If you're thinking of visiting Bucharest and you're wondering how cautious you should be on its streets, we have good news: don't stress! Bucharest is not one of those cities where you should be on your guard at every step. However, it's good to be aware of the potential dangers you could face if you're often one of the unlucky ones: 

Safety in Bucharest. Crime

Strolling the streets of the capital shouldn't cause you too much anxiety, if you're thinking about your safety. It turns out that Bucharest ranks as the 29th safest city in Europe, according to a ranking by Numbeo¸ one of the world's most reputable portals analyzing the cost of living. Factors that were taken into account to determine how safe cities around the world were: the level of crime, the risk of being robbed, having your car stolen, being physically assaulted by people you don't know, being sworn at or attacked on racial, gender or religious grounds. 

However, we don't advise you to be so relaxed that you leave your backpack on a kerb and expect to find it still there when you remember it. As a precaution, however, we still recommend that you take care of your belongings, especially in crowded places: no phone in your back pocket and your backpack.... best carried in the front. 

Safety in Bucharest. Night walks

Walking alone at night is quite safe in most of Bucharest. Central areas are well-lit and police cars are often enough on the busy streets. 

Most neighborhoods are also safe.  We recommend, however, that you avoid suburban neighborhoods with a less good reputation, such as Ferentari or Rahova, and streets that are not well lit. 

Safety in Bucharest. Small scams 

Romanians are friendly people, ready to jump to your aid and answer questions if you need them. However, they're not so sociable that they'll approach you easily if you're a stranger. So if someone stops you by chance and seems to be taking longer than they should or asking you slightly awkward questions, think twice! Your reluctance could save your pocketbook.

Also, watch out for yellow taxis. In the past, they were notorious for frequent overcharging. We recommend using apps for UBER or Bolt! 

And one more thing: in restaurants, look twice at the bill. Occasionally, waiters will slip up and put extra items on the bill. 

Safety in Bucharest. Homeless people 

In some areas, even central ones, you'll see homeless people sleeping on the ground or sitting and waiting for money. In most cases, however, they are harmless. 

Safety in Bucharest. Traffic in Bucharest 

They say that if you can drive in Bucharest, you can drive in any city in the world (we'd say Istanbul is much worse, but let's stick to our opinion 😊). However, traffic in Bucharest is... bad! Extremely congested (especially during rush hours), with stressed out people who seem to be out hunting... Bucharest is to be avoided from a driving point of view. And on the downside, it's not easy by bike either, with tracks as frequent as snow in Portugal. We recommend public transportation, especially underground.
Safety in Bucharest. Ramps for the disabled

Well, if bike lanes are scarce, wait until you see the ramps for the disabled. Actually, there's not much to see, because unfortunately, in most places they're non-existent. 

All in all, although Bucharest isn't very friendly, in terms of comfort to visit, it doesn't put you at risk either. The important thing is to arm yourself with patience, plan your route as well as you can and... you'll enjoy some extremely pleasant sights with beautiful people. Oh, but don't forget the emergency number: 112! Hopefully you won't need it, but it's good to know that the rescue/police arrive pretty quickly, if it's.... 😊

Also recommended: How to avoid pickpockets on public transport in Bucharest