Transportation
Schedules and fares are subject to change.
Airport to City Access
Train, bus, taxi, and other options to the city center
The main gateway is Bucharest's Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) at Otopeni. Into the city you can take the CFR airport train to Gara de Nord, the STB airport buses (100-series), or a taxi; a metered official taxi or a ride-hailing app like Bolt is the safest bet.
- Airport
- Henri Coandă (OTP)
- Train/Bus
- CFR train, STB airport bus
- Taxi
- Metered taxi or Bolt
- CFR train links OTP with Gara de Nord
- Use metered taxis or Bolt to avoid overcharging
Public Transportation
Metro, bus, tram, and how to use them
Bucharest has a four-line metro run by Metrorex plus surface buses, trams and trolleybuses operated by STB. Buy time-based or multi-ride tickets and load them onto a card; contactless payment is expanding. Other cities such as Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara rely on trams and buses.
- Metro
- Metrorex, 4 lines
- Surface
- STB bus, tram, trolleybus
- Tickets
- Card-based, contactless growing
- Load tickets onto an STB/Metrorex card
- Other cities use trams and buses
IC Cards & Travel Passes
Discount passes and rechargeable transit cards
In Bucharest, STB and Metrorex use travel cards such as the Multiplu card, which you top up and tap. Contactless bank-card payment is being rolled out on more lines. There is no single nationwide travel card, so buy local tickets in each city you visit.
- Bucharest
- Multiplu card (STB/Metrorex)
- Contactless
- Expanding on more lines
- Nationwide
- No single card
- Top up the Multiplu card and tap to travel
- Buy local tickets in each city
Car Rental & Driving
License requirements and traffic rules
Romania drives on the right. To use national roads and motorways you need an electronic vignette (rovinieta), which you buy online or at petrol stations. Take care on mountain and rural roads, which can be winding and rough, and carry an international driving permit. Winter brings snow in the Carpathians.
- Drives on
- The right
- Vignette
- Rovinieta required
- Care
- Mountain and rural roads
- Buy the rovinieta online or at petrol stations
- Carry an international driving permit
Intercity Travel
Long-distance buses, trains, and ferries
Intercity travel is mainly by rail with the state operator CFR Călători, though trains can be slow; private operators such as Regio Călători and Astra Trans Carpatic also run services. Long-distance buses and minibuses (maxi-taxi) and FlixBus are alternatives, and rail or bus reaches Transylvania.
- Rail
- CFR Călători (can be slow)
- Private
- Regio, Astra Trans Carpatic
- Bus
- Maxi-taxi, FlixBus
- Trains reach Transylvania but can be slow
- Buses and minibuses cover many routes
Domestic Flights
Budget airlines and booking tips
Domestic flights are useful over longer distances, operated by TAROM (the national carrier) and low-cost airlines such as Wizz Air. They link Bucharest with cities like Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara and Iași, saving time compared with slower trains.
- Airlines
- TAROM, Wizz Air
- Routes
- Cluj, Timișoara, Iași
- Benefit
- Saves time on long distances
- Bucharest connects to major regional cities
- Handy where trains are slow
Transportation Tips
Advice for safe and efficient travel
Trains are mostly conventional lines and can be slow, so allow extra time or consider a flight for long distances. If you drive, buy the rovinieta before using major roads, expect congestion in Bucharest, and avoid unofficial taxis. In the mountains, watch for rough roads and snow in winter.
- Trains
- Conventional, can be slow
- Driving
- Rovinieta, Bucharest traffic
- Mountains
- Rough roads, winter snow
- Avoid unofficial taxis, especially at the airport
- Allow extra time; consider flights for long trips