A trip from Bulgaria to Romania by CFR

I'd like to announce that a few Bulgarians are planning a trip to Romania by train. Me, Saruman and another user. Out trip will start with IR 382 from Russe to Bucuresti. After a short walk we are planing to take IR 1658 to Ploiesti. Then a walk in the city. We take Regio 5211 to Buzau. About 2 hours in Buzau adn we take Regio 5074 to Brazi because the Regio from Brasov with which we will travel to Bucuresti is through Pliesti Vest. From Brazi after an hour and a quarter comes Regio 3008 and at 21 o clok we arrive at Bucuresti. At 23.15 we take IR 3823 to Ruse. At out previous travel to your country we met Mihail Costache. If he or some other users like they may come to our trip The date is 27.12 if there is some change we will tell you.


And here is the travel plan :

IR 1658 to Ploiesti /09.40 in Ploiesti/
Regio 5211 to Buzau /13.30 from Ploiesti 15.01 in Buzau/
Regio 5074 to Brazi /16.48 from Buzau 18.40 in Brazi/
Regio 3008 to Bucuresti /19.50 from Brazi 21.00 in Bucuresti/

Greetings from BULGARIA to all ROMANIAN colleagues :z6: :AA14:

Our second plan is to Brasov with R to Ploiest /at 07.38 from Bucuresti nord/ and at 08.55 at Ploiesti sud.
From Ploiesti sud to Brasov we take the IR Galati Braspv at 10.20. In Brasov at 12.24 . Then we are planning a trip to Zarnesti or Întorsura Buzăulu we will decide in Brasov or we may just go for a walk in Brasov. Then from Brasov we take the Regio at 16.30 to Bucuresti and from there with IR 383 at 23.15 we departure to Bulgaria. I shall say it again if someone likes he may come with us ... Wish you all the best from Bulgaria

Hello,

I am definitely not objective, since I am from Brasov... but I would recommend you the Brasov/Zarnesti trip. The landscape across the Carpahtians from Ploiesti to Brasov is very nice and the trip from Brasov to Zarnesti is interesting as well: it's a nice non-electric secondary line. From Brasov, Zarnesti would be a better choice than Intorsura Buzaului

You can check pictures from Ploiesti to Bucharest mainly here - this topic is dedicated to the repair works between Campina and Predeal, but you get a nice overview of the line. Moreover, the works are almost done, so you will travel on a brand new track! There are also many direct trains between Bucuresti and Brasov, without the need to change in Ploiesti.

Next, you can find a nice trip report with many pictures between Brasov and Zarnesti here

Otherwise, right now there is a special offer for online tickets at CFR (not for Regio trains - these can not be bought online): you get 25% discount if you pay by Maestro/Mastercard. Then, you just print your ticket at home, and that's it.

And Brasov - Zarnesti is operated by the private railway Regiotrans. Here is the current schedule. It may still change until your trip, but in any case there are many trains between the two cities (about one per hour). You can get tickets easily at the dedicated counter in Brasov train station (marked "Regiotrans" - as you exit from the platforms it is the last one on the right side), or directly from the controller in the train.

Thank you very much. We will make changes at Ploiesti either to have a short walk there and because it's cheaper than the IR I know about the online ticket system and I've seen many pictures. In Brasov I have been with a bus on an excursion and I know that it is beautiful. If you are free at 27.12 you may come with as and show Brasov We have not decided whether we will travel somewhere or just have a walk and sightsee in your beautiful city. It was useful to know where the tickets for Regiotrans are that was something I worried about. If I buy some ticket online how much time it will take to arrive to Ruse ?

I am sorry, but I am not in Brasov in 27.12, otherwise I would have enjoyed giving you a tour of the city. In the train station there should be a tourist information desk. From there, they can give you a map of the city, and the most interesting areas to visit. In any case, what you can do is the following in about 2-3 hours:
- just outside the station you find a kiosk: buy tickets for the city bus: it costs 1.5 lei for 1 trip. Buy at least two per person, to go to the center and come back to the train station.
- take bus no. 4 towards "Livada Postei", and get off there. From there I can suggest the following circuit: go up on "Muresenilor" street until the main square "Piata Sfatului". From there you can make a detour to the black church "Biserica Neagra" (you can see it from the main square). Then, come back to the square and go down "Republicii" street (the pedestrian area), at the end of which you find the main post office and the city hall. Once you reach the big boulevard "Eroilor" either go right (a bit down, across the street from the theater) and take bus no. 4 back to the station, or walk left through "Titulescu" park back to Livada Postei, and take the bus from there. Avoit taking the taxis in front of the station. If you really need one, choose "Martax" or "Tod Taxi", and, in any case, settle the price with the driver before getting in the car. The trip center - station should cost around 10 lei.

