Romania
Airports in Romania: which one to fly into
Fly into Bucharest Henri Coandă (OTP) for a first trip or anything south and east; it has the most routes and a train or bus to the centre. Choose Cluj (CLJ) for northern Transylvania, Sibiu (SBZ) or Brașov (BRV) for the Saxon towns, Timișoara (TSR) for the west and Iași (IAS) for the north-east. Change the plan if your dates only match a low-cost route into a secondary airport.
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- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
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GuideRomania
Key facts
- Main hub
- Bucharest Henri Coandă (OTP) — most long-haul and low-cost routes
- Transylvania
- Cluj (CLJ), Sibiu (SBZ), Brașov-Ghimbav (BRV), Târgu Mureș (TGM)
- West and north-east
- Timișoara (TSR) for Banat; Iași (IAS) for Moldavia
- OTP to Bucharest centre
- 30–60 min by Bolt or Uber, RON 50–120 — 2026 estimate
- OTP rail linkcheck
- Henri Coandă Express train to Gara de Nord; check current timetable
- Domestic flights
- About 1 h between Bucharest and Cluj, Iași, Timișoara, Suceava, Satu Mare; RON 200–600 — 2026 estimate
- US routescheck
- No nonstop US–Romania flights confirmed; connect via a European hub
- UK routescheck
- Nonstop low-cost and full-service flights from London and regional UK airports
Details
Romania's airports split into one big hub and a ring of regional fields. Bucharest Henri Coandă (OTP) carries the long-haul and most of the low-cost traffic, and it is the only airport with a rail link into the city. Everything else is a single-terminal airport serving its own region, usually with flights from elsewhere in Europe rather than from the US.
Match the airport to the trip you actually booked. A first trip built around Bucharest and Transylvania works from OTP: land, take the train or a Bolt to the centre, then continue by train to Brașov. If your plan is Cluj, Maramureș and the north-west, fly into CLJ and skip a long rail transfer. For Sibiu, Sighișoara and the Saxon villages, SBZ or BRV put you closer, but both have thinner schedules and you may end up connecting through Bucharest or a European hub anyway.
Check the arrival airport against your onward transport before you book. Trains run from Bucharest's Gara de Nord, not from the airport itself, so an OTP arrival means a transfer first. Cluj, Iași and Timișoara airports sit close to their city centres, which makes a late arrival easier. Brașov-Ghimbav opened in 2023 and still has a short route list — check what is flying before you build a trip around it.
Domestic flights are worth considering for the north and west, where trains take all day or overnight. Bucharest to Cluj, Iași, Timișoara, Suceava or Satu Mare is about an hour in the air, RON 200–600 (2026 estimate). Departures are few, so book ahead and confirm the terminal at OTP, which handles both domestic and international traffic.
| Airport | Code | Best for | City transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucharest Henri Coandă | OTP | First trips, south and east, long-haul | Train to Gara de Nord or Bolt/Uber 30–60 min, RON 50–120 |
| Cluj International | CLJ | Northern Transylvania, Maramureș | Short taxi or bus to the centre |
| Sibiu International | SBZ | Southern Transylvania, Saxon villages | Taxi or bus to the centre |
| Brașov-Ghimbav | BRV | Brașov and the Carpathians | Taxi or bus to Brașov; limited routes — check |
| Iași International | IAS | North-east, Moldavia, Chișinău side | Taxi or bus to the centre |
| Timișoara Traian Vuia | TSR | West, Banat, Serbian border | Taxi or bus to the centre |
Tips
Book the airport that matches your first two nights, not the cheapest fare. A €20 saving into a secondary airport can cost more than that in a transfer to where you are actually going.
At OTP, decide before landing whether you want the train or a ride-hailing car. Bolt and Uber are the easy option in Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Sibiu, Iași and Timișoara; confirm the plate number before you get in, and expect surge pricing at rush hour and in rain.
Allow a buffer on departure day. Long train lines into Bucharest suffer delays of 30–60 minutes, and road traffic around OTP is heavy in the morning and evening peaks.
If you are arriving late, pick an airport close to its city — Cluj, Iași and Timișoara are simpler than a midnight transfer from OTP.
Travel insurance is worth arranging before you fly, especially if you plan to hire a car or hike in the mountains.
- Fly into OTP for a first trip or a Bucharest–Transylvania route.
- Fly into CLJ for Cluj, Maramureș and the north-west.
- Fly into SBZ or BRV for Sibiu, Brașov and the Saxon villages — check routes first.
- Fly into TSR for Timișoara and the Banat; IAS for Iași and Moldavia.
- Compare the fare plus the transfer cost, not the fare alone.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Which airport should I fly into for Romania?
Bucharest Henri Coandă (OTP) for a first trip or anything south and east — it has the most routes and a train or bus to the centre. Cluj (CLJ) for northern Transylvania, Sibiu (SBZ) or Brașov (BRV) for the Saxon towns, Timișoara (TSR) for the west, Iași (IAS) for the north-east.
How do I get from the airport to the city in Romania?
OTP has a train to Gara de Nord plus buses, and Bolt or Uber takes 30–60 minutes to central Bucharest for RON 50–120 (2026 estimate). Cluj, Sibiu, Iași and Timișoara airports sit close to their centres, so a taxi or local bus is short and cheap. Confirm the plate number before getting into any car.
Which airlines fly to Romania from the US and UK?
From the UK, nonstop low-cost and full-service flights run from London and several regional airports, mostly to OTP and the bigger regional fields — check current routes. From the US there is no confirmed nonstop service, so plan on connecting through a European hub such as London, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt or Vienna.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialBucharest Henri Coandă International Airport
- officialCFR Călători (Romanian state railways)
- officialRomanian Ministry of Transport
- secondaryWikivoyage – Romania