Practical note

Dear participants,

Please find below a few recommendations and useful details to help you prepare your journey to Bucharest and things to do while you are there:

Country Name: Romania

Capital: Bucharest (Bucuresti)

Official Language: Romanian (Latin-origin language)

Location: Romania is located in Central - Southeastern Europe. Bucharest is situated in South-Eastern Romania.

Time Zone: GMT + 2

Climate: Temperate, four distinct seasons, usually warm in September, possible shower rain.

Temperatures: Expected temperatures during the EUPRERA Congress are around 23 degrees Celsius by day, 10 degrees Celsius by night.

Currency: Romanian Leu (RON).

Exchange rate:

Cash payments in Romania can only be made in RON (lei), except for some hotels.

Romania has an official exchange rate published daily by the National Bank only as a reference (please go to http://www.bnr.ro/Home.aspx ), but you will find different EUR/RON or USD/RON rates at the exchange houses and bank offices, the most advantageous rate is the closest to the official one.

You should use exchange houses that have 0% commission and ask for a receipt (passport may be required). Bank offices exchange currency for a certain commission. DO NOT exchange money with people in the street.

We recommend that you don’t exchange money at the airport, it may come expensive.

On your arrival at the airport:

After collecting your luggage, you should exit the Arrivals, go down and over the parking, in order to get a taxi. When you choose the taxi, make sure it belongs to a trusted company, such as: Meridian, National, Speed, Confort, CrisTaxi, Cobalcescu, Mondial or Leone. Other companies may be more expensive. You should avoid taxis that don’t belong to a company or practice too high or too low prices. A reasonable price per kilometer is around 0,4-0,5 EUR/km (1,6-1,9 RON/km) and you can see it written on the car door. The average value of a ride from the airport to the city center, where the partner hotels are located, is around 20 EUR.

In case the taxi driver doesn’t speak English: simply carry this practical note in your pocket so that you can indicate the place and address you are going to. Tell him “no radio, please” or “no cigarette, please” if you are bothered by the music or smoke in the car (the words are very similar to Romanian).

Other means of transportation from the airport can be the bus no.783, which takes you to the city centre.

General precautions:

Bucharest is a safe place to be, as there is no risk of terrorist attacks or other turmoil. Still, a reasonable degree of usual precaution is advised.

You shouldn’t carry large amounts of cash and you should avoid keeping it all in one place or counting it in public places. When traveling by public transportation, don’t be distracted.

DO NOT give money or goods to baggers, no matter what their age or appearance may be. If they become persistent, simply wave a “no” sign with your hand and walk away.

DO NOT accept objects or post cards offered to you by people in the street, DO NOT buy things from other places than shops or kiosks.

Although the current water supply is drinkable, it may contain a high concentration of chlorine, therefore you should drink only bottled water.

Street indicators, unfortunately, are not in English, so it is recommended that you have a map (either use the one in this note, request a map at your hotel or ask for the organisers’ help).

How to contact the organisers:

Conf.univ. Adela Rogojinaru, PhD, local coordinator EUPRERA Congress 2009, Head of the CPR Chair - Faculty of Letters – University of Bucharest
GSM: 004-0733.734.983, tel./fax: 004-021-314.61.77
e-mail: adelarogojinaru@yahoo.com

Gabriela Hagiu, Logistic Manager EUPRERA Congress 2009, associate consultant at the CPR Chair - Faculty of Letters – University of Bucharest
GSM: 004-0744.973.196
gabihagiu@yahoo.com

How to contact partner hotels:

Event locations:

September 23rd

The National Anniversary of the Chair of Communication & PR within the Faculty of Letters – University of Bucharest, the oldest specialized division in Romania. Open to international guests.
Location: no.5-7 Edgar Quinet Street, Faculty of Letters – University of Bucharest

September 24th - 26th

The EUPRERA Congress 2009
Location: Central University Library (BCU), no.88 Calea Victoriei.

Social dinner locations:

September 23rd

Anniversary dinner (open to international guests who attend the national event):
Location: Excalibur 2 “Locul Cavalerilor” Restaurant, no.39 Academiei Street.
Easy to reach from Calea Victoriei (Ramada Majestic Hotel) or the Faculty of Letters. From other partner hotels, there is a short ride by taxi.
www.loculcavalerilor.ro

September 24th

Buffet dinner.
Location: Marble Lobby - Faculty of Letters – University of Bucharest, no.5-7 Edgar Quinet Street.
Easy to reach from Calea Victoriei, 3 minutes’ walking distance from the congress location.

September 25th

Gala dinner.
Location: “Caru’ cu bere” Restaurant, founded in 1879, no.3-5 Stavropoleos Street, crossroad with Calea Victoriei, in Bucharest’s old city center. A nice 10 minutes’ walking distance from the congress location.
www.carucubere.ro

City tour:

Participants who will attend the city tour on September 26th will meet the organisers and guides in front of the Central University Library at 14.30 hrs.

They will be picked up by b uses and they will first visit the Parliament Palace, the world’s second largest building after the Pentagon, and then go about the most representative areas of Bucharest.

Please make sure to be on time at the meeting point, as the schedule of the Parliament Palace is very strict.

Places to see & cultural events:

• This September 20th is a historic moment for Bucharest: the 550th anniversary since the city was first mentioned in an official written source, in 1459, by Prince Vlad Tepes (The Impaler). Still, Bucharest became a capital city two centuries later, in 1659.

• On this occasion, you can visit the stamps exhibition “Vlad Basarab Tepes – History and legend”, by September 25th at Bucharest’s History Museum, located right across the street from the University. As well, on the museum fence, you will see photos of the old inter-bellum Bucharest.

• The Congress date coincides with the last days of the largest cultural event in Romania, the International Classical Music Festival “George Enescu” (for tickets, please go to www.festivalenescu.ro ). This year’s edition gathers over 200 of the world’s greatest musicians and orchestras in some tens of concerts, for the whole month.

• Calea Victoriei, the road on which the Congress location is situated, is not an accidental choice of the local organisers. You can take a nice walk on this road, which is almost as old as Bucharest itself. It is 2,7 km long, from Piata Victoriei (the Government building) to Piata Natiunile Unite (Dambovita river). It gathers several of the most representative buildings, institutions and museums. Follow the links below to learn more interesting things about these great landmarks of the local cultural and social life:

  • George Enescu Museum

  • Museum of Art Collections

  • The Athénée Palace Hotel, now a Hilton

  • Romanian Athenaeum

  • National Museum of Art of Romania / www.mnar.arts.ro/EN_home.php

  • Kretzulescu Church

  • Piaţa Revoluţiei (Revolution Square), including the Memorial of Rebirth

  • Palatul Telefoanelor

  • Odeon Theatre

  • Casa Capşa

  • National Military Centre

  • Macca-Vilacrosse Passage

  • Bucharest Financial Plaza

  • National