Sleeping in Airports

Bucharest Airport Guide

Whether you have a layover, overnight sleepover or 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 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 existing couches 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, or read traveller reviews for more tips.

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 website 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 loungeAirport 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 9. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door.
  • Airport Business Lounge – Location: International Departure Terminal, Airside, near Gate 9. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door.
  • Tarom Business Lounge – Location: International Departure Terminal, Airside, 2nd floor, above Gate 3. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door.

Related Pages: Bucharest Airport Lounges

airport hotelsAirport Hotels

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

  • 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.  A 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.  » 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.

wifiAirport WiFi/Internet

Free WiFi is available at Bucharest Airport.

airport infoMore 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: Arrivals Terminal, Ground Floor. Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:30PM (Mon-Fri). In addition to postal service, Western Union money transfers and mobile phone top-ups are available.
  • SIM Cards – Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased at the Relay store on the passageway between the Arrivals and Departures halls.
  • WiFi – see “Airport WiFi/Internet” above.

Family Services

  • Baby Care Facilities – Information not available.

Food & Drinks

  • Food & Drinks – Food concessions throughout the terminal operate with varying schedules. These options are open 24 hours:
    • Departures, landside, Ground Floor: Brioche Dorée • Lavazza Espression • Pizza Vino e Panino.
    • Departures, airside: Brioche Doree (Gates 13 – 14) • Castania ( Gates 14 – 15) • Gloria Jean’s Coffees (Gates 1 – 2) • Left Bank (gates 1 – 2) • Hanu’ Berarilor (Gates 24 – 29) • illy Espressamente (Domestic Departures and Gates 6 – 9) • La Sarmale (Gates 24 – 29) • Momenti Peroni (Gates 3 – 4) • Take Off.
    • International Arrivals, landside, 1st Floor: Segafredo Zanetti.
  • Groceries – If you need to pick up some groceries before heading to your home in Bucharest, Carrefour Express is on the Ground Floor of the Arrivals Terminal. Hours: 24 hours.

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: 45 lei per bag.

Medical Services

  • Pharmacy – 2mPharma – Location: passageway between Arrivals and Departures. Hours: Open 8:00AM – 9:00 PM.
  • Medical Services – Urgent and emergency medical care is available by calling 1695 and 1696 using one of the airport emergency phones.

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 check your bank’s fee schedule and 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 • corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals.
  • Banking Services – Romanian Bank for Development and Western Union offer full-service banking in the airport. Location: corridor between Departures and Arrivals terminals. Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mon-Fri.
  • Currency Exchange – Foreign currency exchange offices throughout the terminal 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 (in the corridor between the Departures and Arrivals terminals) • Arrivals (Ground Floor).

Prayer

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

Rest & Relaxation

Shopping

  • Duty Free & Shopping – Several shops 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: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM (Mon – Fri) • 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Sat) • Closed (Sun).
  • Showers – Not available.

Smoking

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

airport hoursAirport Hours

The airport is open 24 hours.

airlinesAirlines

Bucharest Henri Coandă airport is served by the following airlines: Aegean Airlines • • Air Bucharest • Air France • Air Serbia • Arkia Airlines • Animawings • ASL Airlines Belgium • Austrian Airlines • British Airways • Becker Aviation • Cargo Air • Corendon Airlines • Croatia Airlines • DHL European Air Transport Leipzig • EL Al Israel Airlines • Eurowings • flydubai • HISKY EUrope S.R.L. • Ion Țiriac Air Ion • Israir • KLM • LOT • LOT Polish Airlines • Lufthansa • Pegasus Airlines • Qatar Airways • Ryanair • Swiss International Airlines• Tarom • Turkish Airlines • Wizz Air.

transportationAirport Transportation: Getting To/From The Airport

Car Rentals

Car rental desks are located in the walkway in the 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.

Ride Sharing

Uber is available in most places in Romania. A ride to the city centre will cost you about 40 lei.

Taxis

Taxis are available on-demand but must be hired 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. Fares range from 1.89 lei/km to 3.5 lei/km.

Train

A railway station is located just 900 meters from the airport terminals. Shuttle buses connect the station to both Arrivals and Departures. 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, the cost of an adult one-way ticket is 6,8 lei, which includes the shuttle bus transfer between the airport terminals and railway station. Buses operate 24/7 and depart every 40 minutes. A ride to the centre will take you about 20 minutes. For more information, check out the CFR website.

Last updated: 2024-01-31

This guide is for informational purposes only to assist with your planning.  All information, including rates and hours, is 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 websites. 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.