Bucharest City Center to Bucharest Airport
- ~25 min
- ~19 km
- Pickup at your Bucharest hotel, drop at Departures, Henri Coandă
Starting from
€35 per vehicle
Final price from carrier quote
About This Transfer
Your driver collects you at the hotel door, loads the cases, and takes the boulevards north to the DN1 and out past Băneasa to Henri Coandă. From the center to the airport is about 15 to 19 km depending on the address, and about 18 to 25 minutes in free-flowing traffic: Piața Victoriei is the near end, Piața Unirii the far one. The car stops at Departures.
The number to plan on is not the free-flow one. TomTom measured the city's 2025 morning rush at 97.5 percent above free flow and the evening rush at 117.7 percent, so the same drive can take up to about 50 minutes on a weekday morning and about 55 in the evening. For a morning flight, the pickup time is the decision that matters.
Bus 100 leaves Piața Unirii 2 every 15 minutes on weekday daytimes and reaches the airport in roughly 33 to 41 minutes on its own timetable, for 3 lei. The CFR train is about 20 to 25 minutes but starts at Gara de Nord, every 40 minutes. For one person with a light bag and time to spare, either works.
A car is the simpler choice with a family, several cases, an Old Town hotel or an early flight. Compare every run to and from the terminal on the Bucharest Airport transfers page, or see how airport transfers work on TransferBnB.
- ✓ About 19 km on the DN1, no motorway or toll
- ✓ About 25 minutes free flow, up to about 50 at the morning rush
- ✓ Hotel pickup, drop at Departures
Sights Along the Route
Your driver covers the distance while you enjoy the scenery.
Stavropoleos Monastery
A last stop worth the walk on the final morning: a small church founded in 1724 at Strada Stavropoleos 4, open every day from 08:00 to 19:00 around its services. The Old Town is pedestrianised, so the car collects you at its edge.
Stavropoleos →Palace of the Parliament
Visits run daily from 9:30 to 16:30, with tickets sold at 2-4 Izvor Street to people who booked by phone the previous working day. A late-afternoon flight leaves room for a morning tour if the call was made in time.
Palace of the Parliament →Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum
The open-air village museum stands at Șoseaua Kiseleff 28-30, on the DN1 as it leaves the city, so the car passes it on the way out to the airport.
Village Museum →Route Overview
Pickup: Bucharest city center
Hotels on the boulevards are a door-to-door pickup. The Old Town is pedestrianised, so for a hotel inside it the car waits at the nearest point the streets allow: agree it with the carrier when you book. Gara de Nord pickups work the same way as any hotel.
Popular Pickup Points:
- • Piața Victoriei and the northern boulevards
- • Piața Unirii and Universitate
- • Old Town hotels, pickup point agreed in advance
- • Gara de Nord
Drop-off: Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport (OTP), Departures
Arrivals and Departures are separate halls on one forecourt, joined by a corridor. The car stops at Departures. The Departures car park P7 charges 10 lei for 30 minutes if someone is seeing you off, and vehicles with more than seven seats may park only in P5.
Popular Drop-off Points:
- • Departures hall drop
- • Bus 100 stop at Departures
- • Departures car park P7
- • P5 for minibuses
Local Route Knowledge
Practical intelligence from carriers who drive this route regularly.
Best Travel Times
Midday and late evening are the easy hours, when the 18 to 25 minutes of free flow is realistic. A weekday morning flight is the case to plan around: at the city's 2025 morning-rush level the drive from Piața Unirii can take up to about 50 minutes.
Traffic Patterns
The whole route is the central boulevards and then the DN1 through Băneasa and Otopeni. Across 2025, October was the city's most congested month at 73 percent and August the lightest at 44.1 percent, so autumn mornings are the slowest version of this drive.
Road & Border Notes
No motorway, no toll and no border; the national road vignette, the rovinieta, is the carrier's. The constraint is at the start if your hotel is in the pedestrianised Old Town, where the pickup is at its edge.
Carrier Tip
Give the carrier your flight time as well as the pickup time, and say whether the hotel is inside the Old Town. A carrier who knows the departure can tell you whether your pickup leaves room for the morning rush.
