How to Get from Bucharest to Brașov

Option	Leaves from	Journey time	One-way price	Best for
InterCity (IC) train	București Nord	2 h 15 – 2 h 18	85 lei (2nd class)	The fastest trip
InterRegio (IR) train	București Nord	2 h 26 – 2 h 37	75 lei (2nd class)	Most travellers; stops at Sinaia
Regio (R) train	București Nord	3 h 19 – 4 h 09	41.50 lei	The lowest fare
Airport train + change	Otopeni airport station	3 h – 3 h 50	about 87 lei with an IC	Daytime arrivals on a budget
Minibus from the airport	Otopeni Arrivals	1 h 50 – 3 h	90–135 lei	Late arrivals, heavy bags
Minibus from the city	Băneasa, Piața Presei Libere, Filaret	2 h 25 – 3 h 30	70–170 lei	Night departures
Car	Anywhere	2 h 30 – 3 h (much longer at weekends)	Fuel and the road vignette	Stopping at Sinaia and Peleș

Train fares come from the CFR Călători tariff tables valid since 14 December 2025, and they include the seat reservation. Journey times are from the CFR Călători journey planner for a weekday in October 2026, and minibus prices are from Autogari.ro. We checked them all on 10 October 2026.

This guide is part of Plan your trip to Brașov. If you’re flying in, first check whether your city has a direct flight to Brașov-Ghimbav airport. It’s about 15 minutes by car from the city centre, and it saves you the whole Bucharest leg.

By train from București Nord (Gara de Nord)

București Nord, also called Gara de Nord, is Bucharest’s main station, and it has its own metro stop on lines M1 and M4. About 20 direct CFR trains a day leave for Brașov, from early morning to late evening. Here are the direct departures on a typical weekday (we checked Tuesday 13 October 2026):

Leaves București Nord	Train	Arrives Brașov	Journey
05:40	R 3021	09:21	3 h 41
06:09	IR 1735	08:41	2 h 32
07:18	IC 535	09:36	2 h 18
08:09	IR 1580	10:41	2 h 32
09:45	IR 1621	12:20	2 h 35
11:20	IR 16021	13:46	2 h 26
12:21	IC 531	14:36	2 h 15
13:07	IR 1645	15:39	2 h 32
13:43	IR 1633	16:15	2 h 32
14:38	R 3025	18:47	4 h 09
15:06	R-E 3003	17:52	2 h 46
16:00	IRN 346	18:29	2 h 29
16:37	R 3027	20:04	3 h 27
16:44	IR 1635	19:21	2 h 37
18:24	IRN 472	20:54	2 h 30
19:18	IR 1637	21:46	2 h 28
19:47	IC 536	22:05	2 h 18
20:23	R 3031	23:42	3 h 19
21:20	IRN 1641	23:54	2 h 34

The timetable changes every December, and individual trains sometimes run on different days, so check your date in the CFR planner before you travel.

Which train to take

• InterCity (IC) trains are the quickest, because they only stop at Ploiești Vest. They cost 10 lei more than an IR.
• InterRegio (IR and IRN) trains run most often. They stop at Ploiești Vest, Câmpina, Comarnic, Sinaia, Bușteni, Azuga and Predeal, so they’re the ones to take if you want to break the trip at Sinaia for Peleș Castle. IRN trains are long-distance services that carry on past Brașov. Some of them have couchettes as well, but you can travel in an ordinary seat.
• Regio (R) trains stop at every station and take 3 h 20 min or more. The one exception is the Regio-Express (R-E) 3003, at 2 h 46 min.

It’s 166 km by rail. For the best view of the Bucegi cliffs above Bușteni and Sinaia, sit on the left-hand side of the train on the way to Brașov.

Fares

Train type	2nd class	1st class
Regio	41.50 lei	62 lei
InterRegio	75 lei	108 lei
InterCity	85 lei	123.50 lei

These are full adult fares for București Nord–Brașov. Each one is the 166 km fare from the CFR tables plus the compulsory seat reservation, which costs 4.50 lei on Regio trains and 6.50 lei on IR and IC. When we checked, the CFR planner showed exactly 75.00 lei for a second-class seat on IR 1735. Children, pupils, students and pensioners get discounts, and so do holders of the TrenPlus card.

How to buy

Buy online at bilete.cfrcalatori.ro or in the CFR Călători app for iOS and Android. CFR sells online tickets for every train right up to departure, and the seat reservation comes automatically with the ticket. Keep the ticket’s QR code on your phone to show the conductor. You can also buy at the ticket windows in Gara de Nord.

On most days, booking a day or two ahead is enough. The popular IR and IC trains fill up on Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and before public holidays, so book earlier then if you want a particular train.

InterRegional Călători trains

Since 1 May 2026, a private operator, InterRegional Călători, has also run InterRegio trains between București Nord and Brașov. When the service started there were 8 or 9 a day in each direction, taking 2 h 30 – 2 h 46, with a full second-class fare of 68.50 lei, as Mobilitate.eu reported on 30 April 2026.

