Bucharest’s main railway station, București Nord (Bucharest North), is splat in two sections:

- București Nord Gara A (used, on the CFR website as București Nord Gr. A), where all fast trains arrive and depart, as well as all international trains to / from Bucharest

- București Nord Gara B also known as București Nord Gara Basarab (marked by CFR as București Nord Gr. B), where some local trains to / from Southern Romania arrive / depart.

București Nord Gara A lies on 2 Gara de Nord Square (tel.: (021)2230880, extension 1341, 1342), having its own metro station (entrance from the very station or just outside the ticket office hall). The ticket offices lie right in the station when getting out of the metro (“Casele de bilete”), while the sleeping berths or international tickets can be purchased in the other hall, just a little further from the previous ones (look for Pamir Bar on the street side of the station). There are ticket selling machine in the main ticket office hall; they are quite user-friendly and they work with credit cards only (PIN required); even when there are long queues to the classical ticket offices, you are likely to find nobody there.

If queues are too long or you need more advice, you can refer to Wasteels or to a CFR agency in the city, of which I shall list two:

Agenția CFR Nr. 1, 10 Brezoianu (walk down the Elisabeta from the crossing with Victory Avenue, then turn left before the Mc Donald’s and walk on the left side until finding it), tel.: (021)3132643 for domestic information, (021)3145528 for international routes, (021)3139021 for sleeping wagons. Upon entering, get an order ticket and wait for your number to be called and displayed. "Bilete toate direcțiile" stands for all domestic tickets, while "trafic international" stands for international tickets. "Informații" stands for waiting in vain, so even for information it is better to get a regular order ticket. Better have a look at http://www.infofer.ro for your train (only for domestic routes), be careful with those that “nu circulă” (En. it does not run), write it down and show the paper to the clerk, as not all of them speak English. You can see the price and timetable online. For international trains check out Deutsche Bahn’s website or CFR’s Stone Age timetable (go to International Traffic, then “Mers de tren” and then you can choose either trains that depart Bucharest, or trains that arrive in Bucharest).

Agenția CFR Nr. 2, 139 Calea Griviței (just a little further down the Calea Griviței from the București Nord Gr. A station, passed Hotel Ibis, on the right side), tel.: (021)2128947. The two agencies have a relatively helpful website here.

For a better service, especially if you need some advice on international travel, refer to Wasteels (located in București Nord Railway Station), both for domestic and international train tickets or passes. Nowadays one can also book tickets online, but not less than 3 days before the day of travel (it probably takes them 3 days to print out online bookings or to synchronize online bookings with agency issued tickets). Anyway, for online bookings, click here (you need learn Romanian and then register, i.e. ‘înregistrare’). Good luck. If it all fails, refer to the ticket selling machine at București Nord Station (mentioned above).

Types of trains. There are four types of passenger trains currently running in Romania: personal (marked P), accelerat (marked A), rapid (marked R) and intercity (marked IC); on some routes there are also international trains marked EC (eurocity) or EN (euronight), but they share the speed, price and service of a R train. P trains are slow and stop in every station even if running on long distance; they are an option to get to some places which are not served by A and R trains or where those trains do not stop. A, R, EC, EN, IC trains stop in major stations and sometimes in railway knot stations even if these ones are not near important towns; theoretically, the A stops in more stations and is slower than the R, but quite often the difference is very small, while the price is lower; do check. The most comfortable wagons are on IC and some R trains. If traveling on an A train and this is an option (there are seats available there), travel on the bicycle wagon, compartments are larger there. To give you an idea of costs, a 100 km., 2nd class / 1st class ride costs approximately the following: EUR 3 / EUR 5 (P), EUR 6 / EUR 8.50 (A), EUR 7.50 / EUR 10.50 (R), EUR 8.50 / EUR 12 (IC); all but P fares include the seat reservation.

Classes and wagons. Traditionally, 2nd class A and R wagons had 8 seat compartments, while 1st class wagons on the same trains had 6 seats. With the CFR rolling stock being refurbished and renewed, a few different types of wagons were introduced. So, most A trains have 1st and 2nd class wagons both with 6 seat compartments, the difference between 1st and 2nd class being only lightly larger compartments in the former; in some situations, there are wagons with compartments at the ends and an open area in the middle. On some less crowded routes (e.g. Bucharest to Câmpulung Muscel or Craiova via Pitești, Bucharest to Pietroșița via Târgoviște) A trains consist of Siemens Desiro diesel units which are open space, with very crowded seats. At the same time, R / EC / EN trains have both wagons with compartments (the same rule applying like in the case of the trains, 6 seats per compartment disregarding of 1st and 2nd class) and open wagons (with more leg room); in some situations there could be combined wagons, with compartments to the ends and an open area in the middle. The ticket selling clerks usually do not know what type of wagons your train will have, so “window tickets” would be a lucky bet in most cases, with seats being placed in a different manner, according to the wagon scheme. IC trains have only open wagons, with more leg room. First class travel in seats wagons is not an efficient option, as the fare is much higher than second class travel and the space / service quality is similar; better, if this is an option, get a sleeping wagon.

