How to Take a Day Trip from Bucharest to Sinaia

A Day Trip from Bucharest to Sinaia

Bucharest, Romania’s capital, is an awesome city. There is a lot of history to absorb and food to consume, not to mention the diverse and beautiful architecture. So why would you want to leave? A day trip from Bucharest to Sinaia should definitely be added to your Romania list. Leaving the city will give a fuller picture of the country as a whole. So why not visit a town surrounded in spectacular mountains and with loads to do. Read on to find out how easy it is to take a day trip from Bucharest to Sinaia – including our practical tips!

How to get from Bucharest to Sinaia

The easiest way to get to Sinaia from Bucharest is by train. The train station is not far from the centre of Bucharest and can be found HERE. You can walk from the city centre in around 45 mins but we decided to take an e-scooter and arrived in half the time. Just beware of erratic drivers!

The station is busy but not huge. We managed to located our platform relatively easily. We even had time to buy snacks. If you find yourself in this situation, make sure you check the date on your chosen treat. We later noticed the sell by date on our pretzels was 2011!! They remain unopened…

The Train from Bucharest to Sinaia

There are several trains from Bucharest to Sinaia per day and it takes around 1.5 hours each way. It is possible to buy tickets at the station. However, to avoid the queues, buy your tickets online at CFR Călători. Our tickets cost around €10 each way. You can pay another couple of euros to upgrade to first class which is worth it if the train is busy!

As we arrived in Sinaia’s Royal station, we were greeted by a bat spiralling around the station ceiling – welcome to Transylvania.

Driving from Bucharest to Sinaia

If you have access to a car, you can drive from Bucharest to Sinaia in around 2 hours. This routes takes the Autostrada București and is pretty direct. The further north you drive, the more beautiful the views become. The town of Ploiești is about halfway if you fancy a stop to stretch your legs.

Another option to travel from Bucharest to Sinaia is to take a TOUR. Most tour companies offer visits to Bran Castle and Peles Castle which are both in the area.

The Town of Sinaia

The town of Sinaia is located deep into the Carpathian Mountains. The scenery is spectacular everywhere you look. The houses and hotels are built in a Germanic/Alpine style and the town is surrounded by mountains. Sinaia is a popular resort town so there is a lot going on making it a perfect day trip from Bucharest.

What to do in Sinaia

The activities in Sinaia can be dependant on the time of year you visit. However, whenever you are in the town, you will find something amazing to do

Ride the Sinaia Gondola

The Sinaia Gondola is a chair lift that takes you up into the mountains to over 2,000m. Gliding to the peaks of the Carpathians was certainly a highlight of our visit to Sinaia. Breathing in the fresh mountain air and taking in the incredible views is pretty hard to beat. And all of this without having to break a sweat.

Go Hiking in the Mountains Around Sinaia

There are a lot of beautiful hiking trails in and around Sinaia. For the best trails appropriate for the time of year, drop into the tourist information in the town for a detailed map of suitable hikes.

A Day Trip from Bucharest to Sinaia – Visit Peles Castle

Peles Castle is the former home of the Romanian Royal Family. The first Romanian King, Carol I, had the Palace built as a summer house in 1883. The castle was kitted out with 160 rooms, a theatre, hot and cold running water and was the first electrified castle in Europe. The castle is now open to tourists and is a popular attraction in Romania as it is considered to be one of the most beautiful castle’s in Europe.

Don’t Miss Bran Castle, Home of Dracula…(?)

Bran Castle has become famous as being the castle on which Bram Stoker based his novel Dracula. The castle is a short distance from Sinaia and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Go and see for yourself if Dracula really still lurks in the corridors…

Hit the Slopes

Fancy hitting the slopes? There are plenty of options for skiing and snowboarding in this part of Romania. The prices are also very low compared to western Europe with a day pass costing around €30. The slopes are usually open from December to March and there are plenty of different runs, especially for beginners.

Where to eat in Sinaia

There is so much great food to sample on your day trip from Bucharest to Sinaia. We would definitely recommend trying somewhere that sells good, traditional, mountain food. We stopped for a quick break on our way to the Sinaia Gondola. Here, we had a traditional sausage and bean soup followed by some complimentary palinca! This definitely helped to propel us up the mountain!

The chimney cake and barbequed corn, sold from small stalls, are also delicious snacks.

The Weather in Sinaia

May to September is generally pretty warm and sunny – around 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F). July and August are the warmest with June having the highest chance of rain.

The winter months are cold and often snowy – especially in the mountains. December to March are the busiest months for skiing in Sinaia.

What to pack for your Day Trip from Bucharest to Sinaia

We have put together a convenient packing list for your day trip from Bucharest to Sinaia.

• Hiking boots or shoes
• Backpack with waterproof cover
• Snacks (bars, chews, trail mix, sandwiches)
• Water bottle
• Weather appropriate clothing such as windbreaker, hiking socks, buff/hat, and fleece. Make sure to wear layers to account for the changing conditions
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Map or downloaded GPS or map application on your phone
• Phone (plus power bank if required)
• Decent camera with plenty of space for pictures of the spectacular scenery
• Cash
• Train tickets (if pre booked)

How long to spend in Sinaia

If you are taking a day trip from Bucharest to Sinaia, it is a good idea to get an early start. There is plenty to keep you entertained for a few days if you have the time. However, it is also possible to get a good feel for the area in one day.

Is Sinaia expensive?

Sinaia is a busy resort town. However, the prices are very much cheaper than other European resorts. For example, our train ticket from Bucharest to Sinaia cost around €10 each way, a bowl of traditional soup with bread was roughly €2, the ticket to ride the Gondola cost about €14 and Peles Castle admission cost €8.

Our Experience of Taking a Day Trip from Bucharest to Sinaia

The three of us set off early for Bucharest train station. We had booked our tickets in advance and had a specific train to catch. As with many trains in Eastern Europe, they are of a certain vintage but are very charming.

On arrival in Sinaia, Transylvania, we were greeted by a bat flying around in the station ceiling. What more can you ask for!?

Our plan for the day was to ride the Sinaia Gondola, take a small hike at the top of the mountain, eat lots of food, drink some palinca and visit Peles Castle – not necessarily in that order! It was also worth spending some time admiring the interesting architecture throughout the town.

We managed to fit all of these activities into one day and arrived back at Bucharest station by around 19:00. Time for more food…

Where to Next?

Want to learn a bit more about bustling Bucharest? There is a lot to see in Romania’s capital city. Find out some Surprising things to do in Bucharest

Final note: Things change in the Balkans all the time and there is not much information online in English. As a result, we would definitely advise checking with a local where possible. We found people to be really friendly and super helpful.

Have you visited Romania or any other Balkan countries? Are you planning a trip and need more information? Drop a comment in the box, we’d love to hear from you!

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A Day Trip from Bucharest to Sinaia