Bucharest Listings

Airport information Otopeni tel 01/230 0022; Baneasa tel 01/232 0020.

Tarom
Str. Brezoianu 10, tel: 313.42.95 / 315.27.47
Bookings for TAROM internal flights from Baneasa airport are handled at Str. Buzesti 61, just off Piata Victoriei (Mon-Fri 7am-7.30pm, Sat 7.30am-1.30pm; tel 01/659 4185); for international flights from Otopeni go to Str. Brezoianu 10 (Mon-Fri 8am-7.30pm, Sat 8am-noon; information 01/315 0499, reservations 01/315 2747)

Air France
B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 35,
tel: 312.00.85, fax: 312.23.95.

Air Ukraine
Str. Anastasie Simu 6,
tel./fax: 311.14.08.

Austrian Airlines
B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 7,
tel: 312.05.45 / 311.12.66 / 311.13.41, fax: 222.83.91.

British Airlines
B-dul Regina Elisabeta 3,
(P-ta Universitatii) tel: 303.22.22, fax: 303.22.11.

Jat ( Yugoslav Airlines )
B-dul Magheru 24, tel: 312.09.17.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
B-dul Magheru 41,
tel: 312.01.49 / 211.60.17, fax: 312.67.08.

Alitalia
str. Batistei 14

LOT
B-dul Magheru 41,
tel: 659.25.75, tel./fax: 210.87.40.

Lufthansa
B-dul Magheru 16-18, tel: 312.05.59, fax: 312.02.11.
Otopeni tel: 204.20.24, fax: 230.56.70.

Malev ( Hungarian Airlines )
Str. George Enescu 3, tel: 211.07.11 / 312.04.27, fax: 312.04.28.
Otopeni tel./fax: 312.19.36.

Aeroflot
Str. Biserica Amzei 29,
tel: 315.03.14 / 650.29.48, fax: 312.51.52.

Olympic Airways
Calea Victoriei 87-89, tel: 210.74.45 / 210.74.60 / 210.74.70.

Czech Airlines
Str. Batistei 3-5, tel: 315.32.05 / 311.09.86, fax: 312.08.84.

El Al ( Israel Airlines )
B-dul Dimitrie Cantemir 1, tel: 330.87.61.

Swisair
B-dul Magheru 18, tel. 312.02.38 / 312.02.39, fax: 312.02.40,
Otopeni: tel: 312.19.02 / 204.18.50, tel.fax: 230.59.42.

Emirates-GSA
Calea Mosilor 294, tel: 210.05.27, fax: 210.42.46

Turkish Airlines
B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 35A, tel: 311.24.10 / 311.32.10, fax: 311.29.20.

Banks and exchange

The National Bank of Romania (BNR)
Central monetary authority, responsible for monetary, foreign exchange, lending and payments policies, for bank licensing and prudential operation. Main location: 25, Lipscani st., 70421 Bucharest, Phone: +40-21-315.2750, Fax: +40-21-312.3831

CURRENCY : The national currency is the leu (plural lei). The divisions are: coins of 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 lei and bills of 2.000, 10.000, 50.000, 100.000 , 500.000 le and 1.000.000 leii.

ATM (Bancomat)
ATM machines are available at main banks and at airports and shopping centers. Do not expect to find ATMs in remote areas or villages.

Credit cards
Major credit cards including American Express, Mastercard and Visa are accepted in large hotels, car rental companies and stores in the main cities. However, credit cards are unlikely to prove useful in small towns or away from tourist areas.

credit card processing fees : 1% to 5%

Travelers' Checks
Preferably in US dollars or Euros, Travelers' Checks can be cashed in large banks, some hotels and selected exchange offices but most of them charge considerable commissions. Do not count on cashing such checks outside Bucharest and a few other major cities. For travel around the country it is a good idea to carry cash. Small stores and restaurants might accept U.S. Dollars and EURO in small denominations ( 1, 5, 10 and 20) but the exchange rate offered will not be the best. Street handicraft vendors prefer Romanian currency.

Exchange Offices
Changing money involves least hassle at the private exchange offices (casa de schimb valutar) found in most towns, or at ONT offices and major hotels; you'll need to show your passport, and as a rule no commission is charged. Queuing and piles of documents are the norm in any bank (banca), and they're usually only open for a few hours on weekday mornings anyway, usually 9am–noon. Avoid the sharks hanging around the tourist hotels and exchange counters, as the risks outweigh the slim gains

Bicycle repair

CICLO GENERAL SERVICE
Str. Tudor Stefan nr. 8, sector 1
Phone. 0722.284.913; 230.32.45
M–F: 10–18; Saturday: 10–14

MIHAI AS. PRODIMPEX
Str. D–na Oltea nr. 47, sector 2
E-mail: mihai.as@xnet.ro
Phone/Fax 610.37.34
NON-STOP 0744.237.494

Books and newspapers ( bookshop=Libraria )

Libraria "NOI" :B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 18/ Libris "NOI" : B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 18 /Humanitas :Calea Victoriei 45 & 120 /Galeria Halelor:str. Halelor 3/Libraria din Teatru :B-dul Magheru 20/Libraria Papirus :B-dul Magheru 27
The main English-language paper, Nine O'Clock , lists weekend events, theatre and opera on Fridays and is available free from major hotels and airline offices. Foreign newspapers and magazines are available from the more upmarket hotels, but the kiosk in the Intercontinental is the best.

ACR: head office at Str. Tache Ionescu 27 phone   021/315 5510, acr@acr.ro )
technical assistance centres at Calea Dorobantilor 85 (phone 021/211 3455) and Spl. Independentiei 204 (phone 021/638 7250).

