Map, Tickets & Fares
A simple visitor approach: walk the center, use metro for longer jumps, and keep the plan calm.
Reviewed June 2026 · Love Bucharest editorial team
Photo: Jaimrsilva · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Visitors do not need complicated route planning. Use the metro for a few strategic jumps, and keep the rest of the day walkable. This guide focuses on the practical points that reduce friction: the four lines, tickets, validation, and a simple ride strategy.
Bucharest's metro is compact and colour-coded, so it is easy to read once you know the four lines. For most sightseeing you will lean on M2, the north–south spine through the central squares.
The original loop-shaped line, opened in 1979, circling much of the inner city. It links Gara de Nord (the main railway station and airport-train arrival point) with key interchanges, so it is the line you often meet first when arriving by train.
The north–south spine and the most useful single line for visitors. It runs through the centre via Piața Victoriei, Piața Romană, Universitate, Piața Unirii and Tineretului — covering the Old Town edge, museum cluster and major squares in one straight run.
An east–west line serving residential districts and connecting through to the centre. Handy for reaching the western and eastern reaches of the city and for some hotel areas away from the core.
A shorter northern line running from Gara de Nord toward the north of the city. Useful mainly for specific journeys rather than central sightseeing.
Single journey (rechargeable card)
Around 7 lei per ride (raised from ~5 lei on 1 May 2026). Loaded onto a Metrorex card you tap at the turnstile.
Contactless bank card
Tap a contactless bank card or phone directly at the turnstile — a convenient per-ride option that skips buying a Metrorex card.
24-hour pass
Around 18 lei (raised from ~9 lei in May 2026) — worth it if you ride several times in a day.
Multi-trip & monthly
Multi-trip cards and a monthly pass (around 140 lei after the 2026 rise) exist for longer or heavier use.
The center is walkable, but the metro is perfect for getting to parks, museums, and neighborhoods when feet are tired.
Stations are clear and frequent. A basic plan (one or two metro rides per day) often beats complex transit planning.
Weekday peak times can feel crowded. Aim for off-peak rides when possible.
Note: ticketing methods and prices can change. For the latest fares and payment options, check the official information displayed at stations.
Walk Old Town and Calea Victoriei, then take metro for a larger park loop when the day is hot or feet are tired.
Parks guide →Plan two museum anchors and connect them with a metro ride. Add one long café break so the day stays calm.
Museum routes →For arriving/departing, combine the airport transfer with metro to avoid city-center traffic when possible.
Airport train guide →A single journey is around 7 lei after a fare increase that took effect on 1 May 2026 (it was about 5 lei before). Tapping a contactless bank card at the turnstile is an easy per-ride alternative. Fares change, so check Metrorex for the current price before you travel.
Either buy a rechargeable Metrorex card and load journeys onto it (single, multi-trip or a 24-hour/monthly pass), or simply tap a contactless bank card or phone at the turnstile. Cards and machines are available in the stations.
There are four: M1 (yellow) loops around the inner city via Gara de Nord; M2 (blue) is the north–south spine through Victoriei, Romană, Universitate and Unirii — the most useful for visitors; M3 (red) runs east–west; and M4 (green) is a shorter northern line from Gara de Nord.
Roughly 05:00 to 23:00 daily. Because it stops around 11pm, plan a ride-hailing app (Bolt or Uber) or a night bus for later nights out. Trains are frequent, especially on the central M2 line.
No. The metro (Metrorex) and the surface network of buses, trams and trolleybuses (STB) are separate ticketing systems. A metro fare does not cover an STB bus, and an STB ticket does not cover the metro. There are combined metropolitan passes if you will use both a lot.
Yes. From 1 May 2026 the single fare rose to around 7 lei (from ~5), the 24-hour pass to around 18 lei, and the monthly pass to around 140 lei. Treat these as a guide and confirm the live price with Metrorex, as tariffs can be adjusted again.
For buses, trams, day passes, and ticket strategies beyond the metro, use the transport overview guide.
