Bucharest City Information

Money

The currency in Romania is Leu (Lei in plural). 1 leu = 100 bani.
Cash can be easily exchanged at any bank or currency exchange office (Casa de Schimb). Approximately exchange rates are:
1 US dollar = 4,2 Lei
1 British Pound = 4,9 Lei
1 Euro = 4,34 Lei
ATM that accept MasterCard and Visa can be found in main banks, airports and shopping centers. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted by large hotels, car hire firms and some restaurants and shops.

Prices

Alcohol

The prices are higher in the city center or in trendy bar, while in the pubs are lower. Average prices for alcohol and cocktails are:

• a pint of beer from 1,40 Eur / GBP 1,30 to 2,80 Eur / GBP 2,50.
• a shot of vodka or whiskey (usually 40ml or 50ml) from 2,80 Eur / GBP 2,50 to 3,70 Eur / GBP 3,30.
• a cocktail is around 3,50 Eur / GBP 3,20 and non alcoholic 2,80 Eur / GBP 2,50.
• in dance clubs a pint of beer costs between 2,30 Eur / GBP 2,10 and 2,80 Eur / GBP 2,50 and a shot around 2,80 Eur / GBP 2,50.

Meal

Eating out is definitively cheaper then what you are used from your place:

• a quick pizza starts from 4,10 Eur / GBP 3,70
• cheap lunch menu in average downtown restaurant costs 4,50 / GBP 4,10 – 7 Eur / GBP 6,30 and is available from Monday to Friday.

Taxi

We always recommend to ask your guide to arrange the taxi, anyhow if you are not at a guided activity then it is always better to call a taxi by phone when you want to catch a taxi on the street. Don't forget check fee on door and existence of taxi meter, there are regular taxis charging 0,32 Eur/km / GBP 0,29/km and airport taxis 0,80 Eur/km / GBP 0,72/km.

• Typical price for taxi ride of our clients - 2,30 Eur / GBP 2,10

Public Transport

Public transfer bus, trolley bus, tramcar tickets can be bought in ticker box only, as rechargable Activ Card. The following short ticket options are available:

• one ride - 0,30 Eur / GBP 0,27
• 24-hour ticket - 1,80 Eur / GBP 1,60

Metro - underground train bought in ticket box only, as rechargable Aciv Card:

• one ride ticket - 0,50 Eur / GBP 0,45
• 10 rides ticket - 2,30 Eur / GBP 2,10

Weather

Bucharest has a humid continental climate due to its location on the Romanian Plain. The city's winters can get windy and the temperature sometimes dip below 0⁰C. In summer, the warmest months are July and August with the average temperature approximately 23⁰C despite the fact that temperatures can reach 35⁰C in mid-summer in the city center.

Time difference

Bucharest and whole Romania is in East European time zone, that means a time difference of +2 hours comparing to the United Kingdom and +1 hour comparing to majority of Western & Central Europe (France, Italy, Germany).

Visa

Visa are not required for visits of up to thirty or ninety days by nationals of the UK, all European countries, USA and Canada. Just make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date you arrive at the Romanian border.

Public Holidays

• 1 January - New Year's Day
• 2 January - Day after New Year's Day
• April/May - Easter
• May/June - Pentecost, Whit Monday (Both 50th and 51st days after the Orthodox Easter)
• 1 May - Labor Day
• 15 August - Saint Mary's Day
• 1 December - National Day (It celebrates the Union of Transylvania with Romania)
• 25 December - Christmas Day
• 26 December - Second Day of Christmas

Embassies

British Embassy
24 Jules Michelet, 010463 Bucharest
Phone: (+40) 21 201 7200

Irish Embassy
50 - 52 Buzesti St, 011015 Bucharest
Phone: (+40) 21 3102131/141

The United States Embassy
4-6 Dr. Liviu Librescu Blvd., 015118 Bucharest
Phone: (+40) 21 200 3300

Voltage

The voltage in Romania is 230 V which is the same voltage used in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
A plug adaptor is required for non-European appliances. Sockets take the standard continental European dual round-pronged plugs.

Telephone

The international telephone code to Romania is 0040
The phone contact to the medical emergency is 112

Language

In Bucharest most people speaks Romanian language. Younger educated people can speak English reasonably well and will likely be proficient in one or more second Romance languages.

The official language of Romania is Romanian language that is spoken by approximately 90% of the population. Hungarian is spoken by 7% and German speakers make up around 1.5%.

Public Transport

Bucharest has a very complex network of buses, trams, trolleybuses and metro. The ticketing system uses contact-less smart-cards, called Activ cards. After entering a vehicle (or subway station), you can validate the card by holding it still in front of the validating device (an orange box with a small LCD screen) until you hear a short beep and the LCD display will show: Have a nice trip. The night buses are also available. They run between 23:00 to 01:00 and 5:00 to 6:00 every 30 minutes, from 1:00 to 5:00 every 1 hour.

Bucharest Travel Guide

Orientation

Bucharest located between Transylvania's Carpathian Mountains and the Black Sea is the capital city of Romania and at the same time it is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe with population of 2,2 millions inhabitant. It is said that Bucharest city was founded by a shepherd named "Bucur" (meaning "joy" in Romanian) and he gave his name to this place.

Romania joined the EU in 2007, and the sense of a new dynamism Bucharest is evident. The city has changed a lot and nowdays it has become a very interesting mix of old and new that has little to do with its initial reputation.

Sightseeing

Bucharest was once called "Little Paris" for its Belle Epoque buildings and tree-lined boulevards. The arch of Triumph, with an elegant boulevard longer than Paris' Champs-Elysees, allows visitors to climb to the top (85 feet high) for a panoramic view of the city. The attraction no.1 is the colossal Palace of the Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. The city offers lots of places to go like the Romanian Athenaeum, the Military Club, many museums, galeries, churches and palaces.

Nightlife

At night, Bucharest seems to come alive to a different life. There is lots of young people looking for a fun and adventure in pubs, lounge clubs, jazz clubs, the odd steamy strip show and the luxurious casinos set in beautiful historical buildings. There are no licensing hours in the city and Romanians are people who love to live life to the full.

Opening Hours

The entrance to the museums, galleries or palaces is available from 9-10 a.m. to 4-5 p.m. except of Monday. The nightlife usually starts in bars, because most clubs are opened from 10 p.m to 5 or 6 a.m. Some of them are daily opened until 5 a.m.