Bucharest hotel?!

[genandtonic]

Hello, lot of stress illness etc. have seen cheapish flights to Bucharest for Tuesday to Saturday it’s next week so more than a bit daunting - I get very anxious booking holidays because of certain stuff in past. Has anyone been? Is it possible to ask for hotel/ itinerary any tips at all? Will have 18 yr old son and am finding it all super anxiety inducing and don’t know where to start.
massive thanks

Even posting this has made me super anxious!

If you’re anxious about it all, I’d go for a central hotel. The Sheraton or the Grand are both reliable, with spa and pool, and have a concierge service to help with recommendations / reservations / transport. Accommodation is relatively affordable in the city compared to other capital cities of Europe. Theres lots of cheap Airbnb but some are in buildings that are structural unsafe! So be careful. A boutique hotel with a good rating via booking.com is probably a safer bet.

Public transport is good. You download the 24pay app to buy bus and tram tickets, and you can use Google maps to navigate the public transport system. If you prefer a taxi, don’t use the yellow ones, they can rip you off - download the Bolt app. It is reliable and affordable. Train services are also good and affordable.

Definitely book a walking tour of the city to get orientated. And if you like spas, pack your swim stuff as Bucarest is worth a go, although best to pick a weekday daytime slot as it gets busy.

www.therme.ro

We stayed at La Boheme (via booking.com) for a night at the start of the holiday and a night at the end - really lovely and had a pretty decent restaurant which we used the first night as we were late arriving. It felt safe and central and we walked out to eat on the last night with no issues

I always use get your guide website for booking tours on European city breaks, its always a very good service

DD lives there at the moment, I’ve visited her many times and stayed centrally at Nobel Hotel, Hotel Cismigiu, Concord. Let me know what I can help with

Gosh you are all wonderful thank you all. And thank you for the hotel recommendations- there are just so many in booking.com.
This is helping it seem so less daunting.
I’ll do some googling now. I’ll basically need stuff for heartbroken 18 DS and a worn out mum. I’m looking at maybe booking a treat trip to draculas castle and the salt mines. Gosh!
I have a friend who just books endless guided tours and though it’s not something I did in my youth I need wrapping in cotton wool at the moment!

What time are your flights on the Tues and Sat, and I’ll tell you some ideas for what you could fill your time with OP

We’d get in at midday Tuesday and leave at 9 at night on the Saturday.
I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing- even!

The therme spa is near the airport if that helps with your planning…

It's just a listing website.

Do the Therme Bucharest Spa.

I lived in Bucharest for years. What’s your budget like for hotels? If you stay in the Radisson Park Inn, you can use all of the facilities of the Radisson for half the price. The Grand (formerly the Intercon) is fine, and usually reasonably priced. Bucharest is a very safe city (apart from pickpocketing in the sleazy Old Town). If you like small art museums, I’d recommend the Zambaccian, Storck and Theodor Aman museum.

Explore Bucharest city on the Tuesday and Wednesday. Then I would do a Brasov or Sinaia day trip on the Thursday. You can access both easily on the train for much cheaper than the organised tours but if you’re feeling stressed about the trip, completely understand that you just want to book a tour. Leave Friday for anything you’ve missed or want to go back to, or to just have more chill time. Then you can do Therme Spa on Saturday and bus straight to the airport from the spa. Therme Spa will be very busy all week as it’s Romanian school holidays but if you’re into spas I would go for it anyway.

Alternatively, I would do Therme on Thursday and then go to Brasov via train on Friday, stay overnight in Brasov and get the train back to Bucharest on Saturday before your flight.

Thank you everyone.
completely angst ridden no idea if I should book.

Don’t go for it if you’re feeling very anxious currently OP. I love holidays and enjoy planning them etc so it’s a source of comfort for me when I’m anxious. It sounds like it might be a source of stress for you though. Be kind to yourself and don’t put the pressure on

greenplantgreenpot thank you so much for your kind words.and your wonderful holiday advice! Don’t know what’s come over me, but everything is making me feel overwhelmed/ cry at the moment. Perhaps it’s because I’m trying to do this for next week. Thank you !

Thank you everyone. I was losing the plot a bit, overtired I think. I have taken the pressure off and will book this for a month or so, so time to think instead of swamp myself with anxiety. INstead I am treating our home like a holiday cottage. THank you so much for your tips and advice. I am amazed and touched at how you have taken the time to write to a stranger when she needed help.

can I possibly ask greenplantgreenpot how you use planning hols as a source of comfort. What are you thinking?
For example I think how everyone will be bored and not like it and it will be expensive and generic fear of losing tickets, bags etc and it all comes together in one big panic.
I obviously need to change!