London to Bucharest flights

London to Bucharest flights leave mostly from Stansted and Luton, the busiest departure points, and Heathrow and Gatwick serve the route too. The average flight time is about 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Wizz Air and Ryanair run most of the services from Stansted and Luton, and their no-frills fares often offer the best value for the Romanian capital. Cheap flights start at £20, based on purchases made on eDreams in recent days.

Flights to Bucharest leave from four London airports, each with its own rail link:

• Heathrow (LHR): Heathrow Express from Paddington; free trains and the Underground link the terminals
• Gatwick (LGW): Gatwick Express from Victoria; an automated monorail links the North and South terminals
• Stansted: direct trains from Liverpool Street to a single terminal building
• Luton: trains to Luton Airport Parkway, then the Luton DART to the terminal

Flights land at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP), about 10 miles from the city centre. The quickest transfer is the direct train from the airport station, which runs every 40 minutes to Gara de Nord railway station.

The 100 Express bus (formerly the 783) leaves from outside arrivals and runs directly to Piața Unirii in the heart of Bucharest. The 780 Express bus goes to the main train station.

Private hire vehicles wait at designated pick-up points. By car, the route follows the DN1 national road, though journey times depend on Bucharest's heavy traffic.

Bucharest, once known as the 'Paris of the East', is a city of contrasts, from the Belle Époque buildings of the Lipscani district to the massive Palace of Parliament.

Explore the cobbled streets of the Old Town to see the bust of Vlad the Impaler, or visit the Romanian Athenaeum, the city's leading concert hall.

For a quieter moment, stroll through the historic Cișmigiu Park. The former Communist Party headquarters on Revolution Square tells the story of the city's 20th-century history.