Getting to Bucharest:

Romania is in the European Union, so no visa is necessary for European citizens. However, Romania is not in Schengen zone, so a passport /ID control will be performed at the entrance of the country.

The best and fastest way to arrive in Bucharest is via its international airport, International Airport Henri Coanda (Otopeni) OTP, situated at 18 km from the city center. Buses (lines 780 and 783) are taking the tourists to the city center. Taxi is also an option.

The ticket needed for this bus lines, is Express, meaning that you cannot use it in the Bucharest internal network. 2 trips with this bus cost 7 RON (approx. 1.5 Euro).

Licensed taxis, authorized by the airport, without prior request, with fares of 1.4 lei/km, are available for passengers arriving at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport. These cars will be situated in a taxi station located at the exit of the terminal and will take passengers in order of arrival.

The touch screen terminals for taxi requests are available for customers who want to order taxi from a certain company. Licensed taxi cars with fares between 1.70 lei/km and 4.5 lei/km are available on the ground floor, in front of the Arrivals terminal. According to the fares per km and the traffic conditions, a trip from the airport to the city center, having around 18 km, will cost between 31 to 81 RON (RON=lei) (approx. 7-18 Euro).

Taxi access in public parking is prohibited by law. Approaching customers, both by taxi drivers and by middlemen, is sanctioned by taxi law.

Getting to the venue

The closest metro station is Grozavesti (on yellow line, M1);

The closest bus station is Politehnica (or Complex Regie), bus 601;

Tram station: Pod Grozavesti, lines 1, 11, 35.

Getting around in Bucharest

The regional public transport company (bus, tram) is called RATB while the metro belongs to METROREX company. If you want to use both terrestrial public transport and the underground, you will need 2 different cards: one from RATB and another one from Metrorex. A trip (no matter how long) with the bus or tram is 1.3 RON (if you use multiple lines, you have to check a trip each time you go into a new bus/tram). For RATB one has to buy a rechargeable card, on which the amount that you pay will be included on the card, which can be used at each trip, except the Express line, for which you have to specify that 7 RON are for this trip. There is a non-stop opened office at the airport to purchase this card. When you return the card, you receive your deposit back and also the unused credit on your card.

The offices where you can charge this card are all over the city but usually close at 20:00 and in weekend, most of them are closed or with limited open hours. The normal buses are working in the interval 5 a.m – 23 p.m. in any day. However, during the night, there are special lines, called N.

The metro works between 5 a.m. to 23 p.m., including the weekend. There are various tickets that can be purchased from the entrance of any metro station during the working hours of the metro. Here, 1 trip includes also changes (you can stay as much as you want and change as many times as you want the metro). Access of the passengers is permitted only after the validation of control cards passed through the validation and control devices.

1 trip = 2.5 RON

2 trips = 5 RON

10 trips = 20 RON

A short list of taxi companies is listed below. The ones listed here have also mobile applications, so you do not need to call, you can just download the app and call a taxi at your place, with your GPS location. Pay attention to the price they practice (written usually on the front door) and if there is the same price on the kilometers counting machine.

Speed Taxi: +40 722109477

Cris Taxi: +40219466

Taxi Total: +40219424

Uber is also a recommended option in Bucharest.

It is recommended to install the taxi applications from applications store, they are free and they are most efficient considering the time waiting for a taxi. Using these applications, a taxi can arrive in couple of minutes. They have the same principle as Uber does. Most used taxi applications are: Speed Taxi, Criss Taxi, Cobalcescu Taxi.

The country phone code is 004 or +4. So, in front of any Romanian number that you want to call, use +4. Romania is in Zone 1, so no extra charges for phone calls or internet will be applied by your European service provider.

Money Exchange places

The best place to change currency is BCR bank, it is near Unirea Shopping Center, and it has the best exchange rate comparing to others banks. 1 euro-4.61 Lei

Also, if you want to change near Politehnica, it is BCR also near Politehnica metro station.

It is not recommended to exchange money in the airport because they do not have very advantageous exchange rate.