Cheap flights from London to Bucharest

October is the cheapest month for this route, so if your dates are flexible, start there. Summer is the busiest stretch, with school holidays pushing fares up at both ends of the route, and the winter holidays are the other peak. Midweek departures usually cost less than Friday and Sunday flights, when weekend trips fill up. Book a few weeks ahead for spring and autumn, and earlier for summer. If you are flying home for a holiday, the return leg is often the expensive half.

Low-cost carriers do most of the work here: Ryanair and Ryanair UK, Wizz Air, Wizz Air UK and Wizz Air Malta, Easyjet and Vueling Airlines all sell seats between London and Bucharest. FlyOne Romania and Animawings are the Romanian names in the mix, and Mokulele Flight Service appears on some connecting itineraries. Low-cost fares keep the headline price down but charge separately for checked bags, seat choice and airport extras, so the total can climb. Check whether your ticket is direct or a connection before you compare totals.

Bucharest's airport is Otopeni International, north of the city, and it takes the flights from London. It sits outside the centre, so plan for a road transfer rather than a walk into town. Buses, taxis and ride-hailing apps are the usual ways in, and the taxi rank outside arrivals is simplest with luggage. Watch for unofficial drivers approaching you inside the terminal, and agree the fare or book through an app before you get in. On the London side, the city has five airports, London City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted, and they sit far apart, so check which one your ticket uses.

Currency

RON (rumen leu)

Power sockets

Type C, F · 230 V

Language

Romanian

Emergency number

112

Driving side

right

Calling code

+40

Internet domain

.ro

EU / Schengen

EU member, Schengen area

Population of Bucharest

1.7 M (2021)

Time zone

UTC+02 (Europe/Bucharest)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your fare leaves from, because the five are far apart.
• Confirm what your low-cost ticket includes for cabin and checked baggage before you add extras.
• If your trip is stitched from separate tickets, leave a generous gap in case the first leg is late.
• Carry a valid passport or an accepted national identity card and check the entry rules for your nationality.
• Compare October fares first, since that month is usually the cheapest on this route.
• Book early for summer and the winter holidays, when seats go fastest.