The Budget Traveller’s Guide to Bucharest

Bucharest is often referred to as ‘the Paris of the East’, although perhaps more often by Romanians than Frenchmen. If you have €45, a few days to spare and are up for an adventurous train ride to Dracula’s home country, why not venture to one the EU’s newest member states?

If you have any experience travelling on trains in the Balkans, you will know that the scheduled arrival time is more of an optimistic estimate. The train from Belgrade leaves at 4p.m. and is supposed to arrive in Bucharest at 5.30 a.m. – fortunately it will realistically pull in around 7a.m. allowing you a little longer to sleep – if you can.

Stock up with food and drink before you depart since you cannot purchase anything on the train. Bring a guidebook or print some information off from the Lonely Planet – it’s a long journey and arriving prepared will save you some hassle when you get there.
 
It might also be worth mentioning that the Romanian carriages on the train are a lot nicer than the Serbian ones, and not because they’re much better appointed, you understand.

It seems that thanks to the great Balkan spirit of hospitality, those who cannot afford a train ticket or are too drunk to buy one, are allowed to travel for free on the train – as long as they stay in the Serbian carriages. This makes these carriages a true adventure, since you do not know who you might come across on the overnight journey.

And don’t worry about the doors that stay open the whole journey – it is normal, and is probably only the case to allow for extra ventilation, as travellers here are also, it seems, allowed to smoke. So,if you’re going to travel by yourself and you are not prepared to fight off drunken men, sit in the Romanian carriages.

Arriving in Bucharest, you will pull up at the Gare de Nord, home to hordes of glue sniffers and seemingly about a third of the estimated 300,000 stray dogs in the capital.

You’ll find exchange offices (go to one of those which doesn’t have a tramp lying in front of the counter) and ATM’s which provide you with Romanian currency, the Lei, money that is made out of plastic.

According to a local this is very practical since it doesn’t matter if you accidentally wash it.
 
Outside the station there are plenty of taxis. And, like in any other Balkan city, they will try to rip you off and overcharge you, so it is a good idea if you have made a reservation prior to your trip, or at least enquired at your hostel or hotel about how much your taxi ride should cost you. Fix the price with the driver before you get into a cab.
 
I had been told that Bucharest was a very ugly city – it was hence a pleasant surprise to see a wonderfully eclectic mix of architecture, not just limited to the brutal communist concrete blocks that dominate the city.

The old town centre which is home to many cafes, bakeries and antique shops would be a great place for a stroll if it were not for the fact that everything is currently under reconstruction, and literally every single street in that part of town is dug up. But it will probably look wonderful in a few years time.
 
Another thing not to miss is the second largest building in the world – the parliament building.

Much reading and re-reading of the Lonely Planet, as I tried to stay awake in the Serbian end of the train had informed me that Ceauşescu, Romania’s former communist leader, had forced teams of workers to labour 24 hours a day for 5 years to erect the building that is only topped in size by the American Pentagon.

The tour around the parliament ends at the balcony from which Michael Jackson once apparently declared “Hello Budapest, I am so glad to be here!” well, let’s just hope he was at least right about the second part of the sentence.

There are a variety of museums to choose from. I recommend the Peasant Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, which when I was there had a fascinating installation depicting the fall of the Romanian communist regime.
 
If you fancy seeing a bit of the Romanian countryside, Bucharest is close enough to the infamous Transylvania region. In just over an hour you can visit the biggest salt mine in Europe, Slanic Prahova, or Dracula’s original castle, Bran castle near Brasov, 170 kilometers away.
 
But I chose to go for Sinaia, a town located in the Transylvanian mountains which is famous for its Monastery and the Peles Castle, two hours away by train from Bucharest. The train ride leads you through mountains with little waterfalls, beautiful forests and truly fascinating scenery.
 
To round up your Romanian experience, you have to taste some of the country’s cuisine, which reminded me of home in Germany. They even have my favourite Bavarian Pretzels, although here they call them ‘Covrigi’.

Make sure you try them at one of the countless ‘Covrigi’ stalls all over the city.
 
I am not entirely sure who thought of calling Bucharest the ‘Paris of the East’, since in my opinion the only similarity it has with France’s capital is the similarity of the metro map. However, it does have its own charm and just maybe in the next few years when the old town’s finished, it will rise up in the rankings of must-visit cities.
 
Hostels:

Butterfly Villa Hostel - beds starting from 12 Euros a night, Stirbei Voda, no. 96, entrance around the corner of Str. C. Stahl, Bucharest

East Hostel - beds starting from 11 Euros a night, Sfintii Voievozi, No.1 , district 1

YMCA Universitaria Hostel, beds starting from 8,50 Euros a night, Str. Silvestru 33, sect. 2