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 are from the CFR Călători tariff tables valid since 14 December 2025 and include the seat reservation; times are from the CFR Călători journey planner for a weekday in October 2026. Minibus prices are from Autogari.ro. All checked on 10 October 2026.

This guide is part of Plan your trip to Brașov. If you are flying in, check first whether your city has a direct flight to Brașov-Ghimbav airport: it is about 15 minutes by car from the city centre and 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, with 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. On a typical weekday, which we checked for Tuesday 13 October 2026, the direct departures were:

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 stop only at Ploiești Vest. They cost 10 lei more than an IR.
• InterRegio (IR and IRN) trains are the most frequent. They stop at Ploiești Vest, Câmpina, Comarnic, Sinaia, Bușteni, Azuga and Predeal, so they are the ones to use if you want to break the trip at Sinaia for Peleș Castle. IRN trains are long-distance services that continue past Brașov; some also have couchettes, but you can travel in an ordinary seat.
• Regio (R) trains stop at every station and take 3 h 20 min or more. The Regio-Express (R-E) 3003 is the exception at 2 h 46 min.

The rail distance is 166 km. For the best view of the Bucegi cliffs above Bușteni and Sinaia, sit on the left side of the train when travelling towards 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: the 166 km fare from the CFR tables plus the compulsory seat reservation, 4.50 lei on Regio trains and 6.50 lei on IR and IC. The CFR planner showed exactly 75.00 lei for a second-class seat on IR 1735 when we checked. Discounts exist for children, pupils, students and pensioners, and with 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 is issued automatically with the ticket. Keep the ticket’s QR code on your phone for the conductor. You can also buy at the ticket windows in Gara de Nord.

Booking a day or two ahead is enough on most days. On Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and before public holidays the popular IR and IC trains fill up, so book earlier 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: 8 or 9 a day in each direction when the service started, taking 2 h 30 – 2 h 46, with a full second-class fare of 68.50 lei, according to Mobilitate.eu on 30 April 2026.

They have their own tickets: buy them on interregional.ro, in the operator’s app, or from the train staff on board at no extra cost.

From Henri Coandă airport (Otopeni, OTP)

There is no direct train from Otopeni airport to Brașov. Public transport options are the airport train with a change at Gara de Nord, or a minibus straight from Arrivals. A pre-booked private transfer is an alternative if you prefer a ride to your accommodation.

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. The trip is 19 km and takes 25 minutes. Departures are usually 40 minutes apart in the daytime, with some gaps of up 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 connecting with IC 535 cost 87.26 lei and reached Brașov at 09:36. The last useful connection that day left the airport at 20:32 and reached Brașov at 23:54, with a 23-minute change at Gara de Nord.

Minibus from Arrivals

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

Checked on 16 October 2026 on each operator’s own website, linked in the first column, and on Autogari.ro. Where an operator’s site does not give a value, it comes from Autogari.ro: 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 more in traffic. JetBus’s own timetable lists 13 departures a day; Autogari.ro shows only three.

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

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

For a late-evening landing this is the simplest option, because the minibuses keep running after the last train connection.

Private transfer to your accommodation

Driving from the airport

Otopeni airport is on the DN1, and Brașov is about 155 km north on the same road. Allow 2 h 30 min to 3 h without traffic. Read the driving section below before you set off on a Friday afternoon.

By bus or minibus from Bucharest city

Autogari.ro lists about 43 departures a day from Bucharest to Brașov, run mostly by the same minibus companies. The main pick-up points are the Lukoil petrol station in Băneasa on 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 2 h 25 min to 3 h 30 min, according to Autogari.ro.

For a trip from central Bucharest, the train is usually cheaper and quicker, and it does not get stuck in Prahova Valley traffic. Minibuses are useful at night: several leave between midnight and 05:30, when no trains run.

By car

The usual route is the A3 motorway from Bucharest to Ploiești, then the DN1 through the Prahova Valley: Câmpina, Sinaia, Bușteni and Predeal. From central Bucharest it is about 180 km, and from Otopeni about 155 km. Allow 2 h 30 min to 3 h on a quiet weekday.

• There is no motorway across the mountains yet. After Ploiești you are on the DN1, which narrows to one lane in each direction for long stretches through the mountain towns and resorts.
• Weekend traffic is the main problem. Queues build on Friday afternoons and evenings towards Brașov, and on Sunday afternoons and evenings back towards Bucharest, especially in the ski season and on long weekends. If you can, leave early in the morning or travel midweek.
• Alternative route: the DN1A from Ploiești via Vălenii de Munte and the Bratocea pass reaches Brașov through Săcele. It is a slower mountain road but is often used to avoid queues on the DN1.
• Road vignette: you need a rovinietă for national roads and motorways in Romania. Rental cars normally have one; if you bring your own car, buy it at erovinieta.ro before you drive.
• 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 the car is parked.

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 journey time is the same as driving, traffic included. Check the driver’s reviews and agree on luggage space before you book. It is a good 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, again about 20 a day. On a weekday in October 2026 the IC trains left at 06:49, 14:42 and 16:32, taking 2 h 14 min to 2 h 18 min, and the last train of the evening was IR 1622 at 20:00, arriving at 22:35. Fares are the same as in the other direction.

Flying out of Otopeni? You can buy a single ticket to the Aeroport Henri Coandă station with a change at Gara de Nord. On the day we checked, the IC 534 at 16:32 reached 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, according to Autogari.ro. Leave plenty of margin on Sunday afternoons, when the DN1 southbound is often slow.

Our pick for different travellers

• Most travellers: an IR or IC train from Gara de Nord. It is the cheapest comfortable option and avoids the traffic.
• Landing at Otopeni in the daytime: the airport train and a change at Gara de Nord, bought as one ticket.
• Landing at Otopeni in the evening, or with a lot of luggage: a pre-booked minibus from Arrivals.
• Families and groups of three or four: a rental car can work out cheaper than 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 are in Brașov, see how many days you need in Brașov to plan the rest of the 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 about 2 h 30 min, and Regio trains 3 h 20 min to just over 4 hours.

How much is a train ticket from Bucharest to Brașov?

A full adult second-class fare is 41.50 lei on a Regio train, 75 lei on an InterRegio and 85 lei on an InterCity, seat reservation included, under the CFR tariffs 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. The alternative is a direct minibus from Arrivals.

Do I need to book the train in advance?

Not usually: CFR sells online tickets until departure. Book a day or more ahead for Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and holidays, when the IR and IC trains fill up.

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

From the city centre, the train: it is cheaper, at 75 lei against 70–170 lei, and does not 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 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.