Romania
Jun 2022
2 weeks

OTP

Bucharest

An abundance of hot summers, great coffee and green parks.

[Local Time}
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[Description}

Bucharest, the vibrant capital city of Romania blends history, culture, and modernity.

Its impressive architectural mix of medieval, neoclassical, and art nouveau buildings includes the colossal Parliament Palace, the second largest administrative building in the world.

Verdict:
Highly recommended

If you already enjoy Eastern Europe, it's worth booking for up to a month to work from during the summer months. Otherwise, it's a great city for a weekend break at any time of the year.

🌎
Verdict:
Highly recommended

If you already enjoy Eastern Europe, it's worth booking for up to a month to work from during the summer months. Otherwise, it's a great city for a weekend break at any time of the year.

✅
Verdict:
Highly recommended

If you already enjoy Eastern Europe, it's worth booking for up to a month to work from during the summer months. Otherwise, it's a great city for a weekend break at any time of the year.

👎
Verdict:
Highly recommended

If you already enjoy Eastern Europe, it's worth booking for up to a month to work from during the summer months. Otherwise, it's a great city for a weekend break at any time of the year.

🛫
Romanian Leu (RON)
1.8 Million
💰 Great value
Read full review
Summary
Where to stay
Where to work
Remote work visa
Safety
Off work
Duration & season
Food & drink
People
Exercise
Verdict

Summary

I had previously visited Bucharest on a fairly typical Stag Do ten years prior and saw very little of the city aside from the bars of the Old Town. This time I was hoping to see a different side to the city.

Total:
Accommodation
Bad
Ok
Good
Great
78
%

You shouldn't have any issues finding a good quality an well priced Airbnb in the city.

If visiting in the summer months, double check the availability of A/C as you may be in for some uncomfortable nights otherwise.

info
New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
Places to work
Bad
Ok
Good
Great
82
%

Bucharest has no shortage of coworking spaces with various options available across the city. I particularly enjoyed the Seneca Anticafe which you can check out below.

Value
Bad
Ok
Good
Great
76
%

Eating out is good value across the city with lots of affordable options (both local and international cuisines) for lunch and dinner. Card payments are widespread but as ever doesn't hurt to carry some of the local currency (Leu).

info
The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read more
Excitement
Bad
Ok
Good
Great
75
%

While not on the scale of a global capital city, Bucharest has a fair amount going on, especially during the summer months.

The Old Town becomes a hive of activity on weekends as tourists flock to the city. Throughout the week, Calea Victoriei remains bustling with crowds during the daytime.

Although it may not be consistently crowded, there should be enough ambience to keep you satisfied.

Working hours

Based in EET, Romania is one hour ahead of CET.

🇪🇺 Consider working European hours from Asia?
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
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Where to stay

I'd recommend staying close to one of these areas where everything you need will be close by.

Would avoid
Recommended
Piata Romana
The surrounding area near Calea Victoriei to the South West of Piata Romana was my favourite area of the city. Lots of coffee shops and a more local feel.
Would avoid
Recommended
Aviatorilor
If i was to return to Bucharest I'd be tempted to stay in this area just north of the centre with close proximity to the park and lakes.
Would avoid
Recommended
Centrul Vechi
I very rarely made it down to the Old Town which felt more of a tourist draw than somewhere residents would frequent. Would not prioritise being in the immediate area.

Where to work

Seneca Anticafe
Top Choice
☕️ Good Coffee
📍 Top Location
🥗 On Site Cafe
🧍Community Focused
⭐️ Quality Fit Out
🌳 Outdoor Space

A unique hybrid between a book store and a coworking space, I've yet encounter anywhere remotely similar to Seneca. Around a 30 minute walk from Piatta Romana, the space is divided into a silent working area and the more ambient areas of the public bookstore where you are able to take calls.

Coffee, flavoured fruit water and fresh fruit are available and the demographic is a mix of remote workers and university students making use of it as a study space.

There is a peaceful ambience reminiscent of a library, with the ability to pay by the hour for shorter stints.

The surrounding area is full of peaceful green spaces, with great speciality coffee shops just moments away. Would return in a heatbeat should I return to Bucharest.

