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Voykit pocket guide · Romania
Craiova
Give Craiova one full day: Romanescu Park, the Art Museum and the centre on foot. Two nights if you use it as an Oltenia base.
Craiova is the largest city in Oltenia and the region's practical hub, about 3 hours by train from Bucharest. Its draw is a compact, walkable centre with a strong art museum and one of Europe's largest landscaped parks. Most travellers see it in a day or use it as a base for the Danube, the Horezu monasteries and the Jiu valley. It is a working Romanian city, not a resort: come for the museums, the park and the low prices.
- Country
- Romania
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, 33 °C+), Jan–Feb (cold, grey)Jul–Aug (hot, 91 °F+), Jan–Feb (cold, grey)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- RON
- Money
- Currency is the Romanian leu (RON, plural lei); Romania does not use the euro. About 5 lei to €1 in 2026 — check the live rate.
- Daily spend
- Budget 150–250 lei excl. bed · Mid 250–450 lei excl. bed · High 450 lei+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, Vodafone and Digi sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; Digi is the cheapest. Passport ID is required to register a SIM — check.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, mountain rescue 112 · Police (non-emergency) 955
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin; Schuko (F) sockets take C plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10%, left in cash even when paying by card.; Café or bar: Round up or leave a few lei.; Taxi or Bolt: Round up; app tips optional.; Guesthouse host or driver-guide: RON 20–50 per day for good service.; Hotel porter: RON 5–10 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water in cities is treated and generally safe; many locals prefer bottled mineral water (apă plată = still, apă minerală = sparkling). Avoid untreated wells in villages.
- Toilets
- Use cafés, malls, museums and fuel stations; some stations and parks charge RON 1–3. Village and monastery toilets can be basic — carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 8–15 lei |
| Shawarma or fast food | 15–25 lei |
| Pizza main at a mid-range restaurant | 25–40 lei |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can in a shop | 8–15 lei / 4–7 lei |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | 12–18 lei |
| Tram or bus ticket | 2 lei |
| Museum entry | 10–30 lei |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CRA · Craiova International Airport
- About 8 km east of the centre; Wizz Air routes from London Luton, Birmingham, Rome, Milan Bergamo, Bologna and Charleroi. No domestic flights. Check the current route list before booking.About 5 mi east of the centre; Wizz Air routes from London Luton, Birmingham, Rome, Milan Bergamo, Bologna and Charleroi. No domestic flights. Check the current route list before booking.
- OTP · Henri Coanda, Bucharest
- Fallback: train from Bucharest to Craiova takes about 3 h 15 min.
Typical fares
- Craiova station → Bucharest, train
- about 3 h 15 min, roughly €12
- Craiova → Timișoara, train
- about 7 h, roughly €20
- Taxi in town
- about 2.30 lei per km plus a 2.30 lei start fee
Get around
The centre is walkable: Mihai Viteazu Square, the Art Museum, the cathedral and the Oltenia museum buildings sit within about 15 minutes of each other. Trams and buses cover the rest; buy a ticket from a kiosk or machine (2 lei). Taxis are cheap and plentiful, about 2.30 lei per km plus a 2.30 lei start fee. Romanescu Park is about 2 km south of the centre: walk 25–30 min or take a taxi.The centre is walkable: Mihai Viteazu Square, the Art Museum, the cathedral and the Oltenia museum buildings sit within about 15 minutes of each other. Trams and buses cover the rest; buy a ticket from a kiosk or machine (2 lei). Taxis are cheap and plentiful, about 2.30 lei per km plus a 2.30 lei start fee. Romanescu Park is about 1.2 mi south of the centre: walk 25–30 min or take a taxi.
See and do
Known for
- Nicolae Romanescu Park
- Craiova Art Museum and its Brancusi room
- Mihai Viteazu Square and the musical fountain
- Oltenia region base
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Preajba de Padure village | Bus from Autogara Nord, about 45 kmBus from Autogara Nord, about 28 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Calafat and the Danube | Bus or car, about 90 km southBus or car, about 56 mi south | About 1.5–2 h |
| Drobeta-Turnu Severin | Train or car along the Danube, about 110 kmTrain or car along the Danube, about 68 mi | About 2 h |
| Horezu monasteries | Car, about 110 km northCar, about 68 mi north | About 2–2.5 h |
| Târgu Jiu | Train or car, about 110 km north-westTrain or car, about 68 mi north-west | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Centre (Mihai Viteazu Square and Unirii)
- Walk to the Art Museum, the cathedral and the main restaurants; best for a one-night stop.
- Around the railway station and Autogara Nord
- Practical for early trains and buses; a short taxi ride from the sights.
- Calea București / Electroputere side
- Mall, supermarkets and cheaper chain hotels; 10–15 min by taxi or tram from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bună ziuaBOO-nuh ZEE-wah |
| Thank you | Mulțumescmool-tsoo-MESK |
| How much is it? | Cât costă?kuht KOS-tuh |
| Can I pay by card? | Pot plăti cu cardul?pot pluh-TEE koo KAR-dool |
| Where is the toilet? | Unde este toaleta?OON-deh YES-teh twa-LEH-tah |
| Help | Ajutorah-zhoo-TOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and eye contact; 'bună ziua' by day, 'bună seara' in the evening; avoid: First names with older people before they offer them
- Visiting a home: Take shoes off at the door; bring flowers (an odd number), chocolate or wine; avoid: Even numbers of flowers — they are for funerals
- Churches: Cover shoulders and knees; women may cover their hair in monasteries; stand quietly at the back during services; avoid: Crossing in front of the altar area or photographing people praying
- Conversation: Food, football, travel in Romania and family are safe topics; avoid: Dracula as the country's identity, calling Romanians Slavs, and careless talk about Roma or Hungarians
- Hospitality: Accept at least a taste of what you are offered; thank the host by name; avoid: Refusing all food and drink outright
- Queues and transport: Give seats to older people and parents with children; avoid: Loud phone calls in train compartments
Scams and watch-outs
- Stray dogs occur in some districts; keep distance and do not run.
- Use marked taxis and agree or check the meter; avoid unlicensed drivers at the station.
- Summer afternoons in Jul–Aug are genuinely hot; shift sightseeing to morning and evening.
- Some museum rooms keep short hours and close one day a week: check before you go.
- Card payment is common in hotels and malls but not everywhere; carry some lei in cash.
Craiova is a normal Romanian city: violent crime against visitors is rare, and the practical risks are stray dogs, unlicensed taxis and hot summer afternoons. Take marked taxis, keep to lit central streets at night and use 112 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Craiova yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Nicolae Romanescu Park
- Craiova Art Museum and its Brancusi room
- Mihai Viteazu Square and the musical fountain
- Oltenia region base
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Craiova City Hall (official): primariacraiova.ro/
- Wikivoyage: Craiova, revision 5091689 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5091689
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Craiova
La această adresă, vă rog
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Craiova: most countries are represented in Bucharest (about 3 h by train). US citizens: the US Embassy is in Bucharest.
112 works from any phone, including without credit.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/craiova). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.