These trains have their own tickets. You can buy them on interregional.ro, in the operator’s app, or on board from the train staff, which costs nothing extra.

From Henri Coandă airport (Otopeni, OTP)

There’s no direct train from Otopeni airport to Brașov. By public transport, you can either take the airport train and change at Gara de Nord, or catch a minibus straight from Arrivals. If you’d rather have a ride all the way to your accommodation, a pre-booked private transfer is the other option.

Airport train and change at Gara de Nord

CFR runs 24 metropolitan (R-M) trains a day from the Aeroport Henri Coandă station to București Nord. It’s a 19 km ride that takes 25 minutes. In the daytime the trains usually leave 40 minutes apart, though some gaps stretch to 80 minutes. At Gara de Nord you change to a Brașov train.

The CFR planner sells the whole journey as one ticket. When we checked, the 06:32 airport train with a connection to IC 535 cost 87.26 lei and got to Brașov at 09:36. The last useful connection that day left the airport at 20:32 and reached Brașov at 23:54, with 23 minutes to change at Gara de Nord.

Minibus from Arrivals

Autogari.ro lists about 77 minibus and coach departures a day from Otopeni to Brașov, between 00:30 and 22:40. They’re run by companies such as Robus, Transfer Low Cost, JetCab, ViaElite, Direct Aeroport, JetBus and Trans Olteanu Tour. When we checked, one-way fares were 100–135 lei and journeys took 2 h 20 min to 3 h. Six operators run several departures a day:

Operator	Pick-up at Otopeni	First – last departure	Journey	One-way fare	Drop-off in Brașov	Book
JetBus	Five To Go 5 café	00:30 – 22:30	1 h 50	90 lei (100 lei on Autogari.ro)	Sala Sporturilor	jetbus.ro, +40 743 777 737
Robus	Carrefour Express, ground floor of Arrivals	00:30 – 22:30	2 h 20 – 2 h 30	100 lei (online price)	Brașov train station	robus.ro, +40 757 545 555
Transfer Low Cost	Carrefour Express, ground floor of Arrivals	00:30 – 22:30	2 h 20 – 2 h 30	120 lei	Brașov train station (Bulevardul Gării 1) or the Petrom station on Calea București	transfer-lowcost.ro, +40 268 455 555
JetCab	Five To Go 5 café	00:30 – 21:30	about 2 h 30	120 lei	Sala Sporturilor (Bulevardul Gării 9)	jetcab.ro, +40 762 112 888
ViaElite	Arrivals, first-floor waiting room, Relay shop	00:30 – 21:30	about 2 h 30	120 lei	Hotel Kronwell or the MOL Ramada petrol station	viaelite.ro, +40 733 693 693
Direct Aeroport	Lower level of the car park in front of Arrivals	00:30 – 22:30	2 h 45 – 3 h	130 lei	Hotel Aro Palace or the Petrom station	direct-aeroport.ro, +40 371 503 503

We checked these on 16 October 2026, on each operator’s own website (linked in the first column) and on Autogari.ro. Where an operator’s site doesn’t give a detail, it comes from Autogari.ro. That covers the pick-up points of JetBus and JetCab, JetBus’s drop-off, the departure and journey times of JetCab and ViaElite, and Direct Aeroport’s fare and pick-up point. Journey times are the operators’ timetable figures, so allow longer in traffic. JetBus’s own timetable lists 13 departures a day, but Autogari.ro shows only three.

Autogari.ro lists two more operators, each with a single departure a day. Trans Olteanu Tour leaves the Departures terminal at 16:45, costs 135 lei and takes 2 h 30 min to Sala Sporturilor. TrendBus leaves the Departures terminal at 22:40, costs 100 lei and takes 2 h 04 min to the OMV station by the train station.

• Meeting point: every company has its own spot, so check your booking confirmation before you land.
• Booking: book on the operator’s site or through Autogari.ro. Pick a departure at least an hour after your scheduled landing, in case of delays at passport control or baggage reclaim.

If you land late in the evening, this is the simplest option, because the minibuses keep running after the last train connection has gone.

Private transfer to your accommodation

Driving from the airport

Otopeni airport is on the DN1, and Brașov is about 155 km north along the same road. Allow 2 h 30 min to 3 h without traffic. If you’re setting off on a Friday afternoon, read the driving section below first.

By bus or minibus from Bucharest city

Autogari.ro lists about 43 departures a day from Bucharest to Brașov, mostly run by the same minibus companies. The main pick-up points are the Lukoil petrol station in Băneasa at Șoseaua București-Ploiești 40A, the Aripi monument at Piața Presei Libere, Autogara Filaret, and the CDI bus station on Strada Ritmului. Fares were 70–170 lei, and journeys took 2 h 25 min to 3 h 30 min.

