World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Otopeni International Airport (OTP)
Tel: (01) 204 1000 Fax: (01) 201 4990.
Website: www.otp-airport.ro

Situated 18km (11 miles) north of the city and easily accessed by road, Otopeni Airport is the international gateway to Bucharest with daily flights to most major European cities.

Major airlines: Romania’s national airline, Tarom (tel: (01) 314 2520 or 337 2037, for reservations; website: http://tarom.digiro.net) connects Bucharest to major European cities, as well as the Romanian cities of Baia Mare, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Timisoara. Other airlines include Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Lufthansa, Malev and Olympic.

Approximate flight times to Bucharest: From London is 3 hours 10 minutes; from New York is 9 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours 45 minutes, from Toronto is 9 hours 45 minutes and from Sydney is 29 hours 15 minutes.

Airport facilities: Ongoing renovation of the airport, begun in 1999, is due to be completed by 2003. Facilities currently include a bureau de change, ATMs (bancomat), duty free, a florist, newspaper stands, snack bars, mobile phone hire and car hire from Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and ACR.

Business facilities: The Dacia Business Lounge (tel: (01) 201 3366; website: www.edf.ro) offers fax, computer and photocopying facilities for US$15. Premier Business Lounge (tel: (01) 204 1212) offers those facilities plus Internet services for US$25.

Arrival/departure tax: None.

Transport to the city: RATB (tel: (01) 314 7130) express bus 783 stops at Piata Victoriei, Piata Romana, Piata Universitaii and Piata Unirii (journey time – 30-45 minutes). Buses run 0530-2315, every ten-15 minutes weekdays and every 30 minutes weekends. Tickets cost US$0.75 (return only) and can be purchased 0530-2130 at the RATB aluminium kiosk near the airport’s entrance doors.

Taxis line up outside the entrance. Visitors are advised to take yellow taxis, which list the Lei price per kilometre on their windows or doors and are always metered, reducing the chances of being cheated. However, the price should be agreed with the driver beforehand and haggling is advisable. The average fare is US$6.25.

Sky Services, operated by Tarom (tel: (01) 204 1002; fax: (01) 201 4840, website: http://tarom.digiro.net/services/sky.htm), provides six-seat minibuses to the city centre for US$25.25 (US$12.50 if sharing with other passengers) and 21-seat minibuses for US$12.50 (US$5.25 if there are at least 12 other passengers). Tickets are available from Sky Services personnel in the arrivals terminal.