Up early to start on some hostel appointments. My first stop was negotiating the comprehensive metro and tram system to find the Lucky House Hostel which just opened earlier this year. A big, clean villa in an exclusive ex-communist Bucharest suburb – surrounded as most suburbs in Romania seem to be – by huge concrete blocks. Close to a selection of bar & restaurants and a large western-style large mall, the Lucky House has some of the cheapest beds in Bucharest. 40 beds in 5 rooms (including one large roof space they use for groups), most rooms have small terraces overlooking the communal front garden and BBQ area.

A longish cab ride away took me to Suter Inn Hotel where I was met by the very friendly Laura. A lovely place in a peaceful neighborhood – the 17 rooms are all double or twin ensuite, spacious and well decked out with TVs and fridges. Many rooms have large balconies or terraces with views over the capital. Bright, modern feel in an old building.

Around the corner is a 20 room basic hotel, the Kiwi Hostel – where everything is appropriately colored bright green….everything from the walls to the curtains to the phones! TVs, minibars and ensuite toilets ease the sensory pain, but beware the rooms on the top floor – in the eaves – which you have to bend over to get in to. There are no communal areas and free breakfast is included, but served in the rooms.

Back to the apartment to say hi to Radu, then on to Gare De Nord to catch the train to Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria. 7 and a half hours to do 150 miles…amazing!! The journey involves frequent stops and a very slow train…but amazingly the only direct way to get to the historic Bulgarian capital of Veliko Turnovo from Romania overland.

Final thoughts on Bucharest? “Not everything is as it seems” was a phrase I heard mentioned a few times in my time there…though I never did get to the bottom of how this might be the case…vaguely disconcerting, but not necessarily untrue. Bucharest and Romania definitely have much more to offer to those with time for more than the most fleeting of visits