As you may already know, Bucharest is the capital and most populated city in Romania, and it is a very popular destination among Erasmus students. If this is your Erasmus destination for the next academic year, in this post we explain everything you need to know to make the most of the Erasmus in Bucharest.

Accommodation for students in Bucharest

One of the first tasks you will have to carry out before moving to Bucharest is the search for accommodation. Therefore, in this point we explain you about the accommodation options that you can find in this city, as well as which are the best areas to live in.

Erasmus flat or residence?

Living in a shared apartment or in a student residence is something that will depend on you and your preferences. From Erasmus Play we recommend you to value both options and review the pros and cons of each one of them.

Many students choose to live in student residences. The universities themselves have public residences that they assign to the students, but still many students prefer to look for other alternatives or private residences, since the public residences do not have a good reputation. The most popular ones are the ones in Arcca, which have two different campuses and are full of Erasmus students every year: Arcca Vitan Village and Arcca Pajura Garden. There are also other residences such as West Gates Studios, another private residence.

Best areas to live in Bucharest

If you choose to live in a shared apartment with other students, you should know that it is best to live near the city center or near your university. This way you can save time in your commute.

The University of Bucharest is located in the old part of the city. On the other hand, Titu Maiorescu University is located in the south, in the Tineretului district. This is a comfortable area to live in and is well connected to the metro. One of the universities farthest from the center is the Roman-American University, so it would be best to live somewhere in between the center and the university.

Gastronomy in Bucharest

Gastronomy is one of the best ways to get to know the culture of a country. During your Erasmus in Romania you will be able to taste typical dishes of the Romanian cuisine, which is characterized by being very varied.

• Mămăligă. It is a kind of corn puree that is usually ordered as a side dish, but can also be eaten as a main course.
• Mititei or mici. They are a kind of sausages made on the grill, which are prepared with a mixture of pork and beef, seasoned with garlic and spices. Many times you will find stalls on the street where they are sold.
• Papanasi. These are fresh cheese fritters served with red fruit jam and sour cream.
• Ciorbă. This is a sour soup that can be prepared with different ingredients, including meat, vegetables.

Papanasi

Leisure and Erasmus parties in Bucharest

The party is one of the most important parts of the Erasmus experience, so this point could not be left out of our Erasmus guide. If you like to party, in Bucharest you will not get bored. Every week there are parties organized for students, and in the city there are many bars, clubs and discos where you can go for a drink or a party.

If you like techno, there are some clubs where they play this kind of music, such as Nook and Control Club. Other popular places for students are: OXYA Club, Pub El Comandante and Pub El Dictador, where a drink costs around 15 lei (3 euros). In general, in the Old Town area of Bucharest you will find many bars and places to have a drink.

Cost of living in Bucharest

As for the cost of living in Bucharest, we can say that it is a very affordable city. Although being the capital of Romania it has prices a little higher than the rest of Romanian cities, the truth is that it is an economic city.

As you may know, although Romania is part of the EU, this country has its own currency. The currency in Romania is the Romanian leu (plural lei), and is abbreviated as LEI or RON. Specifically, one euro corresponds to approximately 5 lei. For cash withdrawals, you can use cards such as Revolut, as you can withdraw up to 200 euros per month without any commission (except on weekends).

Regarding accommodation, a private room in a shared apartment costs around 200 euros per month. The prices of rooms in residences can vary quite a lot, as shared rooms and private rooms are usually offered.

Public transportation is also very cheap. The most advisable is to buy a transport pass, so you can use the bus, streetcar and subway unlimited. There is a monthly pass which costs 80 lei, but students can buy it at a 50% discount by presenting their university student card. Therefore, a monthly pass would cost around 8 euros per month. This pass can be purchased at many metro stations and here you can find more information about prices and other types of tickets.

Places not to miss in Bucharest

Bucharest is a city that reflects its history and culture. An example of this are some of its buildings, which reflect the Soviet period that was lived. There are many interesting places to visit, but some of them are:

• The Romanian Athenaeum. This neoclassical building is one of the most emblematic buildings in Bucharest and is the headquarters of the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestra. The entrance fee is 2 euros.
• Palace of Parliament. It is the second largest building in the world, only behind the Pentagon. This is one of the most impressive examples of Romanian architecture during the communist era.
• Therme Bucharest. This huge thermal spa is the largest spa center in Europe. Here there are swimming pools, saunas, pool bars, restaurants and a water park with more than ten slides.
• Stavropoleos Monastery. It is a Romanian Orthodox monastery from the early 18th century and stands out for its architecture.
• Herăstrău Park. It is the largest park in the city and there is a lake in it. There are also in the park some restaurants and cafes, which makes it a perfect place for a walk.

Palace of Parliament

Travel from Bucharest

Traveling is a very important part for many students during Erasmus. From Bucharest, you can easily travel to the rest of Romania, as the capital is located in the center. But you will also find it easy to travel to other European cities.

One of the best options to travel to other European cities is through Flixbus, a bus company that operates practically all over the European continent and with very cheap prices. You can also travel by train, since from Bucharest station there are trains to Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria.

In addition, the city is home to the Bucharest-Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP), the busiest airport in the country, from which you can travel to more than 100 destinations and where low-cost airlines operate.

In this guide for Erasmus students in Bucharest we have also included nearby trips, to get to know other places and cities with a great tourist attraction.

• Brașov. This city has its origins in the 13th century and has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in Europe.
• Bran Castle. This castle, known as Count Dracula's castle, enjoys a great tourist attraction due to the popular belief that it was the residence of Vlad III.
• Sighișoara. This is a small town of narrow, colorful alleys, and its historic center is a UNESCO heritage site.
• Black Sea Coast. Destinations such as Mamaia, Constanta and Vama Veche are popular for their beaches and nightlife, especially during the summer.
• Bukovina. It is a region famous for its painted monasteries, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bran Castle

Tips for Erasmus students in Bucharest

Finally, some of the tips we give you for your Erasmus in Bucharest are:

• Become a member of the student associations in Bucharest, as you can benefit from discounts in a lot of places. Besides, the associations themselves organize events, parties and even trips with international students, so it will also be a perfect opportunity to meet other students.
• Meet other students going on Erasmus in Bucharest and find roommates on the Erasmus Play app.
• Apply for your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) well in advance. If you don't have it yet, here we explain you how to apply for this card for free step by step.
• Since the euro is not used in Romania, we recommend you to become a member of banks such as Revolut or N26. It is completely free and you can cancel your account whenever you want. An account with any of these banks will allow you to withdraw money, make transfers, etc., all without fees.

So far our guide for Erasmus students in Bucharest! From the Erasmus Play team we hope this post has helped you.