Car hire Bucharest

Introduction

Bucharest is the capital city of Romania. Many things have changed since the fall of the communist regime. There are hypermodern buildings next to the historic monuments that made the city's nickname ‘Little Paris of the East’ in the past. The average income of its inhabitants is high in comparison with the rest of Romania, therefore, luxurious shops are not uncommon.

Population

The city has well over 2 million inhabitants. Especially during the ruling of the dictator Ceausescu the number of inhabitants strongly increased, many people migrated from the countryside to the city, additionally, contraception was prohibited at that time.

Location

Bucharest lies to the southeast of central Romania, along the Dâmboviţa River. Within the city limits there are several natural lakes, except for the lake in the Cişmigiu Gardens in the city center, which is in fact artificial.

Economy

Bucharest is the economic and commercial center of Romania. The provision of services has become more important in recent years. Also the contribution of the construction industry is important to the local economy, in the last few years, many modern shopping malls and skyscrapers have been built. The city is also working to improve the infrastructure, in particular the road network.

Airports

The Romanian capital is served by two airports. The largest, with 5 million annual passengers, is Henri Coandă International Airport, which is also often indicated with its former name "Otopeni". The airport is located 18 kilometers to the north of Bucharest. The smaller airport, Aurel Vlaicu lies closer to the city (8 kilometers) and is mainly used for charter and budget flights. 

Public transport

Bucharest has an excellent public transport network. First of all there is the subway with four lines, by the way, there are only few stops in the city center because the subway was built to transport commuters from the city to the industrial outskirts. Furthermore there is an extensive network of street cars and (trolley) buses. This enormous network might be confusing for visitors at first, but once you know which line goes where, it is a very pleasant way to explore the city. Be aware that you can not buy tickets on the bus or tram, you need to buy them in advance at special stands. In case of manifold use, you can buy an electronic rechargeable card.

Traffic and parking

With the economic boom, traffic in Bucharest has strongly increased. The city center is quite chaotic and busy all day long, parking spaces are hard to find. There are several parking garages, but it is not always clearly indicated how to get there. For safety reasons always use a parking garage. 

Also take into account that some streets in Bucharest are in a bad condition.

Hotels

In recent years, many hotels were built in Bucharest. You therefore have a great choice in all price categories. Ranging from undoubtedly the most luxurious hotel, Athénée Palace (a Hilton hotel), to medium-priced hotels and simple guesthouses. Generally, there is no need to book in advance, except if you have set your mind on a specific hotel. You might get a cheap deal by booking over the Internet.  

External sources

For more information about Bucharest, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Bucharest
• Official website Bucharest (Romanian and English)
• Tourist information on Bucharest (English)