Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Airport
Otopeni - Otopeni, Bd. Aeroportului nr. 13
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The Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest, also known as Otopeni Airport, is Romania’s principal airport and the busiest in south-eastern Europe. Its IATA code is OTP (ICAO: LROP). In 2025, it handled over 17 million passengers, cementing its position as the key hub for international flights to Romania’s capital.
The airport is located in Otopeni, approximately 16.5 km north of Bucharest’s city centre, along the national road DN1 that connects the capital to Ploiești. Under normal traffic conditions, the journey by car takes around 20–25 minutes, though during peak hours it can easily exceed 40 minutes.
The airport is named after Henri Coandă (1886–1972), a Romanian engineer and pioneering figure in aerodynamics. The current facility underwent expansion between 2008 and 2011 with a new terminal building, followed by a new departure terminal in 2012. Work continues on a second terminal (Henri Coandă 2), expected to handle 20 million passengers annually by 2030.
Several options are available for travelling from Bucharest Airport to the city centre: public bus, train, taxi and car hire services. Your choice will depend on your budget, luggage requirements and final destination within the city. All public transport stops are located at the Sosiri (Arrivals) terminal exit, clearly signposted within the airport.
The most economical option for reaching the centre is the Express 100 bus (previously route 783), operated by STB. The bus departs directly outside the arrivals exit and travels across the city with stops at the main squares: Piața Victoriei, Piața Romană, Piața Universității and Piața Unirii, all well connected to the metro.
Services run every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night. The service operates 24 hours, 7 days a week. Journey time ranges from 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. The ticket is valid for 90 minutes and costs around 3 lei (£0.50); it can be purchased from automated dispensers at the arrivals exit or, in some cases, directly on board via contactless payment.
The 780 route is ideal if your destination is Gara de Nord railway station. The journey takes approximately 30–40 minutes, with departures every 40 minutes on weekdays (service runs from 05:30 to 23:00). From Gara de Nord you can reach the city centre via metro lines M1 and M4.
A rail link connects the airport to Gara de Nord station via the Henri Coandă Express service, operated by CFR Călători and Transferoviar Călători. As the railway station is not physically inside the terminal, you’ll first need to take a free shuttle from the arrivals exit to “Airport Stop”, about 400 metres away. Shuttle and train timetables are coordinated.
The train completes the journey in around 25 minutes, with departures every 40 minutes, running 24 hours a day. A combined ticket for shuttle and train costs approximately 8 lei (£1.40) and can be purchased at the office in the international arrivals area or online at CFR Călători. The train is particularly convenient if your next stop is the railway station or neighbourhoods served by metro line M1.
An alternative to TAXIs is to book in advance a private transfer to or from Bucarest airport. A driver will pick you up at the airport arrivals (thus avoiding taxi queues), at your hotel or wherever you prefer, to take you to the desired address.
It is the best solution if you do not want to waste time, do not want to use public transport, have a lot of luggage or are travelling in a group. To book a private transfer to or from Bucarest airport visit this site.
Taxi is the fastest and most convenient option, especially for those travelling with plenty of luggage or in a group. To avoid unpleasant surprises — unmetered fares from unlicensed taxis are a known issue — it’s strongly recommended to book via the touch-screen kiosks in the arrivals area, which connect directly to authorised companies with fixed, regulated fares.
An indicative fare to Bucharest city centre ranges between €15 and €25. Journey time is around 20–30 minutes under normal traffic conditions. As an alternative to traditional taxis, Uber is available through the app, with fares visible before booking: particularly useful if you want to avoid negotiating or paying in cash.
The airport has outlets for major international car hire operators: Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Budget and Autonom, as well as several local companies. Offices are located in the terminal’s arrivals area. Car hire is particularly suitable if you plan to explore Romania beyond Bucharest, visiting Transylvania, the castles of Wallachia or the country’s more remote regions.
To rent a car in Bucharest we always recommend comparing the rates of all companies with DiscoverCars because in our opinion it offers the best prices, allows cancellation up to 48 hours before rental and offers a very cheap comprehensive insurance policy.
Below you can see real-time departure and arrival times at Bucharest Airport.
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