Note: If you cannot open the PDF files, we advise you to update your Acrobat Reader

We have created a general map for you.

If you attend the IEEE-PES Region 8 Chapter Chairs Meeting, we prepared for you some useful information.

Please visit Wikipedia to get information about the Romanian athenaeum.

To locate the Parliament Palace, the Romanian Athenaeum, the City Centre and the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest. we recommend you Salut Bucuresti.

Google Maps can help you also to locate the Parliament Palace and University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest by a satellite view.

We invite you to watch the Bucharest's monuments by a bird's eye view using apmnir.ro or maps.live.com. You may have to install Virtual Earth 3D. Make sure you have selected Bird's eye view.

For a 360 deg view we recommend you norc.ro. For better view, enlarge the image in full screen mode.

Bucharest Transportation

Bucharest has a complex public transportation system, which combines buses, trolleybuses, trams and subways. The transit system covers virtually all areas of the city. It tends to be crowded during peak hours (6:00 AM to 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM).

Bucharest Metro (Subway)
Bucharest subway Metro is a quite efficient mean of transportation. One can easily get around by using a Metro map, which can be supplied from any Metro station. You can feel safe in the subway trains since most of them are new and are supervised by guardians.

The center of Bucharest is very well served with stations in most of the big squares. Trains run between 5:00 AM and 11:00 PM; during peak hours they run at about 5-8 minutes while off-peak they run every 10-12 minutes. Tickets can be bought at the booths inside the stations. A ride remains valid for any change from a line to another as long as you stay inside the checking gate.

	1 ticket for 2 rides (2,5 lei – about EUR0,60 or $0,80)		1 ticket for 10 rides (8,0 lei – about EUR1,90 or $2,50)
	1 one day pass (5,0 lei - about EUR1,20 or $1.6)		look out for this sign

The metro can be crowded in the morning and in the afternoon hours (rush hours from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM) when people commute to and from work, but in the rest of the day is pretty empty. Metro stations are not very well signposted, but with the help of a map it will be easy to get around. All trains have maps posted inside the wagons. The closest Metro station to the Parliament Palace is Izvor.

Bus, Trolleybus and Tram
Website: www.ratb.ro
The passengers must have a valid ticket before boarding. Tickets can be bought only in the RATB points of sell that can be found near RATB stations. The points of sell are opened during working days from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM and generally closed during Saturday and Sunday. The price of a single ticket on ALL URBAN ROUTES is 1.30 Lei for 1 trip and 2.6 for 2 trips.
The passengers are obliged to validate the ticket without delay when boarding the vehicle. Any transfer implies the validation of a new ticket.
Maps:
- General map
- Tramways map
- Buses map

Here are the routes for buses 601 , 336 and 136

Taxi
Taxis in Bucharest are a relatively cheap and safe way of transportation as long as you take one belonging to a company and not a private one. There are many taxi companies in Bucharest. Good companies are Cristaxi, Cobalcescu, Meridian, Perozzi, XXL, Leone and Fly Taxi. The cars are yellow with the name of the company usually inscribed very clearly on the taxi together with the price per kilometer. There are two prices / km one for day and one for night; the departure and the parking are also charged. For destinations out of town the prices are higher.
You can order a taxi (click here for phone numbers) or you can hail any taxi from the street considering the following:
- there should be an oval plate on the side with a 4 digit number. This indicates the taxi is licensed.
- the taxi fare is stated on the outside of the taxi.
- check if the counter inside the taxi is set by the taxi driver to the same amount that is stated on the outside of his taxi.
The prices are between 1.5 – 3.5 lei/km.
Private taxis are expensive, and can be dangerous, as drivers are simply not to be trusted.

Transport from / to the airport
If you are accommodated in Regie Campus, you are advised to follow the instructions.

The 783 bus travels regularly from the Henry Coanda International Airport (Otopeni) to the City Centre (approximate travel time 40 minutes), via Victoriei Square, Romana Square, Universitate and finally Unirii Square. For all hotels you have to get off at "Universitate". From here, if you are accommodated at hotel Parliament or hotel Ibis Parliament, you are advised to take a taxi.

