I didn’t realise that there was a train service from the main airport in Bucharest to the main railway station in the city centre. It was quite decadently priced at twice the bus fare of the 100 city link bus, but since that’s £1.20 and 60p respectively, it’s not entirely a concern. I was staying nearby overnight and wanted to spend the afternoon in Bucharest, so this seemed a more efficient way of doing it.
The train was already in the railway station when I arrived, so I walked to the end of the platform to the ticket machine. A ticket guard, wearing jeans and looking like a passenger, helpfully came up and said that there was no need to buy a ticket in advance, just buy on board. I’m always slightly suspicious of such things, but as everyone else was just boarding, I took the risk.
And indeed, all was well. Or certainly in terms of the ticket purchase, the guard who had spoken to me earlier came along with a card machine and that was all very efficient. The train itself was packed, although fortunately I had a window seat, and it was far too hot. It’s not a long journey, but it wasn’t particularly comfortable. There was the vaguest of evidence of air conditioning, but I suspect that was more because a window fell out or something rather than anything else. This wasn’t the most modern of trains.
It was too busy to take a photo during the journey, but this was the excitement of disembarking. One set of doors didn’t seem to work which slowed matters down somewhat.
I hadn’t realised that this was the central station of Bucharest and it wasn’t built as such, but yet here we are…. I have stayed nearby many years ago on my first visit to the city, so I really should have known that.
Well, it’s traditional I suppose.
There’s plenty of stuff going on in this station, it felt like something from thirty years ago with a market, cafes and a variety of other shops. I suspect that it will all be renovated at some stage, but there’s something rather charming with it as it is.
And safely in Bucharest. This station was first built between 1868 and 1872, with the Monarch Carol I of Romania being present when the foundation stone was laid. It has been extended and knocked about many times over the decades, but there’s still some nineteenth charm to it.
There’s an underground metro station, trams and buses to the city centre, but as it was only a thirty minute walk that’s what I did. I decided to get the 100 bus back to the airport though….