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Bucharest in 4 Days: Night Train, Hostel and City Walks

Arrive, chill, and just go with the flow

The plan was simple: after spending a few days in Budapest, I would hop on the night train to Bucharest and just see what would happen.I love that moment when you’ve got a ticket, a bunk in a compartment, and nothing else you have to do,  just the steady rattle of the tracks and a vague idea of where you’ll wake up in the morning. Somewhere between border stops and half-sleep, the trip already starts to feel like the destination.

This 4-day travel report Bucharest begins exactly like that: no big plan, but a lot of excitement for the city, new people, and whatever randomness shows up. On the way, I met a Romanian couple in my compartment. We talked about travel, trains, and food, compared routes, and laughed about how quickly plans can change once you’re on the road. Before we even arrived, they wrote down a few spots I should check out in Bucharest. That’s exactly why I love these spontaneous on-the-road encounters on night trains.

Key facts about Romania:

Population: 19 million
Capital: Bucharest
Area: 238,397 km2
Highest point: Moldoveanu (2,544 m)
Lowest point: Black Sea (0 m)

Inhalt

Getting there: Night train from Budapest

In the morning, the train rolled into the city. After that, I quickly stopped at the ticket machine for a metro ticket, took two stops, and then walked over to the T5 Social Hostel. Backpack off, shoes off, one deep breath. It was still pleasantly warm, and the outdoor area was sitting in the sun. First things first: coffee and settling in.

Why T5 worked for me

  • Small dorms, easy check-in, no stress
  • Outdoor area as a natural meeting point
  • Walking distance to cafés and a supermarket
  • Great team with honest tips

Taking Bucharest slow

Over the next few days, my schedule in Bucharest stayed relaxed. Most mornings I’d do a short loop through the streets, and then I’d end up back in the outdoor area. I slipped into conversations that ranged from favourite train routes to Romanian sweets. At some point there was beer on the table, and later another one. Exactly the right pace for this city.

Walking tour: Small group, big value

I joined a walking tour. There were only three of us, which meant we could stop whenever something was interesting, ask questions, and take small detours. Perfect for taking photos without constantly worrying about losing the group.

An architecture mix in a tiny space

  • Belle Époque and “Little Paris”: grand facades with French influence, wide boulevards, elegant townhouses. Many buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century feel very Parisian.
  • Interwar modernism: Art Deco and more functional shapes. Clean lines, sharp edges, and great details around entrances and balconies.
  • Socialist monumental architecture: heavy axes, lots of stone, huge squares. The prime example is the Palace of Parliament and the surrounding boulevards.
  • Orthodox churches with Byzantine elements: brick façades, domes, delicate frescoes. Small monastery courtyards feel like quiet islands in the city.
  • Apartment blocks and long residential rows: endless lines from the communist era that still shape many neighbourhoods.
  • New glass-and-steel buildings: modern office buildings placed here and there between historic facades.

All these layers sit right next to each other, and that contrast is exactly what makes the city so photogenic. A few streets feel like time travel over 500 metres.

A dinner that stuck with me

On the second evening, Steph asked if I wanted to join her at a restaurant. She had a table, and I just said yes. Great food, great conversation, zero rush. Travel luck without a plan.

My rhythm in the city

So you can picture it better, here was my daily rhythm in Bucharest:

  • Morning: coffee, a short photo walk
  • Midday: a snack instead of a big meal
  • Afternoon: outdoor area at the hostel, meeting people
  • Evening: a small local place, a wander through a new area, sometimes just a beer back at the hostel

Plan change: On to Chisinau

Originally, I wanted to continue on to Bulgaria. Then someone asked if I wanted to go to Chișinău instead.I quickly checked my calendar, nodded, and booked it. Moldova instead of the Black Sea coast and I even left a day earlier than my hostel booking. In the end, that’s what stayed with me: four days in Bucharest with great timing, warm weather, random encounters, and a city made of layers that opens up slowly. And then a spontaneous turn towards Chisinau, because the best route sometimes only appears once you’re already on the road.