2 Days in Bucharest: The Castle Run

Two days is enough for exactly one thing beyond arrival: Peles Castle. Land in Bucharest, sleep one night, then ride the train north to Sinaia and back. Skip the Old Town crawl this trip. Want more Transylvania? See the 3 day , 5 day , or 7 day versions of this route.

Book these before you go

Day 1: Arrival and the Old Town at night

Land at Henri Coanda Airport (OTP) and take Express Bus 100 (about 3 RON, 40-50 minutes to Piata Unirii) or the direct rail shuttle to Gara de Nord (20-25 minutes, a short shuttle-bus hop from arrivals to the platform). Skip any metro plan: Line M6 does not reach the airport yet in 2026. Check into a central hotel, then walk Lipscani’s cobbled Old Town for dinner, sarmale and mici with a glass of local wine at a spot like Caru’ cu Bere. Save the sightseeing energy, tomorrow is a full day out.

Day 2: Peles and Pelisor, Sinaia

Catch a morning train from Gara de Nord to Sinaia, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours through the Prahova Valley. Peles Castle, built for King Carol I between 1873 and 1914, is carved walnut paneling and stained glass rather than a marketing invention: the full tour is 100 RON adult / 25 RON student, or 50 RON adult / 12.5 RON student for a ground-floor-only version if your train arrives late. The smaller Pelisor next door adds about 30 RON adult / 7.5 RON student. Both castles run timed entry slots since June 2025, so book your slot before you leave Bucharest, especially in summer. Walk the surrounding Prahova Valley scenery before the return train, then have a last Bucharest dinner near your hotel.

Is 2 days enough for a Bucharest and castles trip?

Enough for one castle done properly, not a Transylvania tour. Two days covers arrival plus a full Sinaia day trip to Peles and Pelisor, with time to spare for the return train and dinner in Bucharest. Bran Castle and Brasov both need a longer single day or an overnight, they don’t fit alongside Sinaia in 48 hours without turning both into a rushed blur.

Do the Peles tickets actually sell out?

Yes, in peak season. Since June 2025 both Peles and Pelisor cap entry at 2,000 and 1,500 visitors a day across fixed timed slots, and summer weekends can fill before you arrive. Book online at peles.ro a few days ahead rather than risk turning up to a sold-out afternoon; the automatic ticket machines on site are a fallback, not a guarantee.

Day Focus Travel time Rough daily cost (RON)
1 Arrival, Old Town dinner 20-50 min airport to center 200-300
2 Sinaia: Peles and Pelisor 1.5-2h each way by train 300-380

Book the Peles slot before you book the train ticket, a confirmed seat with no entry time is the one way to waste this whole trip.