Bucharest flights and travel guide

You would never know that Bucharest, Romania’s thriving capital city, was the site of a devastating revolution: It was here that protesters tore the streets apart while ousting the Communist regime from the city merely two decades ago. Today, Bucharest is a vibrant city that remembers its past while embracing the new. 

The festivals that take place in the city each year showcase the plethora of artistic and musical talent cultivating in Bucharest, while Bucharest universities inject a youthful energy into the nightlife scene. All of this refreshing activity takes place alongside the solemn structures built throughout the reign of Nicolae Ceauşescu, the Communist president of Romania whose urbanization plans displaced thousands of people and forced them to move into these cold concrete buildings still standing today. Ceauşescu’s control of Romania ended with the 1989 Revolution, when he was publicly executed in the series of weeklong riots and violent protests that ultimately overthrew Communism in Romania. 

One of the first things travelers notice when they visit Bucharest for the first time is the city’s intense artist community: The locals’ innovative music and performance art takes place in the wake of the political turmoil the city was one burdened by.

Bucharest is famous for its house music, with clubs scattered throughout the neighborhoods of the city blasting bass into the early hours of the morning. Most of Bucharest’s annual festivals revolve around music and celebrate music in all of its forms, from street percussion to classical voice. Regardless of when you book your Bucharest flight, you’re sure to be surprised by the artistic, creative adventures that await you in this city that spans the centuries.

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Bucharest climate

Bucharest feels each season distinctly, as is evident by the severe heat of summer and frigid chill of winter. Courtesy of Bucharest’s location on the Romanian Plain, the city is subject to chilly winds that drive the temperature well below freezing in the wintertime. Summer, by contrast, is dry and hot with temperatures on average sweating it out at 80 degrees F. The transitional seasons of spring and fall are the most comfortable times for booking flights to Bucharest: You may need to pack an umbrella to shield yourself from the Romania rainclouds, but the temperatures are far more comfortable for travel at 60 degrees F, on average.

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Best Time to Fly to Bucharest

Whether you’re looking forward to lounging in the summer sun in or you’re catching a flight to Bucharest to dance the night away at one of the many musical festivals, there’s no wrong time to book your Bucharest flight. 

Peak Season:

Summertime flights to Bucharest are full with tourists wishing to take in the sights of the city when the sun is out in full force. This is Bucharest’s busiest festival season. If you’re planning on booking an international or domestic Bucharest flight, be sure to make your Bucharest travel reservations months in advance. 

Off-peak Season: 

Cheap flights to Bucharest are easy to come by in the fall and spring, when the weather’s a bit damp. Plenty of visitors take advantage of Bucharest cheap flights during the spring to be a part of the multitude of arts festivals hosted by the city, including the Bucharest International Film Festival in April and the George Enescu Music Festival, which is held biannually.

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Getting around Bucharest

After your cheap flight to Bucharest arrives, hop on a taxi for downtown Bucharest or take the RATB Express Bus 783, which connects with Henri Coanda International Airport. Bucharest is an easy city to get around with its efficient network of trolley buses, subway, buses and trams that are run from 5am until at least 11pm. You can buy bus and tram tickets from RATB street kiosks. Metro tickets are available inside the stations. Save money with an unlimited weekend metro pass that costs 6 lei.

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Bucharest Travel Information

• Bucharest is home to the Parliament of Palace, which, after Washington DC’s Pentagon, is the second largest building in the world. Ceauşescu oversaw the initial stages of the Parliament’s construction but was executed before its completion, and today the massive structure is home to the Romanian Senate. A visit to the Parliament of Palace is a must before your return Bucharest flight: This man-made behemoth was constructed entirely of Romanian materials and is testament to the skill of the country’s best artisans. 
• Calea Victorie is one of Bucharest’s oldest surviving streets – its first planks of oak were laid in 1692 under orders of then-in-power Romanian Prince Brâncoveanu. A walk down Calea Victorie is an excellent way to stretch your legs after your flight to Bucharest lands, as the street connects the two main plazas of the city, Piaţa Victoriei and Piaţa Revoluţiei. 
• Looking to relax after your long Bucharest flight? Head straight to Herastrau Park- there sprawling green oasis covers roughly 1 square kilometer of downtown Bucharest and is a popular spot to meet and socialize. With cafes lining the park, meandering walkways, and boats for hire on the park’s pond, this park makes for an ideal retreat if the hustle and bustle of city life grows tiresome for an afternoon. Herastrau Park is also home to the Village Museum, which is a great way to introduce the kids to Romanian culture: The Village Museum meticulously maintains 272 buildings and peasant farms that are modeled after villages from all over Romania. 
• Revolution Square is an important point of reference and place of historical significance in downtown Bucharest: It was here that Ceauşescu’s last moments in power ticked by in 1989. Revolution Square is a good first stop after your flight to Bucharest lands, for the fact that several attractions are located within a stone’s throw from here: The square is also home to Bucharest’s neoclassical Royal Palace, the National Art Museum and the Romanian Athenaeum.

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Bucharest airports

Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP): Most Flights to Bucharest from international departure points touch down at Henri Coandă International Airport, which is located 11 miles north of the center of the city.

Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (BBU): Bucharest flights land at Aurel Vlaicu International Airport, also known as Bucharest City Airport. The airport is located 5 miles from downtown Bucharest.

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