, it can give you the best of both worlds - the coverage and convenience of the bus network combined with the speed and comfort of the metro network. The light rail is operated by RATB (it uses an improved version of the standard Bucharest tramway as rolling stock), and is also known as Line 41. You can use any standard RATB ticket on the Light Rail.
By taxi
There are a lot of taxi companies in Bucharest and you'll easily find a cab here. But be aware! Don't take any independent cab drivers, but use only the services of big taxi companies. Usually the cars from these companies have the rates displayed on the door. If it doesn't, then it's safe not to take that taxi, as you'll probably be charged a rate five to ten times than usual. And you should insist to start the meter. You can find a list of taxi companies .
See
Museums
Village Museum –an original open air museum created in 1934, it currently has around 300 traditional buildings (including churches, workshops, mills etc.) plus furniture, pottery, clothing gathered from villages in every region of the country in an effort to showcase the traditional way of life of the Romanians. Occasionally hosts folkloric and traditional crafts festivals. Şoseaua Kiseleff, nr.28-30
Museum of the Romanian Peasant –also dedicated to the traditional way of life, it focuses mainly on traditional interior decoration, tools, clothing and artifacts. Again, it sometimes hosts folkloric and traditional crafts festivals. In 1996, it won the European Museum of the Year Award. Şoseaua Kiseleff, nr. 3
Art Museum -located in the building of the former Royal Palace, has collections of ancient, modern and contemporary Romanian art as well as exhibitions of rare European art dating as early as the 14th century.Calea Victoriei, nr. 49-53
“Curtea Veche” (Old Court) Museum –the ruins of the crown palace of the Wallachian princes, some parts dating as early as the 16th century. It’s around an earlier fortification located in this same place that Bucharest began to develop.Strada Franceză, nr. 25-31
Cotroceni Palace Museum –has collections of objects that belonged to the former Romanian royal family. Today it is also the residence of the Romanian presidents.Bd. Geniului, nr. 1
National History Museum -located in a neoclassical late 19th century building, has exhibits documenting the evolution of society on Romania’s territory from the Paleolithic until today, a replica of Trajan’s Column in Rome and a very interesting numismatics collection.Calea Victoriei, nr. 12
Bucharest History Museum –situated in the Sutu Palace, built in 1834, has collections related to the development of Bucharest from a small 14th century fortress into Romania’s capital.Bd. I.C. Brătianu, nr. 2
Military History Museum –has collections of weapons dating since the prehistoric times and permanent exhibitions dedicated to important military events, including the Romanian revolution of 1989, as well as an outdoor exhibit of relatively modern weaponry, including cannons, tanks, helicopters etc.Strada M. Vulcănescu, nr. 125-127
Jewish Community History Museum –documenting the life of this community in the region since ancient times and through the Holocaust.Strada Mămulari, nr. 3
“Grigore Antipa” Natural History Museum –has over 300.000 exhibits illustrating the transformations of Earth and the evolution of species. Şoseaua Kiseleff, nr. 1
Geology Museum –has a large collection of minerals, rocks and fossils.Şoseaua Kiseleff, nr. 2
“Dimitrie Leonida” Technology Museum –is set to be relocated in a wing of the Parliament Palace
Aviation Museum –open-air display of various types of aircraft.Otopeni airport
Railways Museum–rarely opened.Calea Griviţei, nr. 139B
Firefighters Museum –likewise.Bd. Ferdinand, nr. 33
There are also a number of smaller museums, housing private collections, notably the “D. Minovici" Western European Arts Museum located in a beautiful eclectic villa (strada N. Minovici, nr.3) and numerous memorial houses dedicated to various literary, scientifical and political personalities.
Parliament Palace -In the center of Bucharest, near Piaţa Unirii (Union Plazza) the tourist can see one of the biggest buildings in the world, formerly named "Casa Poporului (People's House)" by Ceausescu.
- There are several parks around man-made lakes on Colentina River running through the city’s north and east side, the largest of them being Herastrau Park .It houses the Village Museum, an open-air theater, various sports grounds, something like an amusement park and numerous restaurants and clubs. Has boat rental and boat-trips in summer.
- The Botanical Garden, established in 1884 near Cotroceni Palace, displays a variety of plants from all over the world, including an indoor tropical plants exhibition. Small entry fee.
- Carol Park (1906), a quiet oasis not so far from Piata Unirii, has an open-air theater replicating a Roman arena and another construction replicating a medieval fortress. It houses the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as an infamous mausoleum built for the Communist nomenclature.
- Tineretului Park, just one subway station south from Piata Unirii, has a large multipurpose building (Sala Polivalenta) used for various concerts, sporting events, exhibitions etc., an amusement park for children, boat-rental, several restaurants and bars.
Red Lion Cafe, situated downtown (Str. Academiei 1A, in the Universitatii area). Nice atmosphere, budget prices, very good pizza.
, hostel affiliated to ; Str. Mihai Eminescu nr.184, near . 10 or 10.5 euro/night (bedsheets and breakfast included).
Avoid crowded buses and trolleybusses as you may lose your money and/or your cell phone. Thieves that operate in mass transit vehicles are referred to as "suti" and they usually operate on the most crowded buses : 226, 336, 368, 32, 41, 70, 102. Pickpocketing is very much exaggerated: it's not nearly as bad as Rome, but of course it's no Berlin. Use your common sense and carry crucial documents in internal pockets.
