Bran Castle is on the list for almost every person visiting Romania and Transylvania. Famous for its connection to Dracula (it has won the title of ‘Dracula’s Castle’), this castle attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. While you can visit Bran Castle by a day tour from Brasov or Bucharest or by your own rental car, one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to get to Bran Castle from Brasov is by bus. Read on to discover how to get to Bran Castle from Brasov.
Suggested read: The best spots to view Bran Castle.
How to get to Bran Castle from Brasov by bus
There is a public bus that leaves from Brasov to Bran from Autogara Bartolomeu (otherwise known as ‘Bus Station 2’). This bus station is on the Brasov Train Station side of town, so a bit out of the way from the main Brasov tourist area but is very easy to get to. You can find its location on Google Maps here.
How to get to the Brasov Bus Station Autogara 2
You can either get one of the local Brasov buses (information found here), an Uber (these are quite cheap in Romania – you can get an Uber estimate here) or walk to Autogara 2 Bus Station in Brasov. I love walking so I chose to walk from my accommodation in Brasov (I stayed at the ‘Secret Boutique Hostel‘ while in Brasov and highly recommend). The walk took about 35 minutes and was nothing special at all, just through the main streets of Brasov; however, it was easy and flat the whole way.
The Bus Station in Brasov – What you need to know
I could’ve missed my bus if I didn’t realise my mistake so wanting to share here just in case anyone else is like me. Out the front of the bus station in Brasov is a bus stop – however, this bus stop is for local buses and is not the bus stop for buses that will take you to Bran Castle from Brasov! I waited here for a little bit before spying other people entering the bus station and clocking I was at the wrong spot.
Once you’ve found the station though, it’s pretty obvious it’s a bus station -which made me feel a little silly that I had been standing out the front next to the local bus stop!
I arrived before the first bus to Bran Castle from Brasov for the day departed at 8am. I found that there were a few locals around, although, no one spoke English. With the help of my phone using Google Translate and a photo of Bran Castle though the locals were more than happy to confirm the bus I thought was heading to Bran at 8am was indeed heading to Bran at 8am. The bus is clearly labelled (but after making my error with the local bus stop I was erring on the side of caution)
Brasov to Bran Castle Ticket Prices
I visited Bran Castle in September 2022 and the first thing I want to stress about visiting Bran Castle from Brasov is that almost all the blogs I’d read on prices about how to get to Bran Castle from Brasov by bus were out of date. Inflation has hit the world hard (please hope that one day someone in the future is reading this and going oh yeah that was a time, glad it’s back to normal – please haha) and Romania is not immune to inflation. When I visited Bran Castle from Brasov bus tickets had increased quite a lot in price (however, if you’ve come from a Western country you will still consider it cheap). In September 2022, a one way bus ticket was 13 Lei. Please also note that my blog here may even be out of date and you may pay more when you visit.
Buy your bus ticket to Bran Castle from Brasov (and to Brasov from Bran Castle) directly from the bus driver in cash.
Brasov to Bran Castle Bus Times
Again, a lot of blogs I read online are out of date on bus times as well as prices (and even the bus directions on the official Bran Castle website are out of date). When I visited in September 2022 the bus from Brasov left to Bran every hour (not every half an hour as other blogs have said). I’m not sure if this is a temporary timetable after lockdown as tourists return but it seems like a permanent change. So you will need to plan your day around slightly further apart bus timetables.
When I visited the first bus to Bran Castle from Brasov left at 8am. This was great timing as the bus to Bran Castle from Brasov takes about 40 minutes. Bran Castle doesn’t open until 9am (Tuesday – Sunday, it opens at midday on Mondays) so you arrive with plenty of time to walk to the castle entrance.
Where you arrive in Bran
It is a good idea to have a working phone while in Romania as you can track where you are on the bus between Brasov and Bran to know when to get off. The bus will drop you off right in the centre of Bran, with visuals of Bran Castle. Just follow the road along until you come to the clearly marked Bran Castle entrance (there are also a lot of tourist market stalls to indicate you’re at the entrance, of course!). You can buy your tickets at the castle entrance or purchase them in advance online here.
The Returning Bus: Bran to Brasov
As mentioned above, a working phone is very helpful in Romania and I used Google Translate to ask the bus driver when the return bus times would be and to confirm the return bus stop location, which he kindly wrote down and pointed out where the bus would return to Brasov from.
I actually rejoined the bus to return to Brasov for the day at a different spot after walking slightly out of Bran in the direction of Brasov to find a viewpoint of the castle (suggested read: The best spots to view Bran Castle). I knew there was a bus stop near due to taking note on the way in as to where the bus stopped on the way in. While my 8am Tuesday bus to Bran Castle from Brasov was relatively empty, the returning Bran to Brasov bus at 1230pm was a lot busier, and there were people standing as we got closer to Brasov. The whole day ran very smoothly and getting a bus to Bran Castle from Brasov is definitely a cost-effective (and freeing – no tour itinerary and no tour crowds! Avoiding the main crowds and tour buses was a major plus of this method) way to visit Bran Castle.
Where to stay in Brasov
If you’re visiting Bran Castle from Brasov, it’s likely you’ll need accommodation. I stayed at one of the best hostels I’ve ever been to in Brasov: Secret Boutique Hostel. The place was spotless, welcoming and the hostel beds were double beds! An extra win. If you’re looking for more than a hostel, you can find a range of Brasov hotels here.
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