Bucharest Travel Guide: Is The City Worth Visiting?

Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is an interesting place to visit. It’s a good city for a walk and to see all the places of interest. I thoroughly enjoyed various trips to the city, including a solo trip, day trips, and showing family members around. I liked the places I visited and found plenty to keep me entertained.

Bucharest is the largest city in the country and thus has some fascinating places of interest, including the epic parliament building and many churches. Bucharest also has various museums to visit, which cover a variety of topics, from the wonderful Village Museum to the Natural History Museum.

The city is well known for its great nightlife, and the cafes and bars in the old town are very vibrant. A highlight for me in the evenings is the weekend fountain show at Piața Unirii, which is rather special.

Bucharest is easy to reach from most of Europe, as it has a busy international airport. As with most of Romania, it is a cheap country to visit compared with Western Europe. It’s also a handy starting point for a tour of Romania to see what else the country has to offer.

Bucharest Visitor Guide

Some information that I found useful for my stay in the city. When visiting, a good way to save some cash is by using free ATMs when needed.

Why Is Bucharest Worth Visiting?

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There are lots of fantastic things to do in Bucharest, the Romanian capital.

• Romanian Athenaeum
• Romanian National Museum of Art
• Old Town
• Cișmigiu Gardens
• The epic light show at the Piata Unirii fountains
• Arcul de Triumf
• “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum
• Stavropoleos Monastery Church
• Palace of the Deposits and Consignments
• National Bank of Romania Museum
• Palace of Parliament
• National Museum of Romanian History
• Lots of Pretty Churches

Where to Stay?

As with most capital cities, there are many options for places to stay. This includes some luxury hotels in the city centre near all the sights. You can also find budget accommodation options, including hotels, hostels and apartments.

For my first visit, I opted to stay at Iancu Apartments, which is near the Romanian Athenaeum. The accommodation was within walking distance of the city centre and had some lovely eateries nearby. The room had a nice comfy double bed, a powerful shower, and a small kitchen. As a bonus, it also had self-check-in.

On another stay in the city, we stayed at Azalea Apartments near the Palace of Parliament and Patriarchal Cathedral. This was a fantastic location, close to most things, with great transport links to the rest of the city. The apartment was magnificent, too, and had everything you needed for a relaxing stay.

How To Travel Here?

As an international city, Bucharest has many flights to and from the rest of the world. Most European budget airlines fly into OTP airport from the rest of Europe. Another way to reach Bucharest is by train. There are night trains from both Budapest and Vienna.

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Travelling Around The City

Bucharest doesn’t have the best reputation for public transport; however, there were regular buses, trams and underground trains. The underground was the only public transport I needed on my visit. It was pretty straightforward to use. You can buy a single- or multiple-trip pass at the entrance, then enter the station. Alternatively, you can tap on with a contactless bank card, which is the easiest way after testing the other methods. The underground trains were rather busy on my journeys.

Bucharest offers taxis or Uber for simplicity. Another way to get around is using the electronic scooters. I found using a Lime saved me loads of time and was great fun whizzing around the cycle lanes to find tourist attractions.

What’s Dining & Drinking Out Like?

When visiting the city, I found plenty of dining options, including Romanian and international cuisines. I enjoyed a few meals out, including at a rather special Lebanese place. I also enjoyed various bars in Bucharest, including in the old town area. Most were reasonably priced and provided table service. My favourite place for a drink was Nomad Skybar in the centre.

Is Bucharest in Romania Worth Visiting?

I think Bucharest is an interesting place to visit. It has two conflicting mantles. It was known as the Paris of the East and also the ugliest capital in Europe. Thus, before the visit, I wasn’t sure what I would experience.

I found it to be a fascinating place with some interesting history to learn about, including the oppressive communist era that had an enormous influence on many of the buildings in the city. Another highlight for me was the weekend fountain light show in the centre.