Learn more

Remote work visa

No remote work visa
Remote work visa available
Remote work visa coming soon
A dedicated remote work visa is available for this country.
This country is actively working on a visa support for remote workers.
Check your local government website for details of how to obtain a tourist visa.

Romania launched a digital nomad visa on December 21st, 2021, targeting non-EU citizens and aiming to attract over 2,000 remote workers annually to boost its economy post-COVID-19.

Valid for 12 months, renewable for another year if requirements met, and with a low cost of living, Romania's digital nomad visa allows foreigners employed by or owning companies outside Romania to work remotely in the country without additional permits.

Visa length
Visa cost
Earning requirements
View full details
To the best of my knowledge this information was correct as of September 2024. If you notice something has changed drop me a message and I'll update it!

‍Citizen Remote is a great source of up to date knowledge for everything to do with remote work visas.

Safety

Off-work

Explore the King Mihai I Park

A sprawling green space surrounding Lake Herăstrău, featuring gardens, playgrounds, boat rentals and restaurants. Perfect destination for a leisurely run or a picnic during the summer months.

Learn more
Visit the Palace of Parliament

Worth passing by to witness the sheer enormity of the structure. Constructed under the orders of former dictator Ceaușescu, the property owns the title of the world's second largest administrative building.

Walk to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Monument dedicated to soldiers who died in battle for their country, the surrounding park provides a green respite from warm summer days.

Eat at Sera Eden

An urban oasis featuring ptions for outdoor dining and drinking.

Duration & season

The weather was beautiful at the start of June with only one day of rain throughout the period.

Given how vibrant the local parks are, I would definitely prioritise a summers visit to make the most of them, rather than the during the particularly cold winter months.

Food & drink

Sloane Coffee Store
Piata Romana
Top-class espresso with a range of beans to buy to take away or drink instore.
Top Choice
boteca13
Muzeul Național de Artă
Relaxed coffee house with great quality coffee and courtyard seating.
Top Choice
Zăganu
Piata Romana
Great variety of independently brewed beers with happy hour offers.
Top Choice
Exercise
Grădina Cișmigiu Run
·
Run
Perfect location for a mornings run away from traffic in this shaded, sheltered park.
City Loop with Parks
·
Cycle
Worth getting a bike out if you are a cyclist to explore the city on road. Semi decent bike lanes are available in the centre of the city which gradually fade out.

People

Both of the coworking spaces I visited were mainly filled with locals with a couple of other remote workers present. Most of the international crowd is likely to be found in the Old Town which acts as the main hub for tourism in the city.

Exercise

Grădina Cișmigiu Run
Perfect location for a mornings run away from traffic in this shaded, sheltered park.
keyboard_arrow_down
City Loop with Parks
Worth getting a bike out if you are a cyclist to explore the city on road. Semi decent bike lanes are available in the centre of the city which gradually fade out.
keyboard_arrow_down
Grădina Cișmigiu Run
Perfect location for a mornings run away from traffic in this shaded, sheltered park.
City Loop with Parks
Worth getting a bike out if you are a cyclist to explore the city on road. Semi decent bike lanes are available in the centre of the city which gradually fade out.

Verdict

Positives
  • Great weather throughout summer.Summers are generally hot and dry with the occasional intense bout of rain.
  • A bustling, working environment.I enjoyed the industrious buzz in the city, making it an engaging place to work from.
  • Good value compared to Western European cities.Eating out is affordable with good quality options.
  • Plenty of green spaces.The parks and lakes are a great addition to the city and perfect for morning or evening runs.
  • Vibrant nightlife.The city is renowned for having a robust selection of late night venues.
  • Outside of the Schengen Zone.If for whatever reason you have reached your limit of time available within the Schengen group of countries, Romania is an alternative.
Negatives
  • Not the most international of destinations.If you are looking for a multicultural environment, there's better destinations. Most tourists are arriving for a weekend in the Old Town with little signs of a remote work culture taking shape.
Tips
  • Taxis are cheap.Use Ubers and avoid getting ripped off.
  • Consider a trip to Constanța.A popular summertime resort, accessible in an afternoons travel on rather rackety but characterful train.
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Some of these trips are now more than 3+ years old - i'm attempting to keep the information up to date as possible but if you notice anything which is now factually incorrect, or a great shop coffee shop has subseqntly fact closed down, please drop me a message and i'll update it.
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