Sleeping in Airports

Bucharest Airport Guide

Whether you have a layover, overnight sleepover or you are just quickly passing through, our Bucharest Airport Guide is a great place to start planning your visit.  Here, you’ll find information on services and facilities available inside the airport – including details about airport lounges, WiFi, mobile charging points, lockers, 24-hour food options, nearby hotels, and everything in between.

I was nervous about sleeping here as I spoke no Romanian and had never spent the night at an airport. But, when I arrived there were probably 20 others doing the same, so that made me feel better. – robbo79

OTP Airport Overview

To help you plan your layover or overnight sleepover, here is a quick run-down about what to expect during your time at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport.

What to Expect

Bucharest Airport (Code: OTP) has a single, renovated terminal that’s divided into Schengen and non-Schengen areas. Facilities include many eateries and cafes, a few shops, and a grocery store. Several eateries are open 24 hours, both landside and airside, which is particularly helpful because the tap water is said to be undrinkable. Free WiFi helps pass the time, though it slows sometimes. Economy class passengers can upgrade their layover by paying to enter a few airport lounges. See Airport Lounges in the guide below for locations and access information.

Sleeping in Bucharest Airport

bucharest airport guideOvernight campers usually opt to stay at the airport for an early morning departure, but be prepared: most seats have armrests, and the only couches that exist are said to be located in the smoking lounges. So, bring along a sleeping bag or blanket to soften the hard floor. You may have better luck airside, but if you’re stuck landside, travellers recommend the hallway that connects the Departures and Arrivals areas. For uninterrupted sleep, nearby hotels offer free shuttle service for guests. See our Airport Hotels section below for more info or read some traveller reviews for more tips.

Covid-19 Update

Some airport reviews and tips in this guide and elsewhere on the site were written before March 2020 and may no longer be valid. To help us keep this guide up-to-date, you can add or update information or write a review to submit airport tips and photos. You can also visit the airport’s web site for current information.

For more airport information continue scrolling down to explore more in our Bucharest Airport Guide.

In this guide we may refer to locations as “landside” and “airside”. Landside is the public area of the terminal located in the non-secure zone, before security. Airside is the secure area of the terminal that you must reach by going through security.  For more information on Europe’s Schengen Area, click here.

Airport Lounges

Pay-per-use, Single Visit Passes & Lounge Memberships

Regardless of what class of service you are flying, there is a lounge that you can enter by paying at the door. Visit the individual lounge page for more details about the lounge itself and to also find out how you can gain lounge access with just an economy class ticket!

  • Mastercard Business Lounge – Location: International Departure Terminal, Airside, 2nd floor, above Gate 8. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door.
  • Airport Business Lounge – Location: International Departure Terminal, Airside, near Gate 12. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door.
  • Tarom Business Lounge – Location: International Departure Terminal, Airside, 2nd floor, above Gate 7. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door.

Related Pages: Bucharest Airport Lounges

Airport Hotels

If sleeping in the airport sounds like a nightmare, there are hotels near Bucharest Airport that provide a free airport transfers:

With Covid restrictions constantly changing, we recommend that you confirm shuttle availability prior to booking and/or prior to your arrival.

  • Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Airport – The hotel is a short walk from the arrivals area.  » Check Rates
  • Vienna House Easy Airport Bucharest – 300m from the airport.  Free airport shuttle is available upon request.  » Check Rates
  • Hotel Otopeni – Free airport transfers are available upon request.  » Check Rates
  • Motel Casa Romaneasca – Walking distance to the airport.  Free roundtrip airport transfers are available upon request.  » Check Rates
  • RIN Airport Hotel – Free roundtrip airport transfers are available upon request.  » Check Rates

For more options, visit Tripadvisor to see a list of hotels near Bucharest Airport that can be sorted by price, distance, traveller rating and popularity.

Airport WiFi/Internet

Free WiFi is available at Bucharest Airport.

More Services, Facilities & Things To Do On A Layover At The Airport

Communications

  • Post Office – Drop off your last minute postcards at the airport’s post offices. Location: Departure and Arrivals Terminals. In addition to postal service, Western Union money transfers, GSM phone cards and public phone cards are available. Location: corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals Hours: 8:00AM – 4:00PM (Mon-Fri).
  • SIM Cards – A reader has asked us to include where to buy SIM Cards. If you know, click here to update this airport guide.
  • WiFi – see “Airport WiFi/Internet” above.

Family Services

  • Baby Care Facilities – A Mother and Baby room is available for the care and feeding of infants. Ask at the Information Desk for assistance. Hours: Open 24 hours. Airport restrooms are also equipped with diaper-changing facilities for travellers with infants.

Food & Drinks

  • Food & Drinks – Food concessions throughout the airport operate with varying schedules. These options are open 24 hours:
    • Departures, landside, Ground Floor: Brioche Dorée • Gloria Jean’s Coffees • Lavazza Espression • Left Bank • Route 96.
    • Departures, airside: Brioche Doree (Gates 4 – 6) • Burger King (Gates 24 – 29) • Castania ( Gates 14-15)• city cafe (Gates 24 – 29) • Gloria Jean’s Coffees (Gates 1 – 2)• Haagen-Dazs (Gates 2 – 3) • illy Espressamente (Domestic Departures and Gates 12 – 16) • Falafel (Gates 24-29)• La Sarmale (Gates 24 – 29) • Momenti Peroni (Gates 7 – 11) • refuel (Gates 2 – 3) • Trattoria Buongiorno (Gates 24 – 29) • Take Off • Ted’s (Gates 34-35).
    • International Arrivals, landside, 1st Floor: Segafredo Zanetti.
  • Groceries – If you need to pick-up some groceries before heading to your home in Bucharest, Billa Supermarket is located on the Ground Floor of the Arrivals Terminal. Hours: 6:00AM – 11:00PM (Mon-Sat) and 6:30AM – 11:45PM (Sun).

