Practical information

Practical Info

1. Arriving in Bucharest

If you flew by plane, you’ll most likely arrive at Henri Coandă Airport (Otopeni). To reach the city, you can either:

1) take the train to Bucharest North Railway Station (Gara de Nord), or

2) take the 100 bus towards the city and get off at Union Square (Piața Unirii).

For either option, you must buy a ticket; otherwise, you risk being fined if public transport inspectors catch you without one.

The bus ticket costs 3 RON, and you can purchase it directly on the bus using a credit card at the onboard ticket readers, by sending an SMS with the letter C to 7458, or through the STB app. The 100 bus runs every 15–20 minutes.

For the train, you can buy a ticket online from this website: https://mersultrenurilor.infofer.ro/ro-RO/Itineraries. Enter the airport station as the departure point and “București Nord” as the arrival station. Make sure the date is set correctly. The ticket costs about 10 RON for a second-class seat, and trains depart every 40–50 minutes.

More details on public transport and how to reach the faculty from the railway station or other locations are provided in section (3).

2. Places to stay

There are many accommodation options to choose from in Bucharest. Below is a list of places located close to the faculty (maximum 20 minutes away by public transport):

ibis Bucharest Politehnica – three stars, around 460 RON per night; located very close to the faculty.

Le Blanc Cotroceni Hotel – four stars, around 700 RON per night; also very close to the faculty.

Hotel Casa Capșa – five stars, located in a historic building, around 700 RON per night; about 15 minutes from the faculty by bus and close to the Old City Center.

La Bohème Boutique – Casa Soare – four stars, around 700 RON per night; about 15 minutes from the faculty by metro and located in the Old City Center.

Euro Hotel Grivita – three stars, around 340 RON per night; next to the Northern Railway Station.

Zeus Essence Bucharest Venezia – three stars, around 300 per night; next to the Izvor metro station.

3. Getting Around

Bucharest has a decent public transport system, and you can reach almost any part of the city by bus, tram, or metro. The metro is generally the preferred option because it avoids traffic, which can become very heavy, especially during peak hours.

The Faculty of Philosophy is located at Splaiul Independenței 204, București 060024.

To get there from Bucharest North Railway Station (Gara de Nord), you can:

1) take the M1 (Yellow) metro line and get off at Grozăvești station, or

2) take the 105 bus and get off at PODUL GROZĂVEȘTI station.

From either stop, it’s a 5-minute walk to the faculty.

Alternatively, you can take the 93 bus, get off at POD COTROCENI, and walk about 5 minutes.

New Europe College is situated at Plantelor 21, 023971 Bucharest, Romania. There is a direct trolley line that you can take to get from New Europe College to the Faculty of Philosophy and the other way round – 90. Usually, the trip lasts for around 20 minutes. The Stations you should be looking for are CALEA MOȘILOR (from NEC) and POD COTROCENI (from Grozăvești).

4. Sights and Sounds of Bucharest

Bucharest has many interesting museums and attractions. Most of them are located in or near the city center, but right across from the faculty you’ll find the University’s Botanical Garden, which can be visited by anyone for 15 RON per ticket.

Next to the Botanical Garden, you can visit Cotroceni Palace, the official residence of the President of Romania, for 50 RON per ticket.

The National Museum of Art is located at Calea Victoriei 49–53, while the National Museum of Natural History can be found at Șoseaua Pavel D. Kiseleff 1, București 011341. You can also enjoy classical and jazz concerts at the Romanian Athenaeum, located at Strada Benjamin Franklin 1–3, București 010287.

There are also plenty of parks in Bucharest, such as the Cișmigiu Gardens, a beautiful gem in the city center, about 15 minutes away from the faculty. You can also visit King Mihai I Park, where you can find the Village Museum (Muzeul Satului, Şoseaua Pavel D. Kiseleff, București).

Food-wise, the old city center offers plenty of options, from traditional dishes to Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines. If you are looking for a reasonably priced meal near the faculty, you can find a “La Mama” restaurant inside the Orhideea Mall (Splaiul Independenței, București 060025).