Bucharest
Bucharest's Old Town packs an improbable number of bars into a few pedestrian streets, and the bills still read like typos: cocktails for a fiver, local Ursus lager for barely more than one.
- Best forNightlife · Budget travellers · Groups of friends
- In February10°C · 5 rainy days
- Ideal stay2–3 nights
- Approx. flying time~13h 10m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyRONRomanian leu
- LanguageRomanian
- Local time13:102h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+40
Why go
A big, contradictory capital of belle époque villas, communist-era boulevards and new glass towers, where the interesting parts are scattered rather than concentrated. The pedestrianised Old Town does the drinking, densely and cheaply. Elsewhere there are leafy residential streets, large parks and a museum quarter that most weekend visitors never reach. Nights start late and run long.
Two or three nights is plenty, and it pairs neatly with a run into Transylvania by train or car. Summer is hot and the terraces move outdoors; winter is cold, grey and much cheaper. It is not a pretty city in the postcard sense, and anyone arriving expecting Prague will be disappointed, but it is affordable, welcoming and easy to enjoy.
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
- The vibe
- Cheap, late, gloriously unpolished
From our guides
Lipscani's strip does the loud, easy fun; the cooler crowd drifts to the garden bars around Piața Amzei and to Control Club for indie and electronica. Wednesday student nights go surprisingly hard. Late-night covrigi — hot pretzels — cost pennies and fix most things.
Featured in Ten budget party cities where your money goes further
Things to do
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Lipscani and the Old Town
A few pedestrian streets carrying most of the city's bars and terraces. Loud, busy and the obvious place to start an evening.
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Palace of the Parliament
Ceaușescu's vast and still unfinished monument, among the heaviest buildings on earth. Tours must be booked ahead and require photo identification.
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Village Museum
Wooden houses, churches and windmills relocated from across Romania and rebuilt in a lakeside park, which is an easy and genuinely interesting hour.
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Cișmigiu Gardens
The oldest public park in the city, with a lake, rowing boats through the summer and an ice rink once the weather turns.
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Garden bars
Courtyard and rooftop terraces away from Lipscani, around Piața Amzei and the streets north of the centre, where the crowd is noticeably more local.
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Covrigi and late food
Hot pretzel rings from street windows at almost any hour, plus mici, the grilled minced-meat rolls served in the old beer halls.
Getting there
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Fly to
Otopeni (OTP)
Nearest airport to Bucharest, about 15km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Bucharest
Băneasa (BBU) sits about 20 minutes north of the centre by taxi. Most scheduled flights now use Otopeni, a little further out, with a rail link and buses into the city.
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On the ground
Getting around
The metro reaches most of the city and the Old Town bar streets are entirely pedestrian, so evenings are walked. Ride hailing is cheap and plentiful for the way home.
Public transport: Solid. Metro, trams and buses cover the city, though the metro stops around 11pm.
Flights
Los Angeles Bucharest, Romania
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When to go
Daytime highs run from about 6°C in January to 32°C in August. Driest in February and September and October; wettest in June, with rain on about 11 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
February10° · rain 5 daysCold with the odd shower.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Apartment rentals in abundance, business hotels and international chains around the centre, plus boutique guesthouses in restored villas. Hostels are plentiful and cheap.
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Best base overall
Old Town, Lipscani
The bar streets are right outside, along with the churches and the Palace of Parliament walk. Weekend nights are loud until dawn, so ask for a courtyard room or bring earplugs.
Find stays in Old Town, Lipscani -
Closest to the sights
Piata Romana and Universitate
A ten-minute walk from the Old Town, on the metro, and lined with cafes and bookshops rather than stag parties. Rates are similar to Lipscani but sleep is more likely.
Find stays in Piata Romana and Universitate -
Best for couples
Piata Amzei and Dorobanti
Garden bars, good restaurants and leafy embassy streets, which is where the city stops shouting. Fewer hotels, so apartments dominate.
Find stays in Piata Amzei and Dorobanti -
Quietest
Cotroceni
An elegant residential district of interwar villas near the botanical garden, with guesthouses at gentle prices. It is a tram ride from the nightlife, which some readers will call a feature.
Find stays in Cotroceni
Worth knowing before you book: Old Town rooms are noisy every night, not just weekends. Check whether an apartment building has a working lift, as many communist-era blocks do not.
Search everything else in Bucharest by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Timing
- Bars fill after eleven and clubs later still. Very little happens before ten, so plan dinner accordingly.
- Cash or card
- Cards work almost everywhere, but keep some lei for street food, markets and the occasional taxi.
- Taxis
- Use an app or a marked rank rather than hailing at random near the tourist streets, where overcharging is common.
- Getting there
- The airport is around forty minutes from the centre, served by an express bus and a rail link into the city.
- Pavements
- Pavement parking, uneven surfaces and unannounced building works are normal. Sensible shoes beat heels here.
Similar places
Further afield
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Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Bucharest?
Daytime highs run from about 6°C in January to 32°C in August. Driest in February and September and October; wettest in June, with rain on about 11 days.
How long should I spend in Bucharest?
Our suggestion: 2–3 nights.
How do I get to Bucharest?
Băneasa (BBU) sits about 20 minutes north of the centre by taxi. Most scheduled flights now use Otopeni, a little further out, with a rail link and buses into the city.
Do I need a car in Bucharest?
No. Metro, trams and buses cover the city, though the metro stops around 11pm.
What currency and language are used in Bucharest?
Currency: Romanian leu (RON). Language: Romanian. Plugs: type C and F.
Who is Bucharest best for?
Best for nightlife, budget travellers and groups of friends. In a phrase: cheap, late, gloriously unpolished.