Bucharest on a Budget(ish): How We Turned a £698 Package Into a £512 Luxury Weekend
- Nothing Ventured
- 49 minutes ago
- 6 min read
If you read my Sofia blog (£60 Flights vs. £715 Reality: Is Sofia Worth the Travel Chaos?), you’ll know I learned a few… expensive lessons. So for Romania, I decided to do it properly. No spontaneous mouth dropping, deal-booking. No hidden “gotchas.” Just a great deal, organised well.
I actually started with an operator package that looked incredible:
London Heathrow → Bucharest
28th Nov – 1st Dec (3 nights)
5★ Grand Hotel Bucharest – Superior Twin, B&B
Wellness spa access
Old Town Treasure Hunt
Transfers + 4.5 hours at Therme Bucharest
Hotel only 1.5km from the centre
All for £466pp
Amazing, right? Until two days later when I went to book and it had jumped to £698pp.
No thanks.
So I built the trip myself… and upgraded everything (as you do!)
After some deep digging (and a slightly competitive streak activated), I put together the exact same package; plus return transfers, 23kg luggage each, business class return flights, and a room upgrade to the 16th floor with jaw-dropping city views thanks to the Hotels amazing team.
Total? £512.16pp.
Not to brag… actually no, I am bragging. I was VERY proud of that.
Everything ran smoother because it was all pre-organised, protected and planned. A refreshing change after Sofia!
Starting the Holiday Early – Heathrow Style
My travel companion had building work going on at home, so staying there pre-trip wasn’t an option. Cue Holiday Extras to the rescue: £140 total (£70pp) for an overnight stay, twin double beds with parking for the whole trip for one car, bargain! Parking alone can cost £60–£90, so this was perfect for us.
Second car? £9.50 per night. I even found unrestricted parking near the hotel. No clamp on return = small victory.
Transparency note: My affiliate code is: www.holidayextras.com/BH844 I may earn commission if you book through it.
We stayed at the Delta Marriott Heathrow, and honestly? Brilliant choice. Cosy rooms, warm staff, and clearly the home base for Emirates crew thanks to its close proximity to Terminal 3.
The best surprise? A £15pp add-on for breakfast and executive lounge access with snacks until 7:30pm and drinks until 9:30pm. Rum punch included and holiday mode activated.
The lounge was absolutely worth the extra £2 over the breakfast cost. And the prosecco in the bar? £7 = pretty standard Heathrow pricing.
Checked out, grabbed an Uber, and were at Terminal 3 with a little over three hours before take-off. Stress-free bliss. I would 100% do this again for the easier morning.
Airport Smoothness: A Love Letter to British Airways
Checked in online the day before = free seat selection (budget airlines could never).
A lovely BA rep told us we could skip the queues and go straight to bag drop.Bonus = more duty-free time.
Heathrow Terminal 3 has become a full-on shopping mall. We wandered, we browsed, we had bubbles to celebrate how smoothly everything was going. We boarded on time, ordered more prosecco, and settled in.
A slight delay thanks to passengers overloading the overhead lockers (you know the type), but BA handled them swiftly. Three hours later we landed with the smoothest touchdown I’ve ever had.
A lovely local gentleman (photobomber in the back of this pic) on the same flight, grabbed our luggage form the carousel for us (very handy, typically I had used my allowance for a 3 night stay!)
Our transfer driver texted instructions and a photo of where he’d be (10/10 organisation), greeted us with a sign, loaded our luggage, and walked us to our luxury Mercedes upgrade. Heated seats. Recliners. Individual screens. Divine.
Thank you @EliteSophisticab – what a welcome to Romania.
Grand Hotel Bucharest – 5★ Views, 5★ Location
Checked in with warm smiles and another upgrade, 16th floor city views. The room was huge, bright and clean. Slightly dated décor but spotless, comfortable, and complete with robes, slippers, and a pillow menu.
Top tip: Breakfast at 10am = chaos. Go early. Very early.
The buffet was plentiful, and a chef cooked omelettes to order. But by 10am, the other guests had ransacked it like a Black Friday sale.
The 22nd-floor spa has stunning views, tranquil pool, jacuzzi, lounging areas. Sadly, our itinerary was too packed to enjoy it properly (next time!).
The hotel’s location is perfect: Old Town, Palace of Parliament, Christmas markets, all within walking distance.
The Staff: Just simply lovely from a welcoming reception to the table service from the bar and daily cleaning crew, we are really thankful to them for their hospitality.
