Romania's capital: grand boulevards, the Athenaeum, a vast Palace of Parliament and a lively Old Town, with trains to Brașov and Transylvania.
Neoclassical columns on the Athenaeum catching the afternoon light, a plate of sarmale steaming in the Old Town, and the colossal bulk of the Palace of Parliament at the end of a very long boulevard.
Bucharest is Romania's capital, a big, layered city where grand 19th-century boulevards meet communist-era scale and a lively Old Town. It is the usual arrival point for UK visitors and a very good short break in its own right, with the Athenaeum, the Palace of Parliament and an open-air village museum, before a train north to Transylvania.
Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city, set on a flat plain in the south of the country. It does not look like a postcard, and that is part of the appeal: broad 19th-century boulevards and neoclassical facades sit beside communist-era blocks, and the Palace of Parliament, a very large building, dominates the centre. The Old Town is a tight grid of lanes with bars and restaurants, Calea Victoriei runs north from it past the main sights, and the leafy parks around Cișmigiu and Herăstrău give the city room to breathe.
Most British visitors arrive here, and many treat it as a stopover. We think it deserves two or three days: a concert at the Romanian Athenaeum, a tour of the Parliament, the open-air village museum and an evening in the Old Town. It is also the practical start for Transylvania by train. For the wider picture, see our Romania guide.
Bucharest is a city break that costs less than most western European capitals on a typical day, and it is less polished than Prague, Vienna or Budapest as a result, and in our view a quieter option. You get big-scale architecture, a serious concert tradition, good food and a lively evening scene, with an open-air museum of village houses to balance the city. It is also the easiest base for Transylvania, with Brașov, Bran Castle and Sighișoara reachable by train or car. What you give up is the tidy, walk-everywhere feel of the classic Central European capitals: pavements can be uneven, traffic is heavy and some areas look worn.
A concert at the Romanian Athenaeum The domed concert hall on Benjamin Franklin Street is the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic and the most elegant room in the city. Book a symphonic or chamber concert through the Filarmonica's site, and arrive early to see the interior.
The Palace of Parliament A tour takes you through part of a very large building, with big halls and a real sense of scale. Tours run daily and need advance booking and original ID. The Palace stands at the end of a very long boulevard.
Calea Victoriei on foot Walk north from the Old Town along Calea Victoriei, passing Piața Revoluției and the Athenaeum. It is a good way to see how the city's 19th-century and communist-era layers meet.
The Old Town in the evening The lanes around Curtea Veche and the Lipscani area fill with bars and restaurants after dark. Pick a terrace, order a plate of sarmale or mici and a glass of țuică or local wine.
Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum An open-air museum on the shores of Herăstrău park with village houses and churches from different regions of Romania. It is a good way to see regional building styles before you travel on.
Herăstrău and Cișmigiu Escape the traffic in the city's big parks, with boating and cafés, particularly pleasant in May, June and September.
Day trips to Brașov and Bran Trains and roads run north to Brașov and on to Bran Castle and the Saxon villages. See our Romania guide and Sighișoara.
Bucharest neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
A compact grid of narrow lanes around Curtea Veche and Lipscani, with bars, restaurants and cafés, busy at night.
A long central avenue of 19th-century buildings, museums and cafés running north from the Old Town.
A leafy, central district around the Athenaeum with restaurants and quieter streets.
A green central park and the district beside the Palace of Parliament.
A large lakeside park and a leafy boulevard to the north of the centre.
The main railway station area, busy and practical, with trains to Brașov and the airport.
Bucharest is the place to try Romania's classics. Sarmale are cabbage rolls, mămăligă is cornmeal polenta, ciorbă is a sour soup, and mici are grilled minced-meat rolls. Papanași, fried cheese doughnuts with sour cream and jam, are the usual dessert. Țuică, a strong plum brandy, is the traditional drink, with Romanian wine and craft beer around the Old Town. The capital also has international restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops, and you can eat well for less than in most western European capitals. We would go for a traditional restaurant at least once, then explore the Old Town's mix of styles.
Romanian menus are meat-heavy, but vegetarians can usually put together a meal from salads, cheese, vegetable dishes and soups, and the capital has vegetarian and vegan places. Check ingredients for pork and lard, which are common, and ask about allergens, as English-language menus are widespread in central Bucharest but not guaranteed elsewhere.
Choose by mood. The Old Town puts you in the middle of the bars and restaurants, with noise at weekends. Calea Victoriei and Piața Revoluției are central and walkable to the Athenaeum and the main sights. The area around Piața Romană is calmer, with leafy streets and good restaurants. Cișmigiu and Izvor put you near the park and the Palace of Parliament. Herăstrău is quieter and greener, further from the centre. Gara de Nord is convenient for trains but busier and worth a closer look at the street before you book.
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The Old Town, Calea Victoriei and Piața Revoluției are walkable together, though the Palace of Parliament and Herăstrău park are further out. The city has a metro, plus buses, trams and trolleybuses run by STB. Taxis are an option, but the FCDO says drivers sometimes overcharge foreign visitors, while apps such as Uber and Bolt are generally reliable. Traffic is heavy at peak times, so for longer hops we would take the metro. A car is more trouble than it is worth in the centre; keep it for day trips.
