Experience in Bucharest, Romania by Rose

What is it like to live in Bucharest? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Living in Bucharest was really fun. I was there in May, and it varied between 11-23 degrees Celsius in that time, so you do need to prepare for that. It's not exactly what you would call summertime weather, and it rained some. However, transportation is really well done and easy to use once you get the hang of it, and the city is very easy to walk, too. Good footpaths and all that. A lot of people speak English and are super nice, totally willing to help you if you need. I absolutely would recommend it. The city has a bunch of old architecture, lots of food options and stalls on the street, and a decent number of parks.

How much does it cost to live in Bucharest?

Living costs are really pretty cheap. A bus ride anywhere is about 1.3 lei, for example, which is around 25 Euro cents. Food is also very cheap, with road-side stores selling huge slices of pizza for 4-5 lei, and I got a falafel wrap with juice for around 13 lei. I didn't handle the accommodation myself though, since that was sponsored, so I can't speak to that.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Pastries, pizzas, and pasta is everywhere. They aren't typical Romanian dishes, so far as I know, but if you have a hankering for that type of food, you're never going to go hungry.

Then there are the typical Romanian dishes too, with soups and so forth, and there's also plenty of Turkish options around. It's a very varied food scene, and in the malls especially you can find pretty much anything, though the least present/easily-accessible type is maybe Asian food. I didn't know the names of any of what I ate, since I pretty much just pointed, so I can't say as to what was my favorite. I did have an absolutely excellent falafel wrap though.

What places would you recommend visiting in Bucharest?

AFI Cotroceni is a mall that's great to visit just to see, in that they've got pretty much everything. Unirea Shopping Center is extremely accessible and with a Carrefour, if you just want to do some basic shopping, and the Piata Unirii nearby is the main square.

"Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum is a little far out, but a great place to see traditional Romanian stuff, and to buy souvenirs (not cheap, but not expensive either, and a good variety all in one place).

The Palace of Parliament is incredible, if you can sign up to get in. It's super huge and crazy fancy, great for picture taking and architecture and just being overwhelmed in general.

The Romanian Athenaeum has very affordable shows sometimes, and is also one of those really pretty places, somewhere nice to sit and soak up some culture. The Void Escape Room Bucuresti is nearby there too, if you want something to do with a group of friends. For culture and art and interior architecture, the National Museum of Art of Romania is nice.

Then there's of course the old town, with the famous Cărturești Carusel, a very pretty bookstore with a cafe on top. The prices are a little high and the options a little low at the cafe, but it's still a nice place to visit if you're in the area and wandering around. I didn't personally go there, but if museums are your thing, there's the Romanian Kitsch Museum and the National Museum of Romanian History had good reviews from my friends.

For churches the Stavropoleos Monastery Church is small but pretty, with a nice courtyard. Maybe not worth going for by itself, but worth a visit once you're in the area. Biserica Sfântul Anton (also a church) is surprisingly big and nice for photo-taking. When I went, there was some sort of ceremony or occasion going on, and lots of candle-lighting and a line of people waiting to pray, so do with that what you will.

Is it good to eat out in Bucharest? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

We ended up going to Caru' cu bere multiple times, so that was pretty nice. My accommodation came with food, so I didn't need to eat out much, but it wasn't too expensive to do so.

What advice would you give future students heading to Bucharest?

Public transportation is your friend and easy to use, but learn the system first and make sure to always validate your card and have enough money on it.