10 Tips on How to Be a Good Tourist (in Bucharest and elsewhere)
1. We understand it’s easy to confuse Bucharest with Budapest, but don't continue confusing them WHILE you are here or even AFTER you left.
2. Treat our staff with respect, no matter if they are cleaning your toilet or making reservations for your dinner. Say “Hello!” or “Please” to them, preferably in the local language.(“Bună”, “Vă rog!”)
3. Treat our building with the same respect as you would treat an elderly woman: she is, in fact, 122 years old, and has survived earthquakes, wars, vandalism and negligence. Understand that, just like an elderly lady, she has her own quirks that you need to get used to, but her stories will always make your stay interesting.
4. Treat Bucharest with the same respect you would treat your home. Don’t throw garbage (including cigarette butts), don’t piss on the streets, and don’t wake up your neighbors with loud parties.
5. Don’t buy Heineken or Peroni. You are in Romania. Try one of the many local beers which are widely available at any convenience store (Ursus, Timișoreana, Stejar, etc.) or better yet, drink craft beers manufactured locally. We don’t care if you are from Spain, Italy or France: you should still try Romanian wine. If you really feel adventurous, try “țuică” or “palincă”. We offer a good selection of all of the above at very reasonable prices.
6. Don’t shop at the mall. I’m pretty sure you’ll find Zara, Adidas and Lego in pretty much every country. Buy the spectacular, manually-crafted “ie” (Romanian blouse) instead, or painted pottery from local artisans that you can actually use to serve dinner to your friends back home. Buy local art!
7. Yes, we have Starbucks, Pizza Hut and McDonalds. No, we don’t think that’s necessarily what makes Romania a civilized country.
8. If you are still asking us about the stray dogs in Bucharest, it means your travel guide is at least 6 years old. You’d better buy a new one!)
9. Bucharest is more than the Old Town. That’s just 0.2% of the city, and very few locals actually live or spend their time there. Experience how locals live by going to some of the very diverse residential neighborhoods in Bucharest (try Cotroceni, Militari, Primăverii or Rahova).
10. Don’t say we didn’t warn you: locals sometimes hate taxi drivers just as much as tourists hate them, often for the same reasons. For the best experience getting around the city, figure out our metro system (it’s clean, cheap and fast), walk, or use Uber.