Where to stay · Bucharest · Romania
Where to stay in Bucharest
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Mihai Petre, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Old Town. Cobbled lanes around Lipscani with bars, restaurants and Stavropoleos. Best alternatives — families: Dorobanți and Floreasca; budget: Piața Romană and Amzei.
Key facts
- First visit
- Old Town
- Families
- Dorobanți and Floreasca
- Budget
- Piața Romană and Amzei
- Nightlife
- Old Town
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Old Town | Cobbled lanes around Lipscani with bars, restaurants and Stavropoleos |
| Families | Dorobanți and Floreasca | Leafy upmarket north with restaurants and lakeside parks |
| Couples | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | Grand avenue of palaces, museums and the Romanian Athenaeum |
| Budget | Piața Romană and Amzei | Central squares with cafés, a covered market and student bars |
| Luxury | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | Grand avenue of palaces, museums and the Romanian Athenaeum |
| Nightlife | Old Town | Cobbled lanes around Lipscani with bars, restaurants and Stavropoleos |
| Food lovers | Piața Romană and Amzei | Central squares with cafés, a covered market and student bars |
| Solo travellers | Old Town | Cobbled lanes around Lipscani with bars, restaurants and Stavropoleos |
| Quiet stays | Dorobanți and Floreasca | Leafy upmarket north with restaurants and lakeside parks |
Bucharest neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife and solo travellers
Old Town
Centrul Vechi is the compact historic quarter between Piața Unirii and Universitate, with the ruins of the Old Princely Court, Manuc's Inn, Stavropoleos Monastery and the Cărturești Carusel bookshop. Its lanes are packed with restaurants, bars and clubs, so it is the most central and the loudest place to stay.
- Good
- Walk to the main sights; Dense choice of restaurants and bars; Metro at Universitate and Piața Unirii
- Watch out
- Very noisy on weekend nights; Restaurants on the main lanes target tourists
- Nearby
- Stavropoleos Monastery, Manuc's Inn, Cărturești Carusel, Old Princely Court
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture, luxury and couples
Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
Calea Victoriei is Bucharest's historic main avenue, running from the CEC Palace past the National Museum of Art, the Athenaeum and Revolution Square towards Piața Victoriei. Upmarket hotels, cafés and the Macca-Villacrosse covered passage line the route, and the Old Town is a five-minute walk south.
- Good
- Grand architecture on the doorstep; Close to the Old Town but quieter; Concerts at the Athenaeum
- Watch out
- Higher hotel prices; Heavy traffic on the avenue
- Nearby
- Romanian Athenaeum, National Museum of Art, Revolution Square, CEC Palace
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget and solo travellers
Piața Romană and Amzei
Around Piața Romană and the Amzei market, side streets mix early-20th-century villas, cafés and bars popular with students from the nearby economics university. It is on metro line 2 and the airport express bus route, and a 15-minute walk from the Athenaeum.
- Good
- Central and well connected; Good cafés and bars; On the airport bus route
- Watch out
- Busy roundabouts; Mixed building conditions
- Nearby
- Amzei market, Romanian Athenaeum, Piața Victoriei
$$$$ · Best for families, luxury, food lovers and quiet stays
Dorobanți and Floreasca
North of Piața Victoriei, Dorobanți and Floreasca are well-off residential districts of villas, embassies, smart restaurants and cafés, close to Floreasca Lake and King Michael I Park. They suit families and travellers who prefer quiet evenings, with a taxi or metro ride into the Old Town.
- Good
- Quiet, green streets; Excellent restaurants; Close to the parks and Village Museum
- Watch out
- Expensive; A ride from the Old Town
- Nearby
- King Michael I Park, Village Museum, Floreasca Lake
$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and culture
Cotroceni
Cotroceni is a calm residential district of interwar villas west of the centre, home to the Botanical Garden, Cotroceni Palace (the presidential residence, partly a museum) and the university's medical school. It suits longer, quieter stays, with metro access and the AFI Cotroceni mall nearby.
- Good
- Beautiful, quiet streets; Botanical Garden on the doorstep; Good value apartments
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Limited nightlife
- Nearby
- Botanical Garden, Cotroceni Palace, AFI Cotroceni
$$ · Best for budget, first-timers and families
Unirii and the Parliament
Piața Unirii is a major metro interchange at the end of Bulevardul Unirii, the long avenue built to lead to the Palace of the Parliament. Large hotels and apartments here are good value, the Old Town is a few minutes' walk north, and the Parliament and the new National Cathedral are just west.
- Good
- Major metro hub; Walk to the Old Town and Parliament; Larger, good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Wide, traffic-heavy roads; Little neighbourhood charm
- Nearby
- Palace of the Parliament, Old Town, Piața Unirii
$ · Best for budget and solo travellers
Gara de Nord
The streets around the North Railway Station have budget hotels and hostels, and the station has trains to Sinaia, Brașov and the airport. It is a convenient base for early departures but less attractive for evenings, with the centre a short metro ride away.
- Good
- Trains to the mountains and airport; Low prices; Metro connection
- Watch out
- Rough edges around the station; Few good restaurants
- Nearby
- Gara de Nord, Cișmigiu Gardens, Metro line M1
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town | $$$ | Stavropoleos Monastery, Manuc's Inn, Cărturești Carusel, Old Princely Court |
| Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | $$$$ | Romanian Athenaeum, National Museum of Art, Revolution Square, CEC Palace |
| Piața Romană and Amzei | $$ | Amzei market, Romanian Athenaeum, Piața Victoriei |
| Dorobanți and Floreasca | $$$$ | King Michael I Park, Village Museum, Floreasca Lake |
| Cotroceni | $$ | Botanical Garden, Cotroceni Palace, AFI Cotroceni |
| Unirii and the Parliament | $$ | Palace of the Parliament, Old Town, Piața Unirii |
| Gara de Nord | $ | Gara de Nord, Cișmigiu Gardens, Metro line M1 |
Getting to your hotel
Henri Coandă International Airport at Otopeni is about 17 km north of the centre. The 24-hour express bus 783 runs to Piața Romană and Piața Unirii in about 40–60 minutes depending on traffic, and trains run to Gara de Nord in about 20–25 minutes. Order taxis from the kiosks in arrivals, or use a ride-hailing app.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Bucharest for first-time visitors?
Old Town. Centrul Vechi is the compact historic quarter between Piața Unirii and Universitate, with the ruins of the Old Princely Court, Manuc's Inn, Stavropoleos Monastery and the Cărturești Carusel bookshop.
+Where should families stay in Bucharest?
Dorobanți and Floreasca: Quiet, green streets.
+Which area of Bucharest is best for a budget stay?
Piața Romană and Amzei ($$): Central squares with cafés, a covered market and student bars.