Gara de Nord

Gara de Nord isn't a neighbourhood you visit for pleasure — it's one you pass through, and one worth knowing. It's Romania's main railway station, opened in the second half of the nineteenth century and expanded many times since, where trains arrive from across the country and abroad. For many travellers it is the first contact with the city, the place where the journey to Bucharest actually ends.

What it's good for

This is where you catch rail links to the rest of the country and, importantly for visitors, the direct CFR train to Henri Coandă airport (OTP) — a convenient, cheap way to reach your flight without depending on road traffic. Around the station you'll find practical, budget hotels, handy if you have an early train or a late connection, plus left-luggage facilities, exchange offices and quick food.

The vibe

Like many big stations, the area is busy, hurried and not the city's most elegant corner. It's fine for transit, but keep your bags close and stay alert to pushy offers and unofficial taxi touts at the exits. It's not a place to wander late at night without a reason, though the station concourse itself is well used and lit until late.

Getting there

The station has its own metro stop (Gara de Nord), well connected to the network, plus numerous surface lines stopping right outside. See the public transport guide for tickets and routes, and the neighbourhoods page for the areas where it's actually worth staying once you've dropped your bags.