Sleeping. Romanian Railways run 3 bed / compartment sleeping wagons (2nd class) convertible in 2 bed / compartment (considered 1st class) or single use compartment (also considered as 1st class); all compartments have a sink and cabinet, while some wagons also have a shower cabin. Most night trains also have “vagoane cușetă” (En. couchette wagons) which have 6 bedded compartments (2nd class), while some also have 4 bedded compartments (considered as 1st class). While in sleeping wagons are single sex (unless a family books a whole compartment), couchette wagons are mixed. Tickets for sleeping and couchette wagons must be purchased before the train started on its way, otherwise you need get a regular ticket for a seats wagon and then head to the sleeper attendant and ask for availabilities, paying for the supplement (and asking for a receipt) directly to him. This happens because, once the train starts, if people ask him for available places and he has them, he can sell them. In sleeping wagons, beds are already done with sheets, a blanket and pillow, while in couchette wagons, you need go to the wagon attendant, hand him the ticket and he will give you sheets that you need return before getting off the train at your destination, and you will be returned the ticket. In sleeping wagons, he will also take your ticket and return it in the morning.

Biking and dining. Some A trains have a bike / ski gear wagon, with an open area for storing your equipment and very spacious compartments (for the CFR); taking your bike or skis on board of these wagons is free; just mention to the clerk when buying the ticket that you want a ticket in the “vagon de biciclete” (En. bike wagon). Taking your bicycle on other trains which do not have such a wagon is charged by the conductor (ask for a receipt, Ro. “chitanță”). Many R and IC trains have a bar or restaurant wagon, while in other cases a clerk goes up and down the train offering snacks and drinks; especially when crossing the mountains, there might be locals boarding the train and selling berries.

Seat reservations, cancelations, traveling without ticket. For all but P train, a seat reservation is necessary; the seat reservation comes automatically with the ticket unless you book a sleeping wagon or unless the train is fully booked - case where the clerk usually asks before issuing your ticket: “fără loc?” (En. “no seat reservation?”) and you are very likely to be standing during the ride. Round trip tickets get a 10% discount on the “basic fare” (i.e. excluding the seat reservation or the sleeping wagon charge). Cancelations (before the train departs) are possible (you need your ticket stamped by the clerk first) and a 10% commission is levied, while all supplements (such as sleeping wagon supplement or seat reservation) are 100% lost. If you missed the train and want to get the following one, you need get that stamp (Ro. “viză de întrerupere”, En. “journey break”), then go to a ticket office and pay for another seat reservation. If you had a ticket for an inferior train (e.g. A train) and you want to get on a superior one now (e.g. R or IC), you will need pay a charge, as the two’s price is different. Even though some Romanians travel without tickets, bribing the conductor instead, this is - of course - illegal and very risky an affair, as there are superiors checking on the conductor sometimes and you risk a heavy fine if caught. Some small stations in the countryside do not have ticket selling offices; in that case, board the train and go immediately to the conductor (the whistle guy), which will issue a ticket for you at the regular price. If there is a long line at the ticket office and your train is about to start, go straight to the conductor and explain the situation, board the train and he will issue a ticket including a fine; expect to pay 30 to 50% more than at the ticket counter, depending on the type of train used; ask for a receipt. You may also just head to the train and wait for him to come, the fine is the same.

For getting to and from Bucharest’s two airports, have a look at my Getting to Bucharest by Air post. For getting into town by subway (the recommended way), refer to the Subway post in the same section. For a map of the overland transport network, click here (and then select the type of vehicle you want under Routes Guide), while for my two bani on overland transport in Bucharest, refer to the Buses, Trolleybuses and Trams post, also in this section.

Important note: the CFR is undergoing major rehabilitation and infrastructure works on the Câmpina - Predeal section. This means single track use, severe speed limitations and delays between Bucharest and Brașov. Better use R or IC trains, as the P and A always have to allow the faster ones first. Even so, a 1 hour delay is possible between the two cities. Also consider taking a C&I van, but only if in a rush and if you do not go Bucharest - Brașov on Friday evening morning, respectively Brașov - Bucharest on Sunday afternoon and evening, when traffic is jammed. However take into account my notes on the C&I; I do not recommend this company due to its employees’ conduct and driving manners.

Railway infrastructure rehabilitation works also take place on the Bucharest - Constanța (seaside) line. This often results in 30 minute to 3 hour delays. In summer, (usually night) trains from Bucharest to various destinations in Northern or Western Romania (such as Arad, Timișoara, Satu Mare) have wagons coming from the seaside. This means that a delay of the train from Constanta will lead to a delay of the train farther. While seaside-originating trains are supposed to arrive at least 30 minutes before the departure of the train farther one, this is not always enough, given the formers’ delay. Ask at a Wasteels, CFR agency (both mentioned above) or at București Nord’s CFR information office (opposite the central platforms’ end) and do not rely on a tight schedule.