Things to Do in Bucharest

No. It is visited on guided tours with fixed time slots, and you need your passport or an original ID card. Book ahead and plan to arrive 15 to 25 minutes early for security.

Yes, many tours do, but expect 10 to 14 hours. Brașov is roughly 165 km away, two and a half to three hours each way, so a lot of the day is spent on the road. If you want more time at each stop, pick a tour with fewer castles.

Only in marketing. Bram Stoker’s novel never names it, and historians see just a thin link to Vlad the Impaler. It is still a striking castle, but go for the setting, not for a vampire story.

It lies in Balotești, on the northern edge of the city, about 20 to 25 minutes by car outside rush hour. Many tickets include a return transfer; without one you need a taxi or your own car.

Late spring and early autumn are the mildest. July and August can be very hot, and winters are cold and grey, with Christmas markets in December. Day trips into the mountains depend on the weather and the season.

Not for the city: the metro and ride-hailing apps cover it. Day trips to the Carpathians are easiest on a guided tour, because the road through the Prahova Valley is often jammed on Fridays and Sundays.