FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BUCHAREST

There are many questions the students and people who is coming to Bucharest did to me, so I made this post to help to solve your doubts.

- How to arrive to the city from the airport?

There are two options. You can take a taxi or come by bus.

To take a taxi, just when you go to the arrival’s hall, you’ll see a machine to order the taxi. You have to keep the receipt that the machine will give to you and show it to you taxi (the driver will ask). Of course, get the cheap taxi, 1.39 lei/kms. To go to the city center is around 50 lei (around 10€). Never take a taxi without ordering it.

The bus. Much cheaper. Go outside (downstairs!) the arrival’s hall, and buy a ticket to the city (at this bus usually are controllers during the day!). The ticket to the city (2 ways) is 7 lei.

There are 2 buses. 738 and 780. The first one go through the center until Unirii square. The second one go to Gara de Nord (train station, not very recommendable area during the night). The trip to the center will take around 40 minutes.

The bus works 24 hours, so don't worry about the time you'll arrive!

- How I move around the city? How much cost the monthly pass for the metro?

The easiest way to move around in Bucharest is metro and bus! You can buy the pass card for only 50 lei, if you have a student card, will cost the half. Don’t forget to validate the card at the buses!

There are some other kind of metro pass, like the 64-trips card (20 lei). You should check which one is better for you.

Also, the taxi is very cheap here! But be careful and take the taxis which have written in the door 1.69 LEI/KM. Also, never accept the taxi if when you say the address where you want to go, the driver say you a fixed price. It’s a scam. Make sure always are using the taximeter!

- Cheap places to stay until I find my own flat?

If you’re student and your university have a residence, probably this is the cheapest option! Book the residence for the first month, then, when you arrive here, you’ll have one month to look for flat from the “commodity” of you residence. Usually they are very cheap!

Bucharest have a big offer in hostels, personally, I recommend this ones, “Wonderland Hostel” and “X Hostel” for the price and location!

- How to look for an apartment?

This is the BIG question. I suggest you to start to check this webpages. Anuntul and CautColeg. You can check also the Erasmus facebook group! Many owners and agencies publish there the apartments they have, and also other students are asking for flat mates, and some of them might have already the flat!

You should realize that in Romania, when we say that an apartment have 3 rooms, we are saying that have 2 bedrooms, and one living!! We count the living as one more room ;)

Be patient, and be ready to see many awful flats. But really, disgusting. The flats in Bucharest are quite old, and in the center is normal to find a flat built 60 years ago! Also, not many flats have been renewed, that means that many times they are now exactly how they have been built, even with the same furniture…!

The prices are very different according to the area where you’re looking for. If you look for an apartment 3 rooms (2 bedrooms, remember!!), in the center (piata Unirii, piata Universiate, piata Romana), is around 500€/month.

A studio (garsoniera, in romanian), in the same area will cost around 250€.

- How much cost the phone by month?

As in every country, the phone companies have many tariffs, but here is very cheap. The most used company in Romania are Vodafone and Orange.

For example, Vodafone have this tariff (the one I have).

9€/month. 3000 minutes and 3000 sms to Vodafone, 200 minutes for international/national (other companies), and 200 sms to other companies. Also, 300 MB.

Usually it’s enough for me.

You can buy the cards in the kiosks on the streets, also in some vending machines. 

I hope this post help some of you, if you have any question, you can ask in the comments!

See you,

Carles S.