Getting Around Bucharest: Buses, trams and trolleybuses

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A bus on line 131

Bucharest has a very complex network of buses, trams and trolleybuses which is, at first glance, fairly confusing to the tourist. This is not because of any inconsistencies within the network, but rather due to the intricate web of hundreds of bus, tram and trolleybus routes found in the city. Once you know your way around the network, however, public surface transport can be a very good way of getting around since there is a bus, tram or trolleybus stop virtually everywhere in this city. The vehicles are usually very frequent, although they can also get terribly crowded at peak hours.

Make sure you know the stop you're getting off at - even though in most trolleybuses and in some modern buses and trams, following stops are announced automatically and displayed on a screen inside the vehicle. However, these displays tend to be not very reliable, pointing to either a wrong stop or not working at all. In addition, the older buses (most commonly found outside the core center) do not have any displays or announcements. If you are uncertain if a stop is the one you want, you can always ask your fellow travelers.

A trolleybus on line 62

The ticketing system uses contact-less smart-cards, called Activ cards www.card.ratb.ro. Once bought (you will need some ID to do that) the cards can be loaded with various ticketing options, including some that allow usage on both the subway and surface networks. To validate the card after entering a vehicle (or subway station) hold it still in front of the validating device (an orange box with a small LCD screen) until you hear a short beep. If you do not wish to buy a card, paper tickets valid for one ride on one route are also available (1.3 lei). Be warned that you cannot buy tickets/cards in the vehicles and if caught by an inspector (controlor) you could be fined with 50 lei. Some buses still use the old system of paper ticket, essentially a strip of paper that needs to be validated inside the bus. Be sure to validate your ticket, as enforcers can be very strict, even to visitors unfamiliar with the system.

You can check the 2004 surface transport map here: www.ratb.ro/harta_finala2.swf (note: some routes / numbers have changed). A constantly updated site with detailed route information, schedule and interactive maps, with both English and Romanian interfaces can be found here: www.ratbnav.ro/?locale=en.

Car rental in the Pache Protopopescu Street or Europcar are all at the city and airport. Other local rentals also throughout the city. The average price for a day rental is about 20 EUROS for the cheapest car.

• www.card.ratb.ro
• www.ratb.ro/harta_finala2.swf
• www.ratbnav.ro/?locale=en