Bucharest - anyone been?

CharltonMadrid

Looking at a good flight deal for a long weekend in the Romanian capital in December. Anyone been and can say whether it's a good place to visit? I know it is cheap, which is part of the appeal. Would also want to get out of the city to another place on one of the days, maybe Brasov.

Any advice appreciated!

thai malaysia addick

I went there in 2013 on business for a couple of days and had enough time for a few hours' tourism. I found it mostly boring but safe and friendly. I stayed at the InterContinental Hotel near Universitate tube station, which was a short walk from the Old Town. The Old Town is pretty good fun - lots of narrow streets with bars and eating places, all at very reasonable prices. I didn't have time for museums or that sort of thing, but in the taxis I took around the city for business, it was OK but unexciting from what I saw. Maybe, a tourist book would give more insight in terms of what to do and what I may have missed.

killerandflash

Briefly, as I spent New Year in Transylvania a few years ago. Very snowy in the countryside!

CharltonMadrid

Cheers - more useful than TripAdvisor!

PassItToLeaburn

Oddly just got back from a work trip there yesterday. Didn't see all that there was to see there due to work agenda but there was an alright area in the old town with some decent bars. Other than that, couldn't say there was much that I saw that would have me rushing back.

If you've not been then Budapest or Prague are much nicer cities.

RedPanda

CharltonMadrid said:

Cheers - more useful than TripAdvisor!

Try Wikitravel.

The Red Robin

George Tucudean has.

CharltonMadrid

PassItToLeaburn said:

Oddly just got back from a work trip there yesterday. Didn't see all that there was to see there due to work agenda but there was an alright area in the old town with some decent bars. Other than that, couldn't say there was much that I saw that would have me rushing back.

If you've not been then Budapest or Prague are much nicer cities.

Cheers. Need to give it some thought. Been to Budapest and lived for a year in Prague so know how great they are. Sounds like Bucharest is not quite in the same league.

ricky_otto

The Red Robin said:

George Tucudean has.

You beat me to it

PassItToLeaburn

CharltonMadrid said:

PassItToLeaburn said:

Oddly just got back from a work trip there yesterday. Didn't see all that there was to see there due to work agenda but there was an alright area in the old town with some decent bars. Other than that, couldn't say there was much that I saw that would have me rushing back.

If you've not been then Budapest or Prague are much nicer cities.

Cheers. Need to give it some thought. Been to Budapest and lived for a year in Prague so know how great they are. Sounds like Bucharest is not quite in the same league.

Admittedly based on a three day work trip only but I would say, no, Bucharest definitely not in the same league as either of those two.

Taxi_Lad

a woman in my cab painted a very bleak picture of it. Made it sound like a war zone. stray dogs everywhere and far from safe

ro_addick

Lived here for a decade +...good value indeed (Tucudean/Steaua aside :-) ) both in town and very much up through Transylvania...Sibiu, Sighisoara, Bran, Sinaia etc well worth a visit.

Old Town Bucharest definitely a goer.

Many/various tours available no probs.

IMO, a long weekend well spent here!

CharltonMadrid

Cheers - great to have a viewpoint from someone living there.

bazjonster

Tallin

The_Organiser

Has two nights there on route to Moldova before an England game. We only really did the old town but I'd say it was one of the best nights out I've ever had.....2 nights running, both midweek. Amazing volume of bars and clubs and soooo cheap. Great stag do potential.

Blucher

I went there to Bucharest to visit one of our offices in 2006, although only spent one night there. It was very cheap and I expect it still is in comparison to other capital cities.

One place we did manage to visit was the 'People's Palace', which was constructed in the 1980s by the odious Nicolae Ceausescu after he saw something similar when visiting one of his dictator chums, North Korea's Kim II-sung. Huge resources were pumped into the project and around 30,000 homes were demolished, with their inhabitants being forced out to tower blocks on the fringes of the city. Well worth taking a tour if you visit the city - http://www.local-life.com/bucharest/articles/palace-of-parliament

sillav nitram

killerandflash said:

Briefly, as I spent New Year in Transylvania a few years ago. Very snowy in the countryside!

me too. up until that point, I seriously thought transylvania only existed in horror movies, doh!

skiing was good.

ozaddick

I was there a month ago, went on a 4 day trip.

Firstly, book accommodation with airBnB, I got a large apartment right in the city, very clean and modern for 85 quid for the whole stay. Much better than any hotel.

It's well worth a visit, it's not like Prague as others have stated, but never the less still a lovely city.

I didn't come across any nastiness, there are good bars and Pubs, lovely sightseeing and the Metro is great for getting around.

Well worth a look.

colthe3rd

Went on a stag do a few years back. Great place. Cheap food and drink, friendly people, what's not to like?

CharltonMadrid

Cheers everyone - this has given me some great ideas.

PragueAddick

Blucher said:

I went there to Bucharest to visit one of our offices in 2006, although only spent one night there. It was very cheap and I expect it still is in comparison to other capital cities.

One place we did manage to visit was the 'People's Palace', which was constructed in the 1980s by the odious Nicolae Ceausescu after he saw something similar when visiting one of his dictator chums, North Korea's Kim II-sung. Huge resources were pumped into the project and around 30,000 homes were demolished, with their inhabitants being forced out to tower blocks on the fringes of the city. Well worth taking a tour if you visit the city - http://www.local-life.com/bucharest/articles/palace-of-parliament

If it wasn't for that monstrosity then it would rival Prague or Budapest. What he knocked down were some of the most elegant boulevards of what used to be called "the Paris of the East". You can still see some remnants of why it was called that, but its an appalling building. What do you do with it now, though? I went for a conference in the actual building. It's about a kilometre long..

I think the stray dogs are long gone.

CharltonMadrid

Revisiting this thread as am actually going to Romania this week. Not staying in Bucharest though as will be taking a group of students to volunteer in an orphange in rural Romania, north west of the capital. May have time for a couple of little trips and visits, so many thanks for the tips!

ElfsborgAddick

Go to Hyde Park to get a locals perspective on the city.

Wheresmeticket

Taxi_Lad said:

a woman in my cab painted a very bleak picture of it. Made it sound like a war zone. stray dogs everywhere and far from safe

Did you take her to Abbey Wood?

flyingkiwiDK

I'm reviving this thread as I'll be spending the next three days in Bucharest. Any suggestions on decent midweek bars with a bit of atmosphere?

The_Organiser

Just head to the Old Town and you won't go wrong. Was buzzing the two midweek evenings I was there is Sept 2011.

thai malaysia addick

I'd agree with @The Organiser - the Old Town has plenty of choice. I found the rest of the city a bit dull although I didn't explore too much. It was just an impression from a taxi.