STB's tariff page lists a surface single (bus, tram, trolleybus) at 3 lei, and a combined surface and metro single, valid for 120 minutes, at 7 lei, with 24-hour passes at 8 lei for surface only and 18 lei for surface plus metro. Check the STB and Metrorex sites for the current figures, as the pages do not show a start date. The airport train from Henri Coandă to Bucharest Nord is run by CFR Călători, not STB.
Ready-made day plans for Bucharest — from a single day to a long weekend.
Start on Calea Victoriei and pass Piața Revoluției and the Athenaeum, then take the metro or a short ride to the Palace of Parliament for a booked tour. Spend the late afternoon in Cișmigiu park and finish with dinner and a drink in the Old Town.
Spend the morning at the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, then walk or take the metro to Herăstrău park. In the evening book a concert at the Athenaeum, or return to the Old Town for a plate of sarmale.
Take a train north to Brașov and Bran Castle for a day out, or push on to Sighișoara if you are continuing through Transylvania. See our Romania guide for more on the wider region.
A CFR Călători train runs from Henri Coandă to Bucharest Nord station in about 20 to 25 minutes, and a single is 6.50 lei (2026). Uber and Bolt are generally reliable taxi alternatives, according to the FCDO.
Two to three days covers the Athenaeum, the Palace of Parliament, the Old Town and the village museum. Add a day if you want Brașov and Bran Castle.
No for up to 90 days in any 180. Romania is a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025, so passports must be issued within 10 years and valid for 3 months after you leave. The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, and ETIAS is not yet in operation.
No, it uses the leu (RON). Romania is not in the euro area.
The official page says tickets are bought on site and an original ID document is required, with phone reservations 24 hours ahead for groups of one to nine. The adult ticket is 85 lei (2026).
In our planning it usually is, particularly for food and accommodation, but check current prices and book early for summer weekends and events.
The FCDO does not advise against travel to Romania but warns of petty theft in large towns, especially Bucharest, and drink spiking. Sensible precautions are usually enough.
May to June and September to October; July and August are very hot at times
What to expect — Cool at first, then warm: average highs are about 12 °C in March, 17 °C in April and 22 °C in May, with the parks coming into leaf.
What's best — Walking the city in May, concerts at the Athenaeum and easy day trips north.
What to expect — Hot: June is about 27 °C, and July and August average about 31 °C, very hot at times, with warm nights.
What's best — Early starts, long evenings on Old Town terraces and day trips to cooler mountain towns.
What to expect — Warm and comfortable in September at about 25 °C, then cooler in October at about 19 °C and greyer into November.
What's best — Sightseeing without the heat, the concert season and quieter museums.
What to expect — Cold, with a January average high of about 6 °C and lows below freezing, and short days.
What's best — Concerts at the Athenaeum, museums and indoor cafés.
Skip the hailed street taxi → book Uber or Bolt, which the FCDO describes as generally reliable, or take the airport train.
Skip a Prague, Vienna or Budapest weekend if you want lower bills and fewer visitors → try Bucharest for the Athenaeum, the Parliament tour and the Old Town; you give up the polish and easy walking.
Skip squeezing Bucharest into a transfer day → give it two or three days, then take the train north to Brașov.
Bran Castle and summer weekends are the busiest times in the region; aim for weekdays and opening time.
The Palace of Parliament needs advance booking for groups and original ID for everyone.
Summer afternoons are very hot at times, so keep indoor plans for the middle of the day.
Romania uses the leu (RON), not the euro.
Carry your passport and ID; the Palace of Parliament requires original ID.
Churches and monasteries are working places of worship: dress modestly.
Most airports and military bases ban photography; ask if unsure.
Cards are widely accepted in the capital, but we would carry some cash for small purchases and taxis.
The FCDO says cards have been copied in some bars and restaurants; check your statement.
The Old Town is the centre of nightlife, busy at weekends.
The FCDO warns of drink spiking in bars and clubs; do not leave drinks unattended.
After late events, book a taxi through an app.
Bucharest is mid-priced by European capital standards and usually cheaper than Prague, Vienna or Budapest for food and rooms, though prices rise in summer and at big events, so a careful couple spends modestly and a comfortable stay costs far less than in western capitals.
112 (police, fire, ambulance; ask for an ambulance)
Bucharest has two airports, and most UK flights use Henri Coandă (OTP), north of the city. Ryanair's route page lists several departures a day from London Stansted, taking about three hours ten minutes, and Wizz Air also sells London to Bucharest, so check its timetable for the airport. Băneasa (BBU) is the city's second airport, so check which one your flight uses. A CFR Călători train links Henri Coandă to Bucharest Nord station in about 20 to 25 minutes; a single costs 6.50 lei (2026), and 13 lei if bought from the conductor. Ride-hailing apps are the usual alternative. Rail routes continue from Bucharest Nord to Brașov and Sighișoara; check the CFR Călători timetable for current times.
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