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Most Carriers Include
- Pickup at your hotel door, or the nearest point to an Old Town hotel
- A driver who waits while you check out, within the time agreed
- Luggage assistance, and pushchair or ski carriage on request
- Drop-off at the Departures hall
- Luggage declared up front, so the carrier sends a vehicle that takes it
- Child seats on request, with each child's age in the booking notes
- A price agreed before you travel, not a running meter
- The outbound leg from the airport quoted at the same time
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Compare Transport Options
| Option | Price From | Duration | Convenience | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Transfer | From €35 per vehicle | 18-25 min free flow, up to ~50 at the morning rush | Loaded at the hotel, out at Departures | |
| Taxi | Meter; airport taxis charge RON 2.29-3.50 per km | Same road, same rush hour | Metered, door to Departures | |
| Bolt or Uber | App price, set at booking | Same road, same rush hour | XL seats up to 6, luggage by car size | |
| Bus 100 | RON 3, valid 90 minutes | ~33-41 min from Piața Unirii on weekdays | Own cases on a city bus | |
| CFR train | RON 6.50, RON 13 bought on board | ~20-25 min from Gara de Nord, every 40 min | Own cases, first a ride to Gara de Nord |
Price & Vehicle Options
A private transfer from central Bucharest to the airport starts from around €35 one way for a sedan. The price is per vehicle, not per person, and depends on the vehicle size, the time of day and the luggage you declare.
| Vehicle | Seats | Luggage | From | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sedan | 1-3 | 2-3 bags | from €35 | Couples and solo travelers, and early flights |
 Estate / Comfort | 1-4 | 4 bags | Quote on request | Four people, or two with a lot of luggage |
 Minivan / Van | 5-7 | A case each | from €60 | Families and groups of five to seven |
 Minibus | 8-16 | group | Quote on request | Groups too big for one van |
Prices are per vehicle, one way and indicative, and the carrier confirms them before you pay. TransferBnB is a request-for-offers marketplace, so you compare quotes from carriers who want the job. A sedan of three from €35 is about €12 a head; a minivan of six from €60 is €10 a head.
When to Travel This Route
Demand, pricing, and what to expect across the year.
Winter (Dec-Feb)
Moderate TrafficCity traffic averaged about 61 percent congestion over the winter of 2025, with December the heaviest at 66.5. Bus 100 runs every 30 minutes through the night and the train every 40, so a very early flight has public options, but not frequent ones.
- December the heaviest winter month, 66.5 percent
- Bus 100 every 30 minutes at night
- Train every 40 minutes, 24 hours a day
Spring (Mar-May)
Busy RoadsSpring traffic sat around 65 percent in 2025, with May at 66.7. The morning rush still decides the pickup time for an early flight.
- May 2025 congestion 66.7 percent
- Morning rush up to about 50 minutes
- Palace of the Parliament visits daily 9:30 to 16:30
Summer (Jun-Aug)
Lightest TrafficThe lightest roads of the year: about 51 percent across the summer of 2025, and 44.1 percent in August. The free-flow 25 minutes is most likely now.
- August 2025 the year's lightest month, 44.1 percent
- Stavropoleos open daily 08:00 to 19:00
- Bus 100 every 15 minutes on weekday daytimes
Autumn (Sep-Nov)
Heaviest TrafficThe slowest season on the roads: about 70 percent across the autumn of 2025, with October at 73 and November at 72.6. Leave room for the morning rush, up to about 50 minutes to the airport.
- October 2025 the year's worst month, 73 percent
- Morning rush up to about 50 minutes
- Evening rush up to about 55 minutes
Flexible Booking Options
Flexible Cancellation Available
Standard dates: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Peak dates (last Saturday of December, first Saturday of January, first 3 Saturdays of February): 72 hours notice required. Full terms are shown before you confirm your booking.
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Important Information
How Long to Allow for the Drive
In free flow the drive is about 18 to 25 minutes, depending on where in the center you start. TomTom's 2025 figures put the city's morning rush at 97.5 percent above free flow and the evening rush at 117.7 percent, which makes it up to about 50 minutes on a weekday morning and about 55 in the evening. Those are planning ceilings built from city-wide averages, not a measurement of the DN1, and your airline sets how early to be at the terminal.
Bus 100 to the Airport
Bus 100 leaves Piața Unirii 2 every 15 minutes on weekdays from 05:00 to 20:45, every 20 minutes at weekends from 05:00 to 22:40, and every 30 minutes through the night, 24 hours. It stops at Universitate, Piața Romană and Piața Victoriei and takes roughly 33 to 41 minutes to the airport on STB's weekday timetable, which STB says depends on traffic. During the airport works it sets down only at the Departures stop. A trip costs 3 lei for 90 minutes.
The Train Starts at Gara de Nord
The CFR train runs 24 hours a day, every 40 minutes, from Gara de Nord to the airport in about 20 to 25 minutes. A ticket costs 6.50 lei from the ticket office, a kiosk, the CFR app or by SMS to 7458, and 13 lei from the conductor. Gara de Nord is 3.8 km by road from Piața Unirii, so from the Old Town it is a second leg.
Being Seen Off at the Airport
The Departures car park P7 charges 10 lei for 30 minutes and 20 lei an hour. The Arrivals car park P2 is closed until 28 February 2027 for works, and vehicles with more than seven seats may park only in P5.
