Bucharest and Brasov are among the best places to visit in Romania and chances you will want to visit both cities during your trip to Romania are pretty high. They are also not too far away from each other, only some 180 km apart, so you might even visit Brasov as one of the day trips from Bucharest.

Now you only need to figure out how to get from Bucharest to Brasov.

I did Bucharest to Brasov and Brasov to Bucharest trips recently and I’m happy to share here with you all you need to know about getting from Bucharest to Transylvania (since Brasov is basically the getaway to this amazing region). I did some mistakes when planning my trip so hopefully, this article will help you avoid them and do everything smoothly.

How to get from Bucharest to Brasov

There are a few ways to travel from Bucharest to Brasov: by train, by bus, with a driver or by car. I chose the train because it seemed like the best option and I can definitely recommend it (especially if you plan it smartly, unlike me). Trains are frequent, fast, affordable, and fairly reliable.

Below you will find more details about each of the options.

Bucharest to Brasov by train

I think Bucharest to Brasov train is the best option to travel between these two cities. There are around 30 connections each day so you can easily choose the train that works the best for your Romania itinerary.

The journey time varies depending on the connection, the fastest trains take a bit less than 2,5 hours between Bucharest and Brasov. When planning your trip check the journey time too so you can choose the best connection.

All the trains depart from the Gara de Nord in Bucharest which is easily reachable by metro.

Now the tricky part is that there are a few companies that serve this route…

At first, I was checking the schedule only at the website of the official Romanian railway – CFR Calatori but then I stumbled across another website with schedules of all the Bucharest to Brasov trains and I found it super useful. You can find it here. Under each connection it is written which company serves the journey.

My number one tip for planning a trip from Bucharest to Brasov (or back) – get the ticket online as soon as you know when you plan to go. I did the mistake of thinking I can get the ticket at the train station and well, when I wanted to purchase the ticket for the 8 a.m. train I managed to score the seat for the 2 p.m. only and on the way back I arrived at the train station at 12 a.m. only to get the ticket for 6 p.m. Granted, I was traveling over the long weekend but still it spoiled my plans a bit.

You can buy your train ticket for Bucharest to Brasov (or Brasov to Bucharest) trip online – just click here to do it.

Once you have the ticket, it’s easy to navigate the train stations both in Bucharest and Brasov. The platforms are clearly marked, there are screens showing departures and they are nothing extraordinary really, just your typical train stations.

The trains I took were rather comfortable (although in one of them the air conditioning wasn’t working) and since you get a seat reservation with your ticket you don’t need to worry about finding a free place.

I had my tickets bought at the station but most people had online ones and it was enough to show the ticket on the phone for control, you don’t need to print it.

If you decide to get the ticket at the train station it again gets a bit complicated. Different train companies have different ticket desks, you can’t just buy the ticket for the earliest connection at whichever desk you want, you need to find the correct one. The problem is, they are not really marked in any way, so you might need to ask around which desk is the correct one for the company you need.

Again, I did the mistake of standing in the long line at the wrong ticket desk only to learn that I can’t get my ticket there and then had to try my luck somewhere else.

If you use the train by CFR Calatori they have ticket machines available which makes buying the ticket at the station so much easier. If you need to wait in line at the ticket desk (and these lines can get really long), chances are high that CFR desks are near their ticket machines.

In Bucharest CFR desks are in the hall behind McDonald’s, in Brasov, they are on the right side when entering the station.

When writing this article the price for the CFR Bucharest to Brasov train was 59 lei in the 2nd class and 85 lei in the first class.

How to get to the train station in Bucharest

All the trains from Bucharest to Brasov depart from the Gara de Nord in Bucharest. The best way to reach the station is by metro. It is served by two lines: M1 (yellow) and M4 (green).

If you travel from the Old Town and central Bucharest, M1 will work for you. You can catch the direct train from Piata Unirii (in the direction of Dristor 2), Gara de Nord station is seven stops away. Sometimes it’s faster to take M2 (blue) to Piata Victoriei and catch M1 to Gara de Nord there (it’s only one stop away).

You can buy the tickets for a metro in the machines at the stations. From Gara de Nord metro station follow the signs to get to the train station (depending on the exit you take you will get either to the station or just in front of it).

How to get to the train station in Brasov

In Brasov most likely you are going to stay in the Old Town or somewhere near it. The old part of the city is located some 3,5 km away from the train station.

You can take the bus, no 4 which will take you to the Old Town. The bus stop is located directly in front of the train station it’s the starting point of this bus so you can be sure you are taking the bus in the right direction.

Tickets are sold in the kiosk at the bus stop or in the ticket machines there. You need to stamp the ticket after you enter the bus.

Bucharest to Brasov by bus

Even if there are a few buses operating between Bucharest and Brasov, they take much longer to get between the cities, around 3h30min. The bus station in Bucharest is also more difficult to reach since it is not served by the metro.

If you still wish to check the bus connections, I always use this website for figuring out buses in Romania.

Bucharest to Brasov by car

You can also drive yourself from Bucharest to Brasov. The trip should take around 3 hours but keep in mind that in the mountainous part the road gets narrow and can get blocked with traffic easily, especially between Sinaia and Brasov.

If you plan to rent a car for your trip to Romania, you can check the best options here.

You can also hire a driver that would take you from Bucharest to Brasov – click here for details.

Another option to get from Bucharest to Brasov by car is carpooling. Services like BlaBlaCar are popular in Romania so you most likely will find a ride easily.

What to see between Bucharest and Brasov

When traveling from Bucharest to Brasov you might stop along the way and see more of Romania attractions.

The best place to break your journey is Sinaia, a lovely town in the mountains, known mostly for its Peleș Castle that you might have seen in many movies. The castle is beautiful from the outside but the interior is simply jaw-dropping so be sure to visit the castle inside too.

Besides Peleș Castle there are a few other interesting buildings in the castle complex as well as the beautiful monastery and the casino in the town.

Closer to Brasov you can also stop in the mountain resorts: Busteni and Predeal. Or you can do a little detour and visit Rasnov with its impressive fortress from the beginning of the 13th century.

Further reading

I published many articles about Romania that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 25 Best Places to Visit in Romania
• 23 Great Things to Do in Bucharest, Romania
• 10 Awesome Places to Visit on Day Trips from Bucharest
• 15 Best Things to Do in Brasov, Romania
• Visit Sinaia, Romania – home to the amazing Peles Castle
• 9 Great Things to Do in Cluj-Napoca, the Vibrant City in Romania
• Why you should visit Timisoara, Romania
• and many more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in the Balkans and ask your questions there.

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• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
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• I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Romania too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!

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