Here is the route for bus 783

From the Henry Coanda (Otopeni) airport, if you take a taxi, make sure that it is ‘official’ and it uses the meter. Fly Taxi company has exclusivity. The taxi travel may cost about 70 RON (about 20 Euro). From Aurel Vlaicu (Baneasa) airport you have various taxi companies. The cost should be lower because the distance is shorter.

Weather

Bucharest has a four-season climate. In the spring, the weather can quickly alternate between rain and sunshine. June, July and August are the hottest months. As the leaves begin to change color, you can still enjoy warm and sunny days while taking a stroll in the city's many parks or down Calea Victoriei. Winters can be quite cold with moderate snowfall.

Temperatures recorded in Bucharest in July 2008

Electricity

Supply voltage is 230 Volts, 50Hz. Two-pin European-style plugs are standard. In hotels’ rooms you can find sockets with or without protective contact for 230 V, 50 Hz and currents up to 10 A or 16 A.

	Type C plug (Europlug) The plug is non-earthed and has two round 4 mm (0.16 in) pins, which usually converge slightly towards their free ends. It can be inserted into any socket that accepts 4 mm round contacts spaced 19 mm (0.75 in) apart.
	The type F plug, commonly called a "Schuko plug", has two earthing clips on the sides of the plug instead of a female earth contact. The Schuko connection system is symmetrical and unpolarised by design, allowing live and neutral to be reversed. The socket also accepts type E plugs and Europlugs. It supplies up to 16 Ampere.

Time

Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 between the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in October).

Money

The Leu (RON) is the official currency, which is divided into 100 bani. All Romanian bank notes use polymer (not paper). Money may be exchanged at banks, international airports, hotels or authorized exchange offices called 'casa de schimb' or 'birou de schimb valutar'. ATMs are available at large banks, airports and shopping centers. American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. Travelers checks, preferably in Euros, can be cashed in large banks, some hotels and certain exchange offices in Bucharest but commission is high. It is recommended to travel with some Euros in cash in case of difficulty using credit cards or travelers checks. US Dollars are also accepted fairly widely. Note that the Romanian currency was divided by 10000 a few years ago, but prices may sometimes be quoted (not listed) in the old Lei in some cases.

Currency Exchange Rates

The exchange rate for Romanian currency can be found on the National Bank of Romania website. To exchange money, the best way is to look for a bank.

Language

Romanian is the official language, but English and French can be used in Bucharest and other tourist areas.

Passport/Visa

All passports must be valid for period of the intended stay. Visitors must hold all documents required for further travel. Visa requirements are posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affaires website.

Health

Medical facilities in Bucharest are good. There is a reciprocal health agreement with the UK and most EU countries, whose citizens are entitled to free or low-cost emergency medical treatment on presentation of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), but health insurance is strongly advised. Visitors should drink only bottled water. In case of emergency call 112 (emeregency phone number) or 962 (for the emergency hospital).

Tipping

Tipping is not compulsory in Romania. However, good hotel, restaurant and taxi services may be rewarded by 5 to 10% of the bill.

Safety

Bucharest is safe and hospitable. Violent crime against visitors is almost non-existent. As in any large city visitors are advised to take usual safety precautions. Do not draw unnecessary attention to your person, money or jewelry and be aware of pickpockets and scam artists. Never accept taxi/ car rides, tours or guide services from strangers, no matter how presentable or fluent in English, who approach you on the street. Valuables, including passports, should not be left in hotel rooms.
If you are accommodated in a hotel which is not in the area of our indicated hotels, please get well informed regarding the ways to arrive to the conference location or to the airport.

Duty free

Travelers to Romania do not have to pay duty on either 200 cigarettes, 40 cigars or 200g of tobacco. 2 liters of liquor, 4 liters of beer or wine and gifts to the value of US$1000 are also duty free. Valuable goods, such as jewellery, art, electrical items and foreign currency should be declared on entry.