Words & Pictures by Shaun Troke
Bucharest is by far one of the most financially-friendly city’s I’ve visited in a while…
Which means the transportation system in this part of Romania can also be beneficial to your purse-strings, too!
ARRIVAL
Buses
One option for getting to the city centre from Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport is taking the 783 bus!
It departs from an area below & outside the Arrivals terminal…
And, here’s some tips to keep in mind, should you choose this mode of transport:
TIP #1: At the little kiosk next to the bus stop (signs will direct you there) is where you buy your tickets. BUT, they only accept cash, so make sure you visit the ATM upstairs in the Arrival terminal beforehand.
TIP #2: If you’ve a return flight ticket, then buy a return bus ticket – it was only 7 lei (only £1.64 in November 2018)…and, make sure you don’t throw away your ticket!
TIP #3: If you’re able to, try to plan your trip so that your flight’s arrival time into Henri Coandă Airport is between 9am & 2pm…I’ll elaborate more on this below.
Bus Travel ‘Warning’
The 783 Bus calls itself an Express Bus.
But, the reality is that it’s also usable to EVERYBODY ELSE in Bucharest too.
The bus service makes many local stops along its 60min journey, collecting non-airport passengers who travel the same route…
So, if your arrival time into Bucharest Airport is a little before the rush hours begin, then you’ll find the bus becomes MORE swamped with people than it usually is.
Plus, by travelling on the 783 Bus during rush hour, you’ll also hit traffic hold-ups on the way…
Which can add an extra 30mins onto your bus journey!
My personal opinion is that the buses to/from the airport really aren’t designed to carry plane passengers. There’s no luggage storage departments on board the bus – you’ll have to sit or stand with your bags beside you – which can be a burden when the bus becomes filled with people.
I feel that, if this was an airport-to-city only service, there’d be far less random people on board each journey.
The only bus I used in Bucharest was the 783 service. Yet, I learned from local that, if you’d like to purchase tickets for more bus journeys…
Apparently, it’s similar to using the Oyster card in London:
You buy a card (from a Newsagent)…
You continually top it up…
But, you won’t get your money back, should you return the card!
Trains
Everything in Bucharest’s city centre is within walking distance.
But, it’s really worth saving your shoe leather – and avoiding cold weather in the winter – by purchasing a 10-journey Metro ticket.
This will cost you only 20 lei (£3.83), and, will help aid you getting from side of the city to the other, in a shorter time…
And, these 10-journey tickets are valid for SIX MONTHS after purchase!
The Metro system is much more enjoyable to use, yet it only covers a small area (it doesn’t yet stretch to the airport, unfortunately).
TIP: Be warned – the Metro only runs until around 11pm every night!
Taxis
Something else I learned from a local Bucharestian is that Romanian taxi drivers don’t have the best reputation.
But, since Uber is used here, this is the much more trustworthy option to use in this city.
DEPARTURE
The airport departure terminal is really nice & relaxed, and fully equipped.
Though, you will notice the sudden increase in prices:
From a €5 meal in the city centre, you’ll possibly spend no less than €15 for a meal at the airport…
And, once through security, you’ll see vending machines outside every second shop, dispensing bottles of water for 8 lei (£1.45), and coffee for only 5 lei (NOTE: the water & coffee in these machines are much cheaper than they are in the shops & cafes at the airport).
TIP: If you’ve any spare Romanian Leu in your budget, eat well in the city BEFORE you fly!
You can find out more about Bucharest in our series GOING SOLO, available to watch here on YouTube!