Alo Curier :B-dul Decebal 11, bl. S14, et. 5, ap. 60,phone. (021)  326 57 57, 326 57 73
fax 326 57 72

UPS Express Center ; Calea 13 Septembrie 81-83 Block 77 AB PARTER Booking and inquiries Tel.: 40-1-410-06-04
Tel.: 0800-877877 (for Bucharest pick-ups only) Fax: 40-1-410-99-10

DHL :  Str. Emanoil Porumbaru 85-87 (tel 021/222 1771)

TNT : B-dul Magheru 16, block A, floor 4, apt 35 (tel 021/210 5050, fax 210 5900);

Embassies and consulates 

Emergencies Ambulance tel 961; police tel 955; fire service tel 981.

Football The most popular teams are the army team Steaua Bucuresti (B-dul Ghencea 35; tram #8 or #47, trolley bus #69), and the rail-workers' team Locomotiv-Rapid (Sos. Giulesti 18; Metro Cringasi). Less popular is Dinamo, once the Securitate team; the Dinamo stadium is at Sos. Stefan cel Mare 9 (Metro Stefan cel Mare).

Emergency Clinic Hospital
Calea Floreasca 8

Bio-Medica International
Str. Eminescu 42
Healthcare and  emergency service

Internet access Cyber Club, B-dul Carol I 25 (daily 10am-10pm; tel 021/310 3452, metrop@rdsnet.ro ); Flamingo, in the Bucharest Mall, Calea Vitan 55-59 (daily 10am-10pm; tel 01/327 5623, mall@flamingo.ro ); Internet Café, Calea Victoriei 136 (daily 24hr; tel 021/650 4214); PC Net, Calea Victoriei 25 (Mon-Sat 9am-10pm; tel 021/310 1635, floria@pcnet.ro ) and Calea Victoriei 136 (daily 9am-5pm; tel 021/315 5186); Sweet Internet Café, Str. Maria Rosetti 7-9 (daily 24hr; tel 01/212 4111, patty@kappa.ro ).

Laundry .

Compania Galbena  
Urgent dry cleaning : Open 07:30 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Calea Dorobantilor 151 (tel.021/ 231 51 50).

Nufarul  
tel 021/ 221 10 70 to have your clothes both collected and delivered to your front door (for an extra charge). Open 07:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.

Immaculate Cleaners : Str. Polona 113 (tel 021/211 4413)

Nuf Nuf: Calea Serban Voda 76-78 (tel 092/271 717; 24hr).

Pharmacies There is at least one 24-hr pharmacy in each sector of the city. Sensiblu have a number of pharmacies throughout the city including central outlets at Calea Dorobantilor 65, B-dul Titulescu 39-49 and Calea Victoriei 12A. In addition Farmadex have a 24hr pharmacy at Calea Mosilor.

Photography Film can be bought in most hotels. Kodak (at B-dul Magheru 8-10, and on the ground floor of the Unirea department store on Piata Unirii) and Fuji (at Piata Romana 9) can develop and print your snaps in an hour. If you need passport photos go to the photomat in the Piata Universitatii metro station

Police For most routine matters go to the most central police station, at B-dul Lascar Catargiu 20 (entrance on Str. Daniel; tel 021/659 2046).
Traffic accidents (with damage) should be dealt with at Str. Logofat Udriste (tel 01/323 3030).

Post office
The main post office is at Calea Victoriei 37 with poste restante hidden behind at Str. Matei Millo 10 (Mon-Fri 7.30am-7.30pm, Sat 7.30am-2pm). To receive mail here, make sure it is addressed c/o Officiul PTTR no. 1, Bucuresti.

Shopping Department stores: Unirea, Piata Unirii 1 (Mon 11am-8pm, Tues-Fri 7.30am-8.30pm, Sat 8am-2pm); Bucuresti Mall, Calea Vitan 55-59 (daily 10am-10pm); World Trade Plaza, B-dul Expozitiei 2 (daily 10am-7pm). For antiques, visit Craii de Curtea Veche, Str. Covaci 14 (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-3pm); for craftwork head out to the Village Museum; for Romanian music, try Muzica, Calea Victoriei 43 (Mon-Fri 9.30am-7.30pm, Sat 9.30am-2.30pm).

Sports facilities The Stadion National, entrances at B-dul Muncii 43 and Str. Major Coravu (hosting many different sporting events); Progresul, Str. Dr. Staicovici 42, just west of the Palace of Parliament (tennis); and Sala Floreasca/Pit Gym Club, Str. Aviator Popa Marin 2 (tennis, basketball, gym, ice skating). In the summer Strandul Tineretului, Aleea Strandului 1 (water sports, tennis).

Swimming pools Lucian Grigorescu Hall, Str. Aviator Popa Marin 2; also in the National and Dinamo stadia, as well as in hotels such as the Bucuresti, Hilton and Parc . You can also swim in lakes - Floreasca (Metro Aurel Vlaicu), Straulesti (western terminus of trolley bus #97) and Baneasa (bus #131 or #205). The students' swimming pool is at Strandul Tei, off B-dul Lacul Tei.

Train tickets Agentie CFR, Str. Domnita Anastasia 10 (Mon-Fri 7.30am-7.30pm, Sat 8am-noon; tel 01/313 2642) or Calea Grivitei 139 (Mon-Fri 7.30am-7.30pm, Sat 8am-noon; tel 01/650 7247); to be sure of a seat in summer, you should book at least one and preferably two days in advance. International tickets must be bought at Str. Domnita Anastasia 10 (tel 01/614 5528 or 311 0857), or two hours before departure at the Gara de Nord. You can also buy international tickets from Wasteels in the Gara de Nord (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8am-4pm; tel 01/222 7844, www.wasteelstravel.ro ); foreign currencies are accepted here.