Romania Travel Guide - Getting There

The national airline is Tarom (RO) (website: www.tarom.ro). Delta (website: www.delta.com) flies direct from New York to Bucharest.

From London to Bucharest is 3 hours 20 minutes; from New York is 10 hours.

Bucharest (OTP) (Henri Coanda) (website: www.otp-airport.ro) is 16km (10 miles) north of the city. To/from the airport: An express bus service operates to the city (journey time - 45 minutes). Taxis, minibuses and limousines are available 24 hours (journey time - 25 minutes). Facilities: Bar, snack bar, restaurant, left luggage, first aid, post office, bank, bureau de change, ATM, car hire, duty-free, information office and business lounge.

There are also international airports at Arad (ARW), Cluj (CLJ) (website: www.airportcluj.ro), Constanta (CND) (Mihail Kogalniceanu), Sibiu (SBZ) and  Timisoara (TSR) (website: aerotim.ro).

None.

Main port: Constanta (website: www.constantza-port.ro) on the Black Sea. 

Sea ferries: Not running at present. Contact the Romanian National Tourist Office for up-to-date information (see Contact Addresses). 

River cruises: Sailings from Passau to Constanta on the Black Sea along the Danube are available; these stop at various places of interest, including Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Bazias, Giurgiu, Calafat and Bucharest. The cruises incorporate varied itineraries: historic towns, museums, art collections, monasteries, spas, archaeological sites, folk evenings, nature reserves and of course, the dramatic scenery of Eastern Europe, including the ‘Iron Gate' through the Carpathians. Some companies offer travel via the Main-Danube Canal as far west as Rotterdam along the Rhine. For further information, contact the Romanian National Tourist Office.

CFR (tel: (21) 319 9539 ext 134 563; website: www.cfr.ro/calatori) operates services from many European cities to Bucharest. First and second class sleepers are available. The Wiener Waltzer takes around 20 hours from Basel to Bucharest, operating in summer only (June to September). There are sleeping cars from Vienna to both Bucharest and Constanta on the Black Sea coast. There are also through trains from other Eastern European cities.

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Balkan Flexipass: allows five, 10 or 15 days of first class travel for one month across Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. Available from Railpass.com (website: www.railpass.com).

Border crossing between Romania and its western neighbours is just a formality. At the border, drivers need to show vehicle registration, proof of insurance and a driving licence for their home country. Insurance can be bought at any border crossing point. The most direct international routes to Romania are via Austria, Germany and Hungary. The best route from Hungary is the E64 from Budapest to Szeged through Arad, Brasov, Campina and Ploiesti. There is also a route from Szeged to Timisoara. A more frequently used route from Hungary to Germany is via the E60 through Oradea. 

Coach: Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from other European cities to Romania. Travellers can buy 15- and 30-day passes.