Stray dogs remain a problem in Bucharest, even though their numbers are gradually decreasing due to projects by the City Hall. Rabies vaccinations are not required but recommended. There have been no rabies cases in Bucharest since 1979. Most dogs will not give you a problem unless you go out of your way to pester them. Many dogs have been treated poorly by humans, and thus be extremely wary of them.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikitravel article "Bucharest". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license.Landmarks
Old Center -Although Ceauşescu's regime has done a lot of demolishing, there are still a few streets which preserve the century-old buildings of the old Bucharest, which was known as the "Little Paris". Unfortunately too litle was done for the preservation and reconditoning of these buildings and streets.Churches and monasteries
Curtea Veche (Old Court) Church –built around 1559, used to be the coronation church of the Wallachian princes.Near Piata Unirii.
Patriarhiei Church (1658) and Mitropoliei Palace (1708) –the residence of the Orthodox Patriarch, sort of a small Romanian Vatican.Located on the hill overlooking Piata Unirii.
Stavropoleos Church –built in the early 18th century, has some stunning decorative sculpture.In the old center area.
Coltea Church – (1702) it’s the first church in Bucharest built in the Brancovenesc style.Near Piata Universitatii.
Sfantu Gheorghe Nou Church –dating from the 18th century, houses the tombs of the princes Constantin Brancoveanu and Ion Mavrocordat.At half way between Piata Universitatii and Piata Unirii.
Kretzulescu Church –another interesting example of the Brancovenesc style (1722).On the left side of the National Art Museum.
Plumbuita Monastery –built in the last half of the 16th century, it once housed the first printing house in the region (1582); today has a religious objects museum and a large park. Relatively far from the city center, on Soseaua Colentina.Do
Recreation
Parks
- Cismigiu Garden is a lovable small park, the oldest in the city (designed 1845-1860), located in its very center. Has boat rental in summer, ice skating in winter time, a reasonable restaurant and several bars.Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Hotels and hostels
North-central Bucharest|Downtown area
1
2
3 , Calea Victoria 29. As of 2002, US$75 single / US$98 double includes breakfast and all taxes. You may be able to get a discount by paying cash (US dollars will do nicely): ask at the desk. Comfortable, though admittedly not quite hassle-free, 100-year-old three-star hotel with big rooms and enormous bathrooms, near Cercul Militar. The heat works. Little things like that do not go without saying in Romania.
3
3
4 is situated in the heart of Bucharest , near to the commercial and cultural zone. El Greco Hotel , founded in 1896 and recently redecorated and arranged , is offering to its clients an incursion in the world of smart and good taste.
Continental 4 Calea Victoriei 56, sector 1, Bucuresti ;
4
4
3 located in an edifice built by the renowned architect Suter in 1900 and restored and prepared to serve as a hotel in 2005, it turned, even after a short time of activity, into a well visited hotel in Bucharest for its central address, attractive prices and good services.
5
5
5 Northern Bucharest|Northern area
5 South-central Bucharest|Palace of Parliament area
4
5 Gara de Nord area
Astoria 2 ,B-dul Dinicu Golescu 27
Ibis-Nord Otopeni area
Vila Gabriela (Str. Margaritarului 18, Vila A 104, Otopeni, Judet Ilfov, Bucharest; tel: (021) 236 20 53; email: pensiuneagabriela AT yahoo.com). It's located just outside Bucharest on the way to the international airport. That is why it is well connected to the center: you can use the but for the airport that passes very often. The number of the bus is 783, it goes from the airport to Piata Unirii and back. The return ticket is 5 lei, you can buy it on the bus, last ride is at about 23:00; be early because they are not very punctual. The place is a very nice big house managed by a friendly couple, Carmina and Vlad. Carmina can speak English, French and Italian. The rooms are clean and welcoming. The double room costs 25 euro/night (you can pay in euro) with a shared toilet. If you want the best room, you'll also get your own toilet for 35 euro/night. The breakfast is always included. If you contact them by email, they might offer you to come to pick you up at the airport for 8 euros. According the standard prices in Romania, this is very expensive. The 783 bus goes there straight away and it is much cheaper but, since you don't know exactly where it is, you might consider accepting it. Then, when you'll become more expert of the local transport, you can do by yourself.
Apartment rental
affordable apartments starting from 30E/day, in Downtown Bucharest, 3 hotel standard, with queen size bed, CATV, local calls & Internet connection. We organize Bucharest sightseeing and tours all over the country from 50E/2pers. Phone: 0040.723.214491
3 , Str. Occidentului 25, phone: (40 21) 210 12 47, fax: (40 21) 210 12 47.If you don't need any hotel services, you can get a short term rental on a pleasant, centrally located apartment for a price comparable to a midrange hotel like the Capitol (with good discounts for long-term stays). The office staff speaks excellent English.
4 Camping
Stay safe
Beware street scams, especially the Common scams#Maradona|maradona, in which fake plainclothes police will try to take your money or papers. No civilian dressed police officer is allowed to ask you for papers in Romania. Romanian police officers will almost never fine a pedestrian, but they almost always pull over foreign registered cars, to see if the drivers have all the papers ok. Bribing is very common, but generally it is not demanded directly. Get out