If you buy CFR tickets online, you can just prin them at home, just after buying. So you take the train with the home-printed ticket. Besides this, in the train you have to show an identity document to the controller. You can buy online tickets with up to 24 hours befoer departure.

You can buy a one day pass ("Abonament o zi") for 5 RON if you plan to do more than 3 trips for person (you should present an ID card when buying this).

mitzaciobanu a scris:

- take bus no. 4 towards "Livada Postei", and get off there.

Or 51, this will take you right at Biserica Neagră - "The Black Church"... it's not far from Livada Poştei, but if you just lost a 4 and you see a 51 in the bus stop, you can take it (on 4 you will find 12m buses, on 51 they use BMC 8,5m buses).

Citat :

If you buy CFR tickets online, you can just prin them at home, just after buying. So you take the train with the home-printed ticket. Besides this, in the train you have to show an identity document to the controller. You can buy online tickets with up to 24 hours befoer departure.

This apply only for IR and IC trains. You can't buy online tickets for Regio trains.

Our final travel will be to Sinaia with Regio at 07.38 from Bucuresti nord. The at Pitesti we take IR 1732 to Sinaia. At 15.47 we come back to Bucuresti with Regio 3006

Bucuresti Nord - Ploiesti Sud with R 5021 07:38 - 08:55
Ploiesti Sud - Sinaua with IR 1732 10:26 - 11:20 RON 25.20
Sinaia - Bucuresti Nord with R 3003 15:37 - 18:26 RON 17.20
------
RON 42.40

We (Vancho, me and 2 more frends) hope some of you to come with us.

Sinaia is a good choice. And, the recommended thing to visit would be the formal royal residence: Peles Castle

Pentru Saruman si Vancho si ceilalti doi colegi din Bulgaria:

Statiunea Sinaia: http://calatorii.myfreeforum.ro/t53-statiunea-sinaia
Castelul Peles: http://calatorii.myfreeforum.ro/t10-castelul-peles
Manastirea Sinaia: http://calatorii.myfreeforum.ro/t9-manastirea-sinaia

Saruman a scris:

Bucuresti Nord - Ploiesti Sud with R 5021 07:38 - 08:55
Ploiesti Sud - Sinaua with IR 1732 10:26 - 11:20 RON 25.20
Sinaia - Bucuresti Nord with R 3003 15:37 - 18:26 RON 17.20

If the train from Ruse will arrive with delay (which happens almost daily) and you will not have time to buy tickets and get to R 5021 (you can get into the train an after Bucureşti Basarab h., next stop after Bucureşti Nord - 2 km - you can go to the conductor and tell him that you get in from there. He will give you a normal ticket, otherwise you'll have to pay a surcharge), next trains to Sinaia are:

8:25 - IR 1582 (CFR Călători), from Constanţa to Braşov

9:10 - IR 14001 - http://regiotrans.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&nr_tren=14001 , form Constanţa to Braşov

Price 38,1 RON

Or, another option would be to travel with the IR 382 from Ruse all the way to Ploiesti Sud. You can get an online ticket for the whole trip for about 46 RON. However, you can buy just one ticket, but if I remember well, you will have to change cars in Bucharest. You will arrive in a car travelling Sofia - Bucuresti that will be detached in Bucharest, so you have to get off and board another car which will be attachet to this train and will travel from Bucharest to Suceava.

The total price (46 RON) is only slightly more expensive than the combination IR 382 Giurgiu - Bucharest (33.4 RON) and R5021 Bucuresti - Ploiesti Sud (7.3 RON), and you will travel more confortably than in the regional train. However, you stll need the ticket from Ruse to Romania, and I do not know if it is cheaper to buy Ruse - Bucharest or Ruse - Giurgiu + Giurgiu - Bucharest (or Ploiesti)

Probably the cheapest option is to deal with the conductor for Ruse - Giurgiu and buy ticket from Giurgiu (if the customs controll take too long, this might not be possible). A more cheaper option is to find a minibus / bus from Ruse to Giurgiu/Bucureşti. A minibus/bus/"maxi-taxi" (freight van converted into passenger vehicle) ticket from Giurgiu to Bucureşti is about 15 RON and the the trip takes about one hour.

I think this is a forum of serious people: let's not encourage the "deal with the conductor". You can buy Ruse-GiurgiuNord/Bucuresti in Ruse and the tickets from Giurgiu Nord to Bucuresti/Ploiesti/Sinaia can be bought online: it can be cheaper (up to 13% discount for advance purchase and an extra 25% discount if you pay with Maestro or Mastercard), and like this you can print your tickets at home and it's not necesseary to go out from the train in Giurgiu Nord anymore. However, you can not buy tickets for regional trains online.

International ticket Ruse - Giurgiu is 12 Ron
Ruse - Bucuresti is 36 Ron