Directions to R and A's Apartment
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Some useful websites :
Train schedule (within Romania): http://www.cfrcalatori.ro/Bus schedule (within Romania & international): http://www.autogari.ro/index.php?lang=UK
**note: the station you'll search for is "Bucuresti Nord"**
FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE TRAIN STATION WITHOUT A 50 euro TAXI:
From Henri Coanda / Otopeni Airport -
- After baggage claim you'll walk out glass doors where lots of people are waiting. Walk towards your RIGHT. (There's also an ATM/bancomat near the elevators.)
- Use the elevator and go downstairs to the ground ("0") floor.
- Go outside and turn RIGHT again. There's a ticket booth with a blue sign that says RATB.
- Ask for a ticket. The bus tickets are only available as 2-ride passes. It should be around 8 lei. (Bucharest is in the process of changing bus tickets, so they might give you a paper ticket OR a plastic card...)
- Wait for bus 780 to arrive - this will take you to the train station (Gara de Nord). If you are going elsewhere, the bus 783 is the only other transport that comes to the airport.
- When you get on the bus, you must validate your ticket. There are orange machines for this, but they are complicated and don't work properly. Our advice is to ASK SOMEONE FOR HELP. (Stand near a machine with your card and look helpless.) The ticket-checkers WILL come by and will fine you if you haven't validated your ticket. They have no sympathy for tourists/foreigners.
- Train station (Gara de Nord) is the last stop. It takes between 20-30 minutes from Otopeni airport.
- Exit the airport. When you get to the busy road, turn LEFT.
- Walk to the cross-walk / zebra (< this is the UK term, I think) and cross the road.
- Walk back towards the airport on the opposite side of the road.
- When you see the little ticket booth/ kiosk with a RATB sign on it, buy a ticket. Ask for a ticket for bus 780. The bus tickets are only available as 2-ride passes. It should be around 8 lei. (Bucharest is in the process of changing bus tickets, so they might give you a paper ticket OR a plastic card...)
- Wait for bus 780. When you get on the bus, you must validate your ticket. There are orange machines for this, but they are complicated and don't work properly. Our advice is to ASK SOMEONE FOR HELP. (Stand near a machine with your card and look helpless.) The ticket-checkers WILL come by and will fine you if you haven't validated your ticket. They have no sympathy for tourists/foreigners.
- The train station (Gara de Nord) is the last stop. It takes about 15-20 minutes from Baneasa airport.
IF you do decide to take a taxi, here's some helpful info:
--Otopeni Airport to our apartment = approx. 16 km
>> You can only get a taxi with a 3.50 RON/km rate from this airport, therefore the price shouldn't be more than 60 RON (about 15 euro). Be warned, they WILL try to rip you off - it even happens to Romanians.
--Baneasa Airport to our apartment = approx. 9 km
>> Search around and find a normal taxi with a rate of 1.39 RON/km.
Regardless, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR METER ON!
