Multi-Day Trips From Bucharest by Rail
Multi-Day Trips From Bucharest by Rail
Four days is enough to cross the Carpathians, see two castles, sleep in a medieval citadel and still be back for a flight. The route runs north from the capital by train and finishes by bus and rail, and it works without a car. A second option, the Danube Delta, is slower to reach and needs more care.
The Carpathian loop
Day 1, Sinaia and Peleș. Leave Gara de Nord on a morning train, about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 35 to Sinaia. Peleș Castle takes timed tickets at bilete.peles.ro , and the adult price is 100 lei. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the whole castle is closed from 2 November to 1 December 2026, so build the route around those days. Travel on to Brașov in the afternoon.
Day 2, Brașov. Spend the day on foot. Piața Sfatului, the Black Church with its 4,000-pipe organ and narrow Strada Sforii fill a morning, and the cable car up Mount Tâmpa gives the view. Hotels cluster near the old town, so check rates on Booking.com for a base.
Day 3, Bran and Zărnești. Buses leave Brașov Autogara 2 for Bran in about 50 minutes, around 13 lei. Bran Castle is a 14th-century Saxon customs fortress and a former royal summer home, and tickets start from about 40 lei, more for guided or fast-pass visits, per bran-castle.com . The afternoon suits the bear sanctuary at Zărnești, run as guided visits only. Adults pay 95 lei on weekdays and 100 on weekends, and children under five are not admitted. It is closed Mondays, tickets sell online, and the details are at millionsoffriends.org .
Day 4, Sighișoara or home. The UNESCO-listed citadel of Sighișoara is about two to two and a half hours from Brașov by train. It is where Vlad the Impaler was born. If your flight is early, take the train back to Bucharest from Brașov instead.
The Danube Delta
The delta is a UNESCO site with pelicans and a maze of channels, and villages like Crișan and Mila 23 are the usual bases. Getting there takes planning. No direct train runs from the capital to Tulcea, the gateway town. Rail needs a change at Medgidia and about six hours, so the bus from Autogara Augustina, roughly 4.5 to 5 hours, is the practical choice, with a drive of four to five hours as the alternative. Treat the delta as a three-to-four-day trip, not a stretch of the Carpathian loop. Boat and lodging prices vary by operator, so ask guesthouses directly.
Money and moving
Everything is in lei, roughly 5.3 to the euro. Card payment is widespread, but keep 50 to 100 lei in cash for small stalls. In the capital, a metro single is 7 lei, and the airport train to Gara de Nord costs about 6 lei. Check train times at infofer.ro .
Verdict
The Carpathian loop is the better first multi-day trip, since each leg is short and each stop has a payoff. Leave Peleș out of any trip that falls in the November closure, and swap in Brașov as the main event. The three-day itinerary covers the capital before you go, and the day trips page works if you only have one spare day.
Tip: buy the timed Peleș ticket before you leave home, then pick a Brașov hotel near the old town so evenings stay walkable.