Night 1 – Nor Sky Casual Restaurant
We had reservations at Nor Sky Casual Restaurant and arrived late due to flight delays, just as the mist swallowed the city view. Didn’t matter. The chef stayed late to feed us, the interior was gorgeous, the cocktails flawless, and the food delicious and beautifully presented.
Wagyu burger, truffle ravioli, cocktails- around £35pp.
Taxi? 30 RON (£5).That’s Bucharest for you, affordable luxury everywhere.
Day 2 – Raincoats, Beer Halls & Caru’ cu Bere Magic
We stumbled into the breakfast chaos at 10am, armed with raincoats because Bucharest was misty and damp.
Treasure hunt? Abandoned. The warm shops distracted us.
Lunch at Caru’ cu Bere – BOOK THIS IN ADVANCE. It’s stunning: vaulted ceilings, stained glass, Christmas decorations, and racks for soggy coats.
This is the place for meat lovers. Portions are enormous. My veggie soup was lush, my friend’s pork platter defeated her, and the pavlova I tried “because why not?” was divine.
House beer excellent. House wine? Apparently, the best she’s ever tasted, she bought two bottles at the airport for £36 each (THAT good!)
A live quartet played Christmas songs under the grand tree, magical.Our entire feast (a starter, main and dessert, 3 beers, 2 wines): £35pp.
We wandered back into the rain, stopped in a fairy lit and heated dome on the street for mulled wine and cream filled pastries, then back to the hotel for prosecco and pizza. Good pizza. Dangerously good pizza.
Day 3 – Therme Bucharest & West Side Christmas Market
The transfer to Therme Bucharest was perfectly organised by @Mr.Tripp, clear communication, punctual, and friendly.
The spa? Wow… and also not wow.
It’s huge. Beautiful. Warm outdoor pools in 3°C mist = magical. But it’s not really a spa. It’s a giant Instagrammable lido with thousands of people and approximately 700,000 flipflops scattered everywhere.
Great experience, but not relaxing.
The smaller salt, lavender, and magnesium pools were calmer. Drinks at the swim-up bar were excellent. Cashless wristbands were convenient. Treatments being so public? Nope. Not for me.
Costs: £40 for two towels (to rent), flip-flops, and four cocktails.
Back in the city, we made our way to the West Side Christmas Market and WOW. Fairy lights covering every tree, handcrafted gifts, music, food, ice rink, magical vibes everywhere.
Chips, chocolate dough balls, hot Christmas punch: festive perfection.
Final Morning – Solo Exploring & National Holiday Calm
I got up early, enjoyed a peaceful breakfast, and grabbed an Uber to the Palace of Parliament (30 RON / £6). Gates were closed for the holiday, but the exterior alone was spectacular.
If you want to tour inside, pre-book via Viator (affiliate link: Viator: Travel Tours, Activities, and Things to Do | 2026).
I walked back via Old Town, stopping for a hot chocolate and people-watching. Bucharest really is beautiful, yes, there are rough patches, but every city has them. The people were genuinely welcoming, English is widely spoken, and I felt safe wandering alone.
Business Class Home – Worth Every Penny
The return transfer was punctual and smooth. Bucharest Airport was far better than Sofia, though check-in signage could be clearer.
Business class perks:
extra baggage + extra carry-on
lounge access
priority boarding
first off the plane
hot meal and unlimited drinks
Wi-Fi
more comfort overall
And honestly if the upgrade is a decent price, you can end up spending as much as the upgrade if you buy extra luggage, dinner, and drinks in economy.
Landing back in the UK, we refused the £120+ taxi outside the airport and instead grabbed an Uber from the Terminal 3 car park/ level 3/ Row A for £35 (including tip!). A hack I highly recommend.
Back to the Delta Marriott, into our cars, and home we went, tired, happy, and absolutely thrilled with the trip.
Was It Worth It? 100% Yes.
We paid around £47pp more than the original package offer and £125pp more than the DIY Sofia Trip, but in exchange we got:
business class
room upgrade
ATOL protection
seamless transfers
no surprise costs
no stress
Compared to the Sofia chaos? This was a dream.
Bucharest itself was charming, affordable, festive, friendly, and full of surprises. It didn’t wow me as much as Sofia’s architecture and history but I’d go back to see things we didn’t have the opportunity to visit on this trip.
If you'd like to talk about booking a trip like this, get in touch!
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