Romania by train: tickets, operators and realistic journey times
Plan Romanian rail journeys with the right operator, station and ticket. Compare useful routes, allow for slow sections and book the right overnight accommodation.
A train works well for Bucharest, Sinaia and Brașov. It needs more thought when you continue across Transylvania: a short line on the map can take much of an afternoon. Build the trip around the services you can actually book, then choose the sights around arrival time.
Search the date before arranging the day
Start with the CFR Călători journey planner. Enter the full station names and look at the arrival date, changes and any replacement bus. București Nord is the main departure point for these longer journeys; the airport station is a separate stop.
These are useful planning allowances, rather than a timetable for every departure:
| Journey | Allow on the train | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest–Sinaia | About 1½ hours on suitable services | Operator and stopping pattern |
| Bucharest–Brașov | About 2½–3 hours on suitable services | Some trains take longer |
| Brașov–Sighișoara | Around 3½–4½ hours | Engineering work and the dated timetable |
| Sighișoara–Sibiu | About 2½ hours on a suitable direct regional train | Whether that departure runs on your date |
| Sibiu–Bucharest | Roughly 6½ hours on a suitable direct service | Route and arrival time, not a five-hour assumption |
| Brașov–Iași | Around eight hours | Replacement buses can change the journey |
Add travel to the station and time to find your platform. A long rail day is a good reason to leave dinner flexible. It is a poor day for an expensive timed visit straight after arrival.
A CFR ticket and a Softrans ticket are different bookings
Softrans publishes separate RegioExpress fares: 41.50 RON for București Nord–Brașov, 32.50 RON for București Nord–Sinaia and 14.50 RON for Sinaia–Brașov. Its listed RegioExpress fare includes the seat component. These amounts belong to Softrans services; they are not a general Romanian railway tariff.
Check the operator on the result before paying. A convenient return may be run by another company, in which case compare and buy the appropriate ticket separately. Read that operator’s change and refund terms too. Do not board a different company’s train simply because it calls at the same stations.
For CFR, use the dated search for the train and class you want. Keep the ticket and any required passenger identification accessible. Follow the booking instructions for discounts, seat reservations and presentation of the ticket.
Give the airport connection its own line in the budget
The CFR airport train links Henri Coandă Airport with București Nord in roughly 20–25 minutes. The second-class fare without a reserved seat is 6.50 RON. Other operators on the airport railway have their own tickets.
That gets you to the railway station, not automatically to your hotel. Add a metro journey, a walk or another transfer as needed. Buy through an accepted channel before boarding, or follow the train’s published onboard payment arrangements. Buying from a conductor can involve a different fare.
Compare a coach when the railway makes a long detour
For Brașov–Sibiu or Sibiu–Cluj-Napoca, compare the coach as well as the train. Read the exact pickup and drop-off: a roadside stop, an outlying coach station and a central railway station produce different door-to-door journeys.
Leave room between separately booked services. Neither an attractive minimum duration nor a cheap ticket guarantees that a tight onward connection will work.
An overnight train needs a bed choice and an arrival plan
For Chișinău–Bucharest, the published train journey is about fourteen hours, arriving the following morning. Read the available sleeping accommodation and occupancy before comparing its price with a coach seat.
Count the train night once. You usually do not need a hotel in the departure city for that same night, but the next room may be unavailable until afternoon. Arrange luggage storage and keep the first morning easy. Moldova is outside Schengen, so allow for border formalities and carry the required travel documents.