Home of the infamous Vlad the Impaler in the mid-1450’s, the city of Bucharest in Romania has since evolved into an elegant representation of the 21^st century.

The city, nicknamed “Little Paris” by some, is full of palaces, museums, and historic buildings. You’ll be so enamored by the city you’ll find yourself wishing you could stay forever.

When to Visit Bucharest

The weather in Bucharest is what is considered “continental,” with easily distinguishable seasons. The summer months are usually very warm, while dry, and the winter months are cold and snowy. The spring months are the rainiest and even though the storms taper down in the summer they still occur – just on a more intense level. The fall months become rainy again as well.  Even still, if you don’t enjoy 100 degree Fahrenheit days (37 Celsius) you should avoid visiting during the summer months.

Etiquette in Bucharest

In Bucharest, and throughout all of Romania, you’ll find that having a bit of common courtesy can go a long way. Behave properly in public and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Tipping in restaurants is appropriate in Bucharest. Romanian waiters receive a very small hourly wage because their employers expect that patrons will tip them. The standard tip is 10%, though you can choose to tip more or less depending on your experience. It is also appropriate to tip your taxi driver and hotel valet as well.

Despite what you may have heard about Romania, it’s best to keep your personal opinions and prying questions to yourself. Many of the younger citizens are ashamed of what the communist regime has done to the country but, despite how they feel, they will not tolerate rude comments from foreigners about the government, gypsies, and politics in general.

Safety Precautions in Bucharest

While Bucharest is relatively safe it is, like any other major city, subject to petty crime. Street crime, however, is relatively common and travelers should be wary of pick pocketers. Pick pocketing is more common in very crowded areas and the criminals are usually orphans who call the streets their homes. Because the criminals are so young, they often pose no danger other than simply swiping your belongings.

Police, on the other hand, are generally not trusted by locals. While the situation is not as bad as it once was, the political unrest in Romania has caused problems with corruption. As such, take care not to create a situation in which you may have to deal with local police.

You should be especially wary of fake policemen dressed in street clothes who flash an ID and ask to check your identification or wallet. In many cases these are just criminals and you will receive your wallet back without the cash that was once inside. If you’re in this situation, the best response is to demand a trip to the nearest police station or to scream for attention – both actions that will usually scare the criminal off.

Transportation throughout Bucharest

Bucharest has a very extensive public transportation system including Metrorex (the subway) and RATB (the surface system). Over one million people attempt to dive cars through Bucharest daily and the city, when originally mapped out, had no plans to accommodate such heavy traffic loads. As such, the subway system’s 4 lines are the absolute fastest and most convenient mode of transportation available and you can reach them from any of the many Bucharest hotels.

The surface transportation system includes the trolleys, trams, and buses. The tram and trolley systems were both built in the 1990’s and the bus systems were put into place in 2006. All are clean, spacious, and will get you from point A to point B safely. In order to ride any of these systems you’ll need either a paper ticket or a smart card and you’ll have to stamp your card in the machine as you enter the bus, tram, or trolley. There are almost always inspectors waiting to catch riders who do not stamp their tickets and you will be fined if you do not do so.

Do not, however, fall victim to the scams that some transport inspectors try to pull on locals and foreigners. When you punch your ticket it will receive three holes. Often times these corrupt inspectors will ask to check your ticket and will quickly replace yours with the one they have hidden in their hands. The ticket will have too many holes and the inspector will accuse you of having punched the same ticket twice. He’ll attempt to fine you 150,000 lei ($8 USD). In order to avoid being scammed, hold your ticket in the air for other travelers to see before handing it over or write your name on it, directly under the holes, before handing it over. If the fraudulent ticket inspector, who really just wants to pocket the erroneous fine, sees you do this he’ll probably leave you alone.

Bucharest is one of the most popular Romanian cities on the map and one worth visiting. Just take reasonable precautions to keep yourself safe, as you would anywhere else, and enjoy your trip!