From central Bucharest, the train is usually cheaper and quicker, and it doesn’t get stuck in traffic in the Prahova Valley. Minibuses come into their own at night: several leave between midnight and 05:30, when there are no trains.

By car

The usual route is the A3 motorway from Bucharest to Ploiești, then the DN1 up the Prahova Valley through Câmpina, Sinaia, Bușteni and Predeal. It’s about 180 km from central Bucharest and about 155 km from Otopeni. On a quiet weekday, allow 2 h 30 min to 3 h.

• There’s no motorway across the mountains yet. After Ploiești you’re on the DN1, which narrows to one lane each way for long stretches through the mountain towns and resorts. A 5.9 km bypass round Comarnic opened on 1 October 2026, but it’s one lane each way as well, and the road still runs through Sinaia, Bușteni, Azuga and Predeal.
• Weekend traffic is the main problem. Queues build towards Brașov on Friday afternoons and evenings, and back towards Bucharest on Sunday afternoons and evenings. It’s worst in the ski season and on long weekends. If you can, leave early in the morning or travel midweek.
• Alternative route: the DN1A runs from Ploiești via Vălenii de Munte and over the Bratocea pass, and comes into Brașov through Săcele. It’s a slower mountain road, but drivers often take it to avoid the queues on the DN1.
• Road vignette: you need a rovinietă to drive on Romania’s national roads and motorways. Rental cars normally come with one. If you’re bringing your own car, buy it at erovinieta.ro before you set off.
• Stops worth making: Sinaia for Peleș Castle, and Bușteni for the view of the Bucegi cliffs.

Parking in central Brașov is limited. Our guide to getting around Brașov covers the buses you can use once you’ve parked, and our guide to driving to Brașov has the speed limits, the winter tyre rules and everything else you need to know on Romanian roads.

By rideshare (BlaBlaCar)

BlaBlaCar is widely used in Romania, and drivers regularly offer seats between Bucharest and Brașov. The driver sets the price and the pick-up point, and the trip takes as long as driving yourself, traffic included. Check the driver’s reviews and agree on luggage space before you book. It’s a handy backup when trains and minibuses are full before a holiday weekend.

The return trip: Brașov to Bucharest

Trains leave Brașov for București Nord from 03:37 to 20:00, and again there are about 20 a day. On a weekday in October 2026, the IC trains left at 06:49, 14:42 and 16:32 and took 2 h 14 min to 2 h 18 min. The last train of the evening was IR 1622 at 20:00, arriving at 22:35. Fares are the same in both directions.

Flying out of Otopeni? You can buy a single ticket through to the Aeroport Henri Coandă station, changing at Gara de Nord. On the day we checked, IC 534 at 16:32 got to the airport station at 19:31, and the last connection left Brașov at 20:00 and reached the airport at 23:31.

Minibuses from Brașov to Otopeni ran about 74 times a day, from 00:39 to 23:30, with fares from 100 lei. On Sunday afternoons, leave plenty of time to spare, because the DN1 heading south is often slow.

Our pick for different travellers

• Most travellers: an IR or IC train from Gara de Nord. It’s the cheapest comfortable option, and you skip the traffic.
• Landing at Otopeni in the daytime: the airport train with a change at Gara de Nord, bought as one ticket.
• Landing at Otopeni in the evening, or with lots of luggage: a minibus from Arrivals, booked ahead.
• Families and groups of three or four: a rental car can work out cheaper than three or four train tickets, but avoid Friday and Sunday afternoons.
• Combining the trip with Peleș: drive, or take an IR train and break the journey at Sinaia.

Once you’re in Brașov, our guide to how many days you need in Brașov will help you plan the rest of your trip.

FAQ

How long is the train from Bucharest to Brașov?

The fastest InterCity trains take 2 h 15 min to 2 h 18 min. InterRegio trains take about 2 h 30 min, and Regio trains anything from 3 h 20 min to just over 4 hours.

How much is a train ticket from Bucharest to Brașov?

A full adult second-class ticket costs 41.50 lei on a Regio train, 75 lei on an InterRegio and 85 lei on an InterCity, with the seat reservation included. These are the CFR fares valid since 14 December 2025.

Is there a direct train from Bucharest airport to Brașov?

No. Take the 25-minute airport train to București Nord and change there. The CFR planner sells the whole journey as one ticket. Or skip the train and take a direct minibus from Arrivals.

Do I need to book the train in advance?

Not usually, because CFR sells online tickets right up to departure. For Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and holidays, book a day or more ahead, as the IR and IC trains fill up.

Is the bus or the train better from Bucharest to Brașov?

From the city centre, take the train. At 75 lei it costs no more than most buses (70–170 lei), and it doesn’t get stuck in traffic. From Otopeni airport, a direct minibus is often simpler, especially in the evening.

How long does it take to drive from Bucharest to Brașov?

About 2 h 30 min to 3 h for the roughly 180 km on a quiet day. On Friday and Sunday afternoons, and on ski weekends, queues on the DN1 through the Prahova Valley can add hours.