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Bucharest Travel Tips & Suggestions

Comment by Michael

Don't go to Bucharest in winter -- it could be depressing. But in spring and summer, with all the old buildings and villas -- often real palaces -- in the shade of kind of a forest of old trees, it gets really romantic. It's a city for walking, discovering narrow, leafy backstreets; getting lost in old, quite chaotic, but charming quarters. You can't compare it with any other big city in Europe.

Comment by Jeff

Bucharest is a nice city that is changing rapidly (for the better). I visited in 2007 -- and was never overcharged or taken advantage of. Just make sure the taxi meter is on and do research as to what the average costs are. I stayed with Romanians in pensiunes (guesthouses) and was very happy with my trip and accommodations.

Comment by Alex

Bucharest is a good place to visit. I've spent some time in there and it was very nice. I also visited other capitals in the eastern Europe, and though Bucharest is not as spectacular as Budapest in architecture of buildings, it has its good parts. It's not very organized and still has a few problems with the cleaning of the streets, but most certainly you don't go there to inspect the city. You go to visit and have fun. And fun you'll have. If you don't find tourist info, ask people and they'll help. Almost everyone speaks English and is very helpful. They'll tell you where you should go and what you should stay away from.

Comment by Anonymous

It's dirty. Taxi drivers are all crazy and prices are akin to a wild west town -- take what they can. You will get mugged if you stay out late. I did.

Comment by Alston

Wow, some travelers just don't see Bucharest's charm. And I wonder how they miss all the beauty amongst the orderly chaos. I intended to "stomach" the city for four days because I had heard so many negative things and I liked it so much that after I toured the rest of the country, I came back and stayed six more days in Bucharest. I am glad that I have the ability to see the beauty along with the beast in every place I visit. If you like perfect order, stay in Paris and pay the high prices. Bucharest is for the more adventurous who want to rub elbows with the real world.

Comment by Tommy

Bucharest is the ugliest, most depressing, most boring large city I have ever visited. I cannot understand how in the world anyone can call this city "the Paris of Eastern Europe" -- it's the biggest misnomer I've ever heard. There are a handful of splendid buildings in the city center around Piata Universitate but everything else in between is pure squalor. The only truly interesting sight is the big Palace, built by Romania's last dictator Ceausescu, which really impressed me by its monumental size and beautifully decorated interior. Having travelled through other eastern European countries, I found food prices in Bucharest relatively high. Inexpensive restaurants are very hard to come by. If you want to have a good time and live on a low budget, visit Sofia, which is a very charming city with a great night life and lower prices.

Comment by Rick

I spent time in Bucharest and other parts of Romania in the early 1970s while working there for a U.S.-based cultural exchange program. Even though under Communist rule, the city was clean, safe to walk around at all hours, with no thieves and beggars. With freedom comes responsibility -- I visited again in 1996 and was appalled at the amount of garbage in the streets and the fourfold increase in traffic. The people that I interfaced and worked with during the '70s were fantastic -- I have many good memories and mental photographs of those times.

Comment by Anonymous

Bucharest was a huge disappointment and I don't recommend this city as a tourist destination. As our first introduction to Romania, Bucharest was depressing, ugly, and we hated it. I wish we had seen more of the countryside and stayed in Brasov -- we visited for a day and liked it. If you're going to Bucharest for cheap beer, clubbing, and staying out late, you'll probably like it. Otherwise, stay away. There's no tourist information office, which means you have to go searching for a map and any other info you need. The city is dirty, sadly ugly, and the people seem beaten down. I never thought I'd miss those schlocky tourist shops, but I did -- no postcards, no souvenirs, even finding bottled water was difficult. The metro was incredibly confusing, although fast and cheap. The food was mediocre but cheap. Everything was cheap, so it's easy to stay on a budget. The stray dogs and cats wandering around, the children sleeping in the streets, the taxi drivers trying to rip you off -- it was all difficult to deal with. I recommend that if you do want to see the "sights" in Bucharest, plan on spending only a day. Unfortunately, the once known "Paris of the East" is nonexistent -- replaced by shabby communist buildings and poverty.

Comment by Anonymous

Bucharest has the best mici (meat rolls) ever. Sarmala is also very good.

Comment by Max

I have just returned from Bucharest and loved it. For a young person its amazing, night life is fantastic and very cheap on a night out in Newcastle uk myself and partner speand on average 100-120 pound a night what with taxi fares, drink prices and cigarettes, in Bucharest we struggled to speand over 25 pound thats with taxi's, drink, pizza and cigs. The people are very friendly well more so then a lot in the uk.The street kids may come up to you and beg but you can't complain about it most wouldn't have ate all day on top of that they have spent a night in the sewer would you not ask for help in there shoes? The only thieves we came across were some taxi drivers but thats not to much of a problem just make sure they have the metre on and it's set to the price stated on the side of all the cars. Dogs don't seem to bother you if you don't bother them. The only bad thing that happened to us on our visit was witnessing some evil taxi drivers screaming at a lady and her two kids for trying to get food from a bin near his cab. That being said no matter how sorry you feel I'd recommend not giving charity as you will get asked another 20 times before taking a step. All in all very nice place.

Comment by Kathrine

The people are very nice in Bucuresti, but Brasov is a million times more enjoyable and clean. However, ringing in the new year in Bucuresti, with people setting off fireworks all over the streets in the center of town, was pretty amazing.

Comment by Marco

Bucharest is a great city with a lot of nice things to see. And the nightlife is the best. The beer is dirt cheap and the rest.... Well, smile and enjoy.

Comment by Sonia

Even though the city lacks cleanliness, the people make up for it. You just have to find the right place to start exploring, otherwise you'll find it a bit depressing.

Comment by Ann

Bucharesty is not much to see as tourist site, but man do they have a night life!!! Get to know people and u will absolutlly love it!!!

Comment by Anonymous

Bucharest is a unique city with lots to offer... let's not forget it was once known as the "Paris of the East". True, not all parts of Bucharest are luxurious, but the culture, welcoming people and great architecture makes it worth while.

Comment by TG

I recommend EVERYONE to go to Bucharest, but only if you have already spent some time in Romania. Go to Bucharest last. If Bucharest is the only place you visit in Romania, you will hate it. But if you've been properly introduced to Romania, Bucharest just seems to make sense. It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing city in the world, but it is incredibly vibrant, the people are extremely nice, and the nightlife is pretty decent. But if street kids, beggars, insects or stray dogs make you scared, then perhaps it is best to stay away and begin taking package tours with 50 year old married couples.

Comment by Anonymous

I urge anyone is planning to go to Bucharest to stay well away. It’s damp, smelly, thieves, beggars, insects and bad sanitation (I mean real bad).

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Bucharest Travel Tips & Suggestions