Overview
Bucharest's public transport network has two main parts. The underground rapid transit system is the Bucharest Metro (Romanian: Metroul din București), run by Metrorex, a company funded by Romania's national Ministry of Transportation. The surface network of buses, trolleybuses, trams and light rail is run by STB (Societatea de Transport București), funded by the City Hall. A coordinating body, ADI-TPBI, created in 2017, integrates the metropolitan lines that reach into Ilfov County.
The metro opened on 16 November 1979 and is the only metro system in Romania (a second, in Cluj-Napoca, is under construction). It is 80.1 km long with 64 stations, and carried about 142.8 million passengers in 2023. The STB surface network carries over a billion passengers a year. The metro is generally the fastest way across the city, since surface traffic can be chaotic and rush-hour road journeys can take two or three times as long.
Riding end to end as a visitor is straightforward. Find a station marked with a blue "M" on white, buy a ticket or pass at the booth or from a machine, tap or scan it at the turnstile (metro stations are the only places with boarding barriers), check the destination shown on the front of the train, and board. Stops are announced on board. Metro hours are roughly 05:30–23:00, extended to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays — verify at the operator's site. Trains run every 4–7 minutes at peak and every 12–20 minutes off-peak, with average stop spacing of about a mile.
Metro (Metrorex)
The metro has five lines, M1 to M5, with a sixth (M6) under construction. Lines M1 and M3 share the central section between Eroilor and Nicolae Grigorescu.
- M1 (yellow): Pantelimon – Dristor, a horseshoe-shaped route via Obor, Piața Victoriei, Gara de Nord, Eroilor, Izvor, Piața Unirii and Timpuri Noi. It is the oldest line (opened 1979–1991) and useful for cross-city trips that avoid the centre.
- M2 (dark blue): Pipera – Tudor Arghezi, the north–south axis and the most important line for visitors, serving Piața Victoriei, Piața Romană, Universitate and Piața Unirii. It is the busiest and most congested line, with the southern extension to Tudor Arghezi opened in November 2023.
- M3 (red): Preciziei – Anghel Saligny, an east–west axis via Militari and Politehnica that shares central track with M1.
- M4 (green): Gara de Nord 2 – Străulești, a northwest corridor linking the main railway station; it is the planned starting point for the M6 airport line.
- M5 (orange): Râul Doamnei / Valea Ialomiței – Eroilor 2, opened in September 2020, serving the Drumul Taberei residential district and meeting the rest of the network at Eroilor.
Note that large interchange stations such as Piața Victoriei have two named terminals (Victoriei 1 and Victoriei 2) but are in fact a single station with platforms at different levels. The exception is Gara de Nord 1 and Gara de Nord 2, which are separate stations: you must exit and pay a new fare, or change trains at Basarab. A short stretch between Dimitrie Leonida and Tudor Arghezi is the only part of the metro that runs above ground.
Surface network (STB)
STB operates 102 bus lines, 22 tram lines and 14 trolleybus lines, running roughly from 4:30 a.m. to 11:50 p.m., plus 24 night bus lines (Linii de Noapte). Metropolitan lines numbered in the 400s reach into Ilfov County and are operated by STB together with STV, Ecotrans STCM and RegioServ Trans.
Suburban rail
Mainline trains use Gara de Nord, the city's largest railway station, which is also the terminus of the airport train from Henri Coandă. The metro's M4 and M1 lines both serve the station area.
Tickets & fares
Bucharest uses a single metropolitan fare zone covering Bucharest and Ilifov County, with separate products for the metro, the surface network, and integrated travel on both. Fares below are approximate, as reported in the sources, and change — always confirm current prices with the operator.
- Surface (STB) tickets: one trip valid 90 minutes is 3 lei; a 10-trip pass is 25 lei; a day pass is 8 lei; a 3-day pass is 20 lei; a 7-day pass is 30 lei; a monthly pass is 80 lei. Tickets are interchangeable across bus, tram and trolleybus, except on express routes.
- Metro (Metrorex) tickets: one trip is 5 lei; two trips 10 lei; 10 trips 40 lei; a day pass 12 lei; a 3-day pass 35 lei; a 7-day pass 45 lei; a monthly pass 100 lei.
