Airport
Henri CoandaInternational Airport
IATA Code: OTPLocation: The airport is situated 10 miles (16km) north of Bucharest.
Time: Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from last Sunday in March to second last Saturday in September).
Contacts: Tel: + 40 (0)21 204 1000, +40 (0)21 201 4000
Transfer between terminals: The two terminal buildings are connected by a corridor, it takes five minutes to walk between the terminals.
Transfer to the city: An express bus service 783 leaves every 15 minutes for the city centre; the journey takes around 40 minutes; it costs 5L for a prepaid magnetic card, which can be bought in the arrivals terminal and can be used for two trips. Taxis and Sky Services minibuses are also available 24 hours to take passengers anywhere in Bucharest or to any other region in the country. Passengers should avoid cabs that do not display the price and have no meters.
Taxis: Bucharest has two types of taxi. Smaller taxis cost 1.5L per km and the larger taxis charge 3L per km. The fare from the airport to the city centre usually costs between 60 and 80L depending on time of day and traffic. The trip between the airport and the Bucharest can take up to an hour in heavy traffic. Visitors are advised to only make use of official taxis with working meters and the prices displayed.
Car rental: Car rental companies include Budget, Europcar and Hertz.
Facilities: There are banks, bars and restaurants at the airport. Other facilities include a bureau de change, left luggage, a hairdresser, business facilities (fax and internet), duty-free shops and a post office. Disabled facilities are good; those who need a wheelchair or have other special requirements should contact their airline in advance.
Parking: Parking is available.
Departure tax: None.
Website: www.otp-airport.ro
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Bucharest
The nation's capital since 1862, Bucharest is the country's largest and wealthiest metropolis. Tree-lined boulevards, classical buildings and extravagant public structures lie in juxtaposition to untidy, congested streets, unsightly Stalinist apartment blocks and incomplete constructions. It is a city that most people either love or hate at the first encounter.
Once considered the 'Paris of the East' for its long leafy avenues and grand buildings together with its distinguished social scene enjoyed by the extravagant Romanian aristocracy, the city's elegance and beauty soon deteriorated under the harsh era of communism. The notorious redevelopment project by Nicolae Ceausescu, leader of the Communist Party in 1965, was a scandalous affair; in order to create an imitation Champs Elysee, a Civic Centre and 12-storey palace for himself together with a parliament building, he demolished an immense area of historic architecture in the old city, including 26 churches. The parliament building was designed to be the largest building in the world. It is now known as the Palace of Parliament, second in size to the Pentagon, and has become one of the city's prime tourist attractions.
Bucharest offers a number of superb museums, galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and architectural surprises and its political legacy provides a fascinating selection of sights where visitors can rediscover the events and emotions of its history. It is experiencing renewed vigour; historic buildings have been restored and there is plenty of nightlife and an increasing amount of cultural events. Traditional Romanian cooking can be savoured alongside international cuisine, and in summer festive beer gardens and picturesque parks are filled with cheerful crowds.
