Bucharest is such a good value for money destination. It is one of the best cities in the eastern Europe and has so much to offer and not that expensive.
How to get there?
From/to Otopeni airport there are plenty of low cost and major airlines that have direct flights. I booked 2 round trip tickets from Albania for only 39 Euros.
Where to stay?
As I mentioned Bucharest is not that expensive and has plenty of accommodation options. However it is worth mentioning that especially if you do not want to spend much on accommodation, Airbnbs are very popular and convenient in Bucharest. You can find central AirBnBs for as little as 40, 50 euros/night. And even if they don’t have breakfast included, you’ll have the chance to have breakfast to numerous beautiful caffes, a few of them are a must visit.
How to move around?
Public transportation is quite good, very inexpensive and plenty of alternative public transportation to go from one point to another, tram, bus, train and uber. I used Uber quite a lot, is quite affordable and they were so fast.
However, bear in mind that although Uber preferred cash, public transportation was payable only by card on board everywhere, be that a tram, bus or train. Ticket kiosks were difficult to find even with the help of locals so it is very useful to have a credit card with you. Also if you manage to find the kiosk and want to pay cash bear in mind that their currency is Romanian Leu and they do not accept Euros easily. You might be tempted not to pay, but bear in mind that you can get a big fine if caught.
So I would suggest that you buy tickets online for the day , bonus tip: they have an app, that I only found out after the trip, where you can easily buy the tickets: the 24pay app released by Bucharest Transport Company STB Sa, the main operator in Bucharest. And since unfortunately I have not managed to find a daypass card, they have a similar one called Multiplu card which includes different types of fares for as many days that you need it, which should also be bought at any of the RATB Kiosks near major stations.
How many days to stay in Bucharest?
To fully catch the vibe and enjoy Bucharest a minimum of around 3 days is necessary + any extra days if you intend to do any day tour out of Bucharest.
Most of the top attractions like landmarks are centrally located and you can visit them in one day, but you want to reserve a day to walk around the beautiful parks of Bucharest, especially during summer or beginning of autumn and you want to dedicate a day or at least half a day to the most beautiful Thermal Spa in the eastern Europe.
However for a well-organized itinerary with little need to use the transportation including all the must see attractions, including the two ultimate day trips you should not miss check out my “Discover Bucharest: A 3 + 1 Optional Days Itinerary” blog post.
However, bear in mind that although Uber preferred cash, public transportation was payable only by card on board everywhere, be that a tram, bus or train. Ticket kiosks were difficult to find even with the help of locals so it is very useful to have a credit card with you. Also if you manage to find the kiosk and want to pay cash bear in mind that their currency is Romanian Leu and they do not accept Euros easily. You might be tempted not to pay, but bear in mind that you can get a big fine if caught.
So I would suggest that you buy tickets online for the day , bonus tip: they have an app, that I only found out after the trip, where you can easily buy the tickets: the 24pay app released by Bucharest Transport Company STB Sa, the main operator in Bucharest. And since unfortunately I have not managed to find a daypass card, they have a similar one called Multiplu card which includes different types of fares for as many days that you need it, which should also be bought at any of the RATB Kiosks near major stations.
Also in my many travels to Europe and farther I have booked different day trips or guided tours in GetYourGuide many times. Go for the top rated ones and you won’t be disappointed.
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