Child Seats
Carriers provide child seats on request, but you need to book them. Put each child's age in the booking notes, because a booster and a rear-facing infant seat are different equipment, and confirm the seat is in the offer before you pay.
Which Timetables These Figures Come From
Bus times are from STB's line 100 timetable, fares from STB and CFR Călători, and the airport rules from the airport operator's access pages, all read on 1 November 2026. The CFR fare is valid from 14 December 2025. Check before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get from Bucharest city center to Otopeni Airport?
About 18 to 25 minutes in free-flowing traffic for the 15 to 19 km on the DN1, depending on where you start: 14.6 km from Piața Victoriei, 18.5 km from Piața Unirii. At the city's 2025 rush-hour levels it can take up to about 50 minutes on a weekday morning and about 55 in the evening. A private transfer booked with your flight time can set the pickup around that.
How early should I leave central Bucharest for a flight from Otopeni?
Work back from your airline's check-in time and add the drive: about 25 minutes in free flow from Piața Unirii, and up to about 50 minutes at the weekday morning rush. Autumn is the slowest season on the city's roads, with October 2025 the most congested month. A private transfer collects you at the hotel at the time you set and drops you at Departures.
How do I get from the Old Town to Bucharest Airport by public transport?
Bus 100 from Piața Unirii 2, at the edge of the Old Town. It runs 24 hours, every 15 minutes on weekday daytimes, costs 3 lei and takes roughly 33 to 41 minutes on STB's weekday timetable, setting down at the Departures stop. The train is quicker than the bus, about 20 to 25 minutes, but starts at Gara de Nord, 3.8 km from Piața Unirii. A private transfer collects you at the edge of the Old Town, from around €35 per vehicle.
Is there a train from Bucharest to Otopeni Airport?
Yes, from Gara de Nord. The airport says trains run 24 hours a day, every 40 minutes, and CFR Călători gives about 20 to 25 minutes, for 6.50 lei, or 13 lei from the conductor. There is no metro to the airport: line M6 is under construction. From a hotel near Piața Unirii, a private transfer avoids the first leg to the station.
How much is a taxi or Bolt from Bucharest center to the airport?
The airport publishes 2.29 to 3.50 lei per km for the Bucharest and Ilfov taxis that serve it; at those rates the 18.5 km from Piața Unirii is about 42 to 65 lei, or about €8 to €12, on the distance alone. Bolt and Uber set their price in the app when you book. A booked private transfer agrees its price before the day, from around €35 per vehicle.
Where does the car drop me at Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport?
At Departures. Arrivals and Departures are separate halls on one forecourt, joined by a corridor, and the Arrivals car park P2 is closed until 28 February 2027 for works. Bus 100 also sets down only at the Departures stop during the works. A private transfer takes you to the Departures hall door.
How much is a private transfer from Bucharest city center to the airport?
From around €35 per vehicle for a sedan carrying up to three people, and from around €60 for a minivan for a larger group, one way. Prices are per vehicle, so three people sharing a sedan pay about €12 each. On TransferBnB verified carriers send offers for your trip and you choose one before you pay.
Why Book This Route?
- • Collected at the hotel door at the time you set, dropped at Departures
- • A pickup time set against the morning rush, up to about 50 minutes
- • A fixed price from around €35 per vehicle, agreed before the day
- • No first leg to Gara de Nord with the cases
- • One vehicle for five to seven people, from around €60
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What our customers say
Driver was already outside arrivals when we landed in Geneva - he'd tracked the flight and knew we'd come through early. Three sets of skis loaded and we were on the road to Chamonix before most passengers had cleared customs.
Thomas B. - London, UK Good experience. Chose from three offers for Munich Airport to Kitzbühel, picked the one with the best rating. Straightforward.
Marta R. - Munich, Germany Four of us split the cost from Zurich Airport to St. Anton and came out cheaper than the shared shuttle per person - plus we went straight to the chalet door instead of stopping at every hotel in the valley. Hadn't expected it to work out that way but it did.
Olivier D. - Lyon, France Travelled with two small kids and a lot of luggage from Rome Fiumicino. I mentioned the stroller in the booking notes and the driver showed up with a large estate. No fuss.
Sarah K. - Dublin, Ireland Eight people, Geneva to Verbier, all ski gear. One minibus, one price, door to chalet. We paid less per person than the shuttle and didn't have to share with anyone else.
Pieter V. - Amsterdam, Netherlands I book private transfers for work fairly regularly across different platforms. What TransferBnB does differently is that you get the driver's name, direct number, vehicle, and plate before you travel - not just a confirmation number. For business trips where timing matters, that's the part that actually counts.
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