aSiAnRiCk

Here's the pics I took from my trip:

http://www.asianrick.com/misc/bucharest/bucharest01.htm
http://www.asianrick.com/misc/bucharest/bucharest02.htm
http://www.asianrick.com/misc/bucharest/bucharest03.htm

Well I took more but this would do for now. Let me know how'd you like them.

And thanks to EVERYONE for their helpful tips and suggestions about Bucharest. I really appreciate it!

rtarbuck

Anyone have any hotel recommendations for Bucharest?

Central City. Internet access. Inexpensive.

Thanks in advance.

SkyTeam777

Are there any alliance-affiliated carriers out of Baneasa airport? how far is it from the Hilton or Intercontinental airport? Can one still take the 10 euro shuttle bus?

florin

No. As of now Baneasa airport is used mainly for charters and LCCs.

Both Hilton and the InterContinental are in the very center of the city and the bus does go in that direction. The shuttle bus does stop by the IC hotel. As for the Hilton, it's not exactly on the way, but if you get off at Piata Romana you're a 5-7 minute walk away. (You should be able to just ask someone on the street and they'll point you in the rigth direction.)

If I were to pick between the two I'd probably go with IC because of the location, but then again it very much depends on what you want to do. (The Hilton is slightly closer to an area with a bunch of good bars/clubs. The IC is right at the subway station and it is closer to my favorite restaurant in Bucharest.)

florin

As far as hotels, central and inexpensive don't often go together. Do keep an eye out for specials - the Intercontinental offered me a 80 euro/night special about a month ago. Internet access is not free at any hotel that I know of, but it very much depends on how important it is to you.

If internet access is not essential, as in you don't need it for work and could get by with just going to an internet cafe when necessary, then I might recommend an apartment instead. There are lots of companies who rent out apartments in the very heart of Bucharest. They rent them out kind of like hotel rooms - you pay maybe around 60 euros/night and they have studios, 1 or 2 bedrooms. They are very well located and have decent amenitites (AC, TV with cable, etc.) It's often times cheaper than a hotel. If you're there for one night (or even two), it may not make sense; but it's something to consider if you plan to be there for longer.

prof539

I will be doing a solo visit to Bucharest (4th visit) and staying once
more at the Marriott Bucharest Grand. Any other Americans in town?
It appears that I will have an extra ticket to the National Opera
House for each of Fri and Sat. night. Have been there before. Quite
interesting and good performance. Fri is Il Trovatore.

Might be able to offer some other advice for other visitors.

Aviatrix

Welcome to FT!

As you're new you may not realise this... but Flyertalk is a very international forum with members all over the world. Do you specifically NOT want to meet FTers from the rest of the world, or was this just a slip of the keyboard? (We're all very friendly - I think! - and I'm sure if there are any FTers in Bucharest, American or not, they would love to meet with you!)

SanDiego1K

About all this thread suggests in terms of sightseeing in Bucharest is:

• Peasant Museum
• Village Museum
• Arc de Triomph
• People's Palace

Are there other sights worth seeing?

Any recommendations for good restaurants near the Hilton?

florin

Let me start by saying that Bucharest is not a very touristy city; there aren't that many monuments or touristy things to see. There are some nice areas you can walk through and the rest is butt ugly.
I'd put People's Palace first on that list. Something else to add is the Atheneum: it's a nice old building with a cool dome and a very nice garden outside. (It's literally across the street from the Hilton).

There are some parks and such, but they're not impressive. It can be relaxing on a nice summer day and you can stop and have a beer. Cismigiu is nice and also very close to the Hilton.
Restaurants can be tricky. It depends on how much you are willing to walk. There is an Italian one called Tratoria Il Calcio which is decent (cash only though - VERY annoying!). It's on Medeleev St - a 2 minute walk. My favorite restaurant in Bucharest is Golden Falcon, an excellent Turkish restaurant on 16 Hristo Botev St. Maybe a 15 minute walk from the Hilton. You also have Siam (Thai food) on Mihai Eminescu St - about 10-15 minutes walk from the Hilton. If you walk another 5 minutes on the same street there's a VERY good Italian restaurant called Tratoria di Roma, which is also surprisingly cheap.

What kind of food do you like? What do you appreciate most in a restaurant (food, service, atmosphere, price,...)? If you're willing to go further (maybe take a cab) I can probably recommend a few more.

SanDiego1K

That's great information on the Turkish restaurant. I love Turkish food. We are happy to take a taxi though even with a taxi would prefer restaurants within 15 minutes or so of the hotel. We've come from Italy, so aren't particularly interested in Italian - nor are we interested in really heavy cuisines. Food quality is of most importance to us. We'll eat in a dive if it has good food. I also love eating outside, and the weather is perfect for it.

What do you think about Balthazar? Every single article I have on Bucharest recommends it. Justifiably so?

florin

I HATE Balthazar!!! It's an expensive upscale fusion place that just can't get it right, in many respects. The service is sub-par and the food sounds good when you read the menu but it really isn't when you taste it. I would avoid that at all costs. Try Arcade instead - a lovely restaurant with a nice terrace. A bit pricey (although cheaper than Balthazar), but excellent food and pleasant atmosphere.

If you like Turkish food you might also like :
- El Greco (good Greek food)
- El Bacha (Lebanese); I've only been to the one inside the JW Marriott but this guy I work with told me he went to another one in Herastrau Park, which I assume also has outside seating

You can also try the Serb's Tavern (Serbian food, of course). I found the food there to be good and you can sit outside.

SanDiego1K

Those are GREAT suggestions and will more than fill our dance card.

We've had a very full day today, out and about. The only downside of seeing Bucharest is how painfully difficult it is to get a taxi. I'm shocked at the lack of taxi stands. We spent half an hour before we found an available taxi coming back from the Village Museum.

florin

That's because everyone calls for cabs. It's much more convenient for locals. You can also holler a taxi if you're on a busy street. Calling is key tho. If you're at a restaurant or a hotel, ask them to call a cab for you and they'll gladly do it.

winsslow

Hi. I stayed 2 days in Bucharest in Lev Or hotel http://www.hotellevor.com/ , verry nice, comparing to the price i payed . I rented a car in Bucharest from Carbiz ( http://carbiz.ro/rent-a-car_en/ ). A friend from Romania recomand them to me. What is verry nice there is that they have every car listed with pictures and the year of registration. You can pick the car from pictures . It's very nice. I had the black Honda Accord 2007 . Also if you want GPS you can try to ask the local companies, they should have one with the Romanian map. By the way, the roads there are not so good. Try to go in Moldavia county, it's beatufull... Good luck.

TravelPassionate

Hello, this topic is dead? I want to go to Bucharest and I need some help. I booked a trip and I will go in Octomber to Romania.

Any special advice?