Information

  • Information Desks – If you have any questions, visit the airport information desk for assistance! Locations: Departures, Landside • Arrivals, Landside. Hours: 24 hours.

Luggage

  • Baggage Trolleys – Need a hand with your luggage? Baggage trolleys are available free of charge.
  • Luggage Storage & Lockers – Not available.
  • Luggage Wrapping – Protect your bags from theft and damage by having your bags wrapped in plastic. Location: Departures, landside, Check-In. Rates: for 30 lei per bag.

Medical Services

  • Pharmacy – 2mPharma – Location: passageway between Arrivals and Departures. Hours: open 24 hours.

Mobile Charging

  • Mobile Charging – A reader tells us mobile charging is available.   Airside, there is a spot with 20+ charging stations. (November 2022)

Money

  • ATMs / Cash Machines – Need cash? ATMs are available. Fees may apply, so be sure to check your bank’s fee schedule and your daily withdrawal limit if you are travelling internationally. You may also want to notify your bank of your travel plans. Locations: Arrivals, landside, 1st Floor • Baggage Reclaim • corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals.
  • Banking Services – Romanian Bank for Development and Transilvania Bank offer full-service banking in the airport. Location: corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals • Arrivals, landside, Ground Floor Hours: 9:00AM – 5:00PM Mon-Fri.
  • Currency Exchange – Foreign currency exchange offices throughout the airport operate on varying schedules. These locations are open 24 hours: Adriatica & Company (Departures, landside) • Departures (airside, 1st floor and 2nd floor gates) • Arrivals (airside near gates) • QUICK Exchange (corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals) • Exchange BRD Departures, 1st floor • (corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals).

Prayer

  • Chapel – Christian-Orthodox Chapel – Location: Departures Terminal, Landside, First Floor.

Rest & Relaxation

Shopping

  • Duty Free & Shopping – You will find several shops that are open 24 hours a day including all 5 locations of BestValue (both Landside and Airside).

Showers, Salon & Spa

  • Hair Salon – A hair salon/barber shop is available. Location: Landside, underground. Hours: 9:30AM – 5:30PM (Mon – Fri) • 9:00AM – 2:00PM (Sat) • Closed (Sun).
  • Showers – Not available.

Smoking

  • Smoking Areas – There are designated smoking areas located airside.

Things to do & see

  • Airport Tours – Find out what happens at the airport during a behind-the-scenes airport tour.The airport conducts four different tours of the airport. You can choose from Passenger Terminals (90 minutes), Airside (2 hours), Passenger Terminals + airside (3-4 hours) and Airport Operations (3 hours). Days: on the second last Friday of the month and the last Saturday of the month.. Departure Time: 10:00AM. Rates: unknown.

Airport Hours

The airport is open 24 hours.

Airlines

Bucharest Henri Coandă airport is served by the following airlines: Aegean Airlines • • Air Bucharesta • Air France • Air Serbia • Arkia Airlines • Animawings • Blue Air • British Airways Croatia Airlines • Czech Arlines Corendon • EL Al Israel Airlines • Eurowings • Farnair • flydubai • KLM • LOT • Lufthansa • Pegasus Airlines • Qatar Airways • Ryanair • Sunexpress • Swiss • Tarom • Turkish Airlines • West Atlantic Sweeden • Wizz Air.

Airport Transportation: Getting To/From The Airport

Car Rentals

Car rental desks are located in the walkway between Departures and Arrivals Halls. Onsite car rental agencies include Autonom • Avis • Budget • Enterprise • Europcar • Hertz • Sixt.

Hotel Shuttles

Some area hotels provide an airport shuttle service:  Vienna House Easy Airport Bucharest  • Hotel Otopeni.

See also  Airport Hotels above.

Taxis

Taxis are available on-demand at the airport, but must be hired by using one of the touchscreen devices located in the public area of the Arrivals terminal. The touchscreen device will signal a taxi to the pickup area for you, and print a receipt that you must present to the taxi driver. This system prevents taxi rip-offs from occurring.

Train

There is a railway station just 900m from the airport terminals which is connected (to Arrivals and Departures) by shuttle buses. Trains from the airport train station go directly to Gara de Nord railway station, where connections can be made to regional, national and long-distance trains. At the time of this update, cost of an adult one-way ticket is 6,8 lei, which includes the shuttle bus transfer between the airport terminals and railway station.

Last updated: 2022-12-25

This guide is for informational purposes only to assist with your planning.  All information, including rates and hours, are subject to change at any time without notice.   The information in this airport guide is based on information collected and/or received from the airports, lounges, hotels, transportation providers and their web sites. We are not representatives of any of the above mentioned service providers. To report errors or to add/update any items mentioned in the guide: update the airport guide or  write a review.