Hi there,
I might be landing in Bucharest early in the morning (07:00) and heading to Veliko Tarnovo as soon as possible.Do you recommend bus or train ? I would prefer a direct thing not changing at the border.Any info on:
-1. How to get from the airport to the Train/Bus Station
-2. Price, Frequency...
-3. Can i buy tickets on the spot,same day?
-4. Any hint
will be most welcome!!!
Thanks a lot, see you on the road!
Luis
I don't think there is a direct bus...you'd need to change just over the Bulgarian border at Rousse.
There are two daily trains (one of them, I think, only goes to nearby Gorna Oryachovitsa). Check www.bahn.de, which will show departures at 12:16 and 20:04, taking 5 to 5.5 hours.
Dave
as deva say there isnt direct option from the baneasa airport !
"Do you recommend bus or train"
the problem is that the train rute from bucharest to giurgiu [romanian city border] are under constraction therefor the train make long way.
and the train that deva mention are :
A . rapid 463 that go from bucharest to Thessaloniki and pass Gorna Oryachovitsa dep' 12:16 and arr' to gorna at 17:19.
B . rapid 383 that go from bucharest to sofia and also pass Gorna Oryachovitsa dep' 20:04 and arr' to gorna at 01:31.
"1. How to get from the airport to the Train/Bus Station"
from baneasa airport you have bus 780 that go direct to bucharest gara de nord train station.
to take this bus go out from the terminal pass the main road bucharest ploiesti and there you have the station and also place to buy a ticket that will cost you 3.5 lei one way.
Frequency [depart from otopeni airport] :
http://www.ratb.ro/download/trasee/780FLUVIULUI.pdf
another bus are bus nr' 205 to take him you go as mention to bus 780 and when you are at the ather side of the road jast walk sout to the intersaction lass then 100 meter and you will found the station, one way tickets cost 1.30 lei.
Frequency [depart not far from strand straulesti]
http://www.ratb.ro/download/trasee/205STRANDSTRAULESTI.pdf
map of the public bus transportation:
http://www.ratb.ro/download/harti/autobuze.pdf
for bus bucharest-bulgaria :
take the bus nr' 783 that his station are jast where the 780 bus location.
tickets cost 3.5 lei for one way.
you take the bus and get off at the last station called [piata unirii] .
then walk left lass 50 meter till the corner and tern right and you see hotel horoscop
from this location the bus left you see schedule at this link :
http://www.autogari.ro/Transport/Bucuresti-Ruse/643-14550.aspx?lang=UK
the price are not show but I remember that was 40 lei + - .
the last bus I mention to bulgaria , this one take you to "ruse" a bulgarian city border and from there you can take bus/train to Veliko Tarnovo.
"3. Can i buy tickets on the spot,same day?"
yes you can , for local bus jast near the station you see kiosk with name [RATB BILET]
for the bus to ruse jast from the driver.
I don't have much to add to tha above except that on about the 1st of Feb this year we took a direct train from Bucharest to VT without having to stop or change train at Gorna O. There was a lengthy stop at Ruse while they shuffled a few train carriages around. If I remember, the train we took left Bucharest at 12:16pm and we bought our tickets an hour beforehand. I don't remember the price.
It is possible to get the 780 bus from both Baneasa and Otopeni airports, though when we went past Baneasa was a bit of a construction site and our friends needed to walk to the main road to find the bus.
Just to add to what #5 said...one of the trains from Bucharest will take you directly to Veliko Tarnovo, and one of them will only go as close as Gorna Oryachovitsa.
The 12:16 departure from Bucharest heads to Istanbul, and it will stop directly in the Veliko Tarnovo train station.
The 20:04 departure from Bucharest heads to Sofia, and will not stop in Veliko Tarnovo. Instead, get off at Gorna Oryachovitsa, and take one of the frequent minibuses (or a taxi)
Dave