Bucharest city tales: 10 things to know before coming to Bucharest
Columnist Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe writes in her weekly column about life as an expat in Romania. This week she gives a list of tips for anyone coming to Romania for the first time.
Columnist Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe writes in her weekly column about life as an expat in Romania. This week she gives a list of tips for anyone coming to Romania for the first time.
It is summertime, which also means holiday time, and this makes it the perfect time to invite friends and family to Bucharest. Many of my visiting friends have been Romania first timers and before coming to Bucharest they have sometimes held a long correspondence with me. Sadly people who haven’t been to Romania before can have quite 'funny' views about Romania, so to help out, I've summarized some advice that I have given to my friends before visiting me in Bucharest. 1) Bring the best present To make a friend happy, bring a 'home country present,' some food or sweets that are difficult to find in other countries, something that is typical for the home country. Or just ask if you should bring something in particular, I am sure it will be much appreciated. 2) Payment in Bucharest Before going to Romania, change a little money into Romanian Lei (RON), since it is not really possible to pay with Euro. In Bucharest, it is possible pay with most credit cards, like Visa, and there are many places to exchange euros to Lei, just check that they don’t take a commission, but to be on the safe side, have a bunch of RON 10 and 50 on arrival, since you need small change for taxi, drinks... 3) Remember to bring good shoes, that are made for walking Anyone who likes to go sightseeing by walking around the town should bring decent shoes. Feet can begin to hurt quite quickly here in Bucharest, partly because the streets and pavements are lot less smooth than in most European countries, stumbling over uneven stones in the pavement is common, and look out for holes in the road, which can be alarmingly big. So remember to look down when walking! But don't forget to look up to see some of the beautiful old buildings. It takes a little practice to look up and down at the same time, but your feet and shoes will be happy. 4) Taxis in Bucharest Don’t take the taxis that are parked just in front of the exit at the airport, they are almost definitely going to charge an exorbitant rate, so make sure that friends are ready for meeting and picking up duties. When you walk around in Bucharest and you want to take a taxi, don’t get a taxi from in front of the hotels, not all, but most of them will try to trick you. My advice is go to into a hotel or restaurant and ask them to call a “normal” taxi for you, and give the person that helps RON 10 to be on the safe side. Before taking a taxi, have plenty RON 1, RON 5 and RON 10 notes on you. Trying to pay with 50 or 100 lei, not always but often, elicits the 'no change' replye. And you can’t pay with a credit card.
Romanians are well dressed, and accessories are a big thing here, especially watches, handbags, stiletto shoes and shiny jewelry, and if planning to go to the opera or the theater you should bring suits if you are a man, and dresses or a presentable blouse and skirts if you are a woman. If going to meet friends of friends, or going out to eat, dress up. During the summer it can be very warm here, so my advice is to wear cotton or other natural fabrics and then remember a cap or hat to protect from the strong sun.
6) Tipping is a must do thing
In Romania, waiters get tips, 10 percent of the bill is normal, but always check the restaurant bill, especially in the tourist areas, if there is something you don’t understand, ask, and always check to make sure they haven’t added a little extra on the bill, it can happen. Ask for the price of the house wine and if there are no prices on the menu, ask for them, to avoid nasty surprise when the bill arrives. And PS for the ladies, if you go to the hairdresser, the person who washes your hair gets a tip too, around 10 lei.
7) Water and food
In Romania, we don’t drink the tap water, so buy water in bottles to be on the safe side. When it comes to food, besides a large range of restaurants, it is possible to buy food in normal supermarkets like any other European country and it is also possible to go to the markets where you can buy Romanian vegetables, cheese and meat.
8) What to see
There are a lot of things to see in Bucharest, and I am sure your friends will organize a sightseeing tour for you, but try and read the free magazines found at different restaurants and hotels. They contain a lot of information about where to go, and what concerts etc. are on. Great for ideas, even if they are written in Romanian.
9) Safety
Don’t worry about safety too much when walking around in Bucharest, the crime level is very low. I must admit I haven’t seen anything happen and I feel safe walking around, but of course, like in all other countries, don’t flaunt the fact that you are a tourist. Take care of your wallet or purse, particularly in crowed places, tourist areas and near the train station Gara de Nord.
10) Stray dogs
When it comes to stray dogs, don’t worry, just ignore them and don’t get scared. When it is very cold and very warm here, they can get aggressive, but usually if you just keep walking and don’t run, nothing will happen. Remember to enjoy your stay in Romania, because it is indeed a country worth visiting, and so far all my friends have had a much more positive picture of Romania after they have been here.
By Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe, columnist
Eleonore is Danish, she holds a BA in Organization and Management and specializes in Corporate Communication & Strategic Development. She is also a Market Economist and a Multimedia Designer. She is currently working in Bucharest as the Executive Director of UAPR the Romanian Advertising Association. As a Danish Viking in Romania, with a great passion for ’covrigi’, she has a burning desire to find out how Romanian women can balance on really high stilettos on the bumpy streets of Bucharest. Her weekly columns will give you insights into an expats life in Bucharest written with humor and a big Danish smile.