- Integrated metro + surface tickets: one trip with unlimited validations within 120 minutes is 7 lei; two trips 14 lei; 10 trips 59 lei; a day pass 18 lei; a 3-day pass 49 lei; a 7-day pass 66 lei; a monthly pass 160 lei.
- Longer integrated passes (one week, one month, six months and one year) are available for land transport only, metro only, or both; since February 2022 the integrated passes also cover the train to Otopeni airport.
You can pay on board surface vehicles with a contactless debit or credit card (a validator is near the second door on most older vehicles), by SMS, or through the 24pay mobile app. Transport cards are sold at kiosks next to most stops: the free, non-reloadable "Card Multiplu" (loaded with 2–30 trips or day, 3-day and 7-day passes) and the reloadable "Card Activ", which costs 3.7 lei. Some visitors report foreign cards being rejected on bus 100, and most kiosk attendants do not speak English, so have cash ready. Tickets must be validated on boarding; inspectors do check, and travelling without a validated ticket means paying the fare plus a surcharge. The fine for fare evasion is 80 lei.
From the airport
Bucharest's main airport is Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP), about 18 km north of the centre at Otopeni. There is no direct metro link yet; the M6 line to the airport is under construction, with completion projected around 2028–2029.
- Express bus 100 (formerly 783) is usually the best option: inexpensive, frequent and running 24 hours. It stops straight outside Arrivals on the ground floor and runs via Arcul de Triumf, Piața Victoriei and Piața Romană to Piața Unirii. It runs every 15 minutes by day and every 30 minutes overnight, with a journey of about 40 minutes (50–90 minutes in traffic). The fare is 3 lei for a 90-minute ride, payable by contactless card or Activ Card. Scan your card on boarding; if several of you travel on one card, press button 2 and scan again for each additional person. These buses are a prime target for inspectors.
- Express train to Gara de Nord takes about 22 minutes, runs every 40 minutes, and costs 5 lei for adults and 3 lei for children under 10, sold at the CFR kiosk in International Arrivals. Tickets can also be bought on board or online.
- Bus 442 links the airport with Piața Presei/ROMEXPO and Therme Bucharest. To reach Gara de Nord by bus, take 100 or 442 to Piața Presei, then bus 105.
- Băneasa (Aurel Vlaicu) Airport (BBU), 5 km north of the centre, is served by buses 131 and 100 to downtown, and by bus 205 to Piața Presei, then 105 to Gara de Nord.
Licensed taxis ordered at the touch-screen kiosks inside the arrivals hall are metered and accept contactless payment; a ride to the centre typically costs 61–65 lei and takes 25–40 minutes. Ride-hailing apps (Uber, Bolt) also serve the airport. Do not accept rides offered by individuals inside the terminal.
Etiquette & customs
- Queuing: Romanians generally queue at ticket booths and kiosks; join the back of the line rather than crowding the counter.
- Priority seating: give up seats near the doors to older passengers, pregnant women and people with reduced mobility, particularly on the crowded M2 line.
- Eating and drinking: the sources do not state a formal rule; keep food and drink to a minimum and avoid messy items on packed trains.
- Rush hour: M2 is busiest northbound in the mornings and southbound in the evenings. Stand clear of the doors and let passengers off before boarding.
- Validation: always validate your ticket on boarding surface vehicles — inspectors board without warning, and the 80 lei fine is as much as a monthly pass.
Official links
Survival terms
- Metrou (meh-TROH-oo) — subway/metro
- Bilet (bee-LET) — ticket
- Linie (LEE-nee-eh) — line
- Intrare (een-TRAH-reh) — entrance
- Ieșire (yeh-SHEE-reh) — exit
- Schimbare (skim-BAH-reh) — transfer/change
- Călătorie simplă (kuh-luh-toh-REE-eh SEEM-pluh) — single fare
- Abonament de o zi (ah-boh-nah-MENT deh oh zee) — day pass
Buy a reloadable transport card on your first day and keep it topped up, so you can tap straight through the turnstiles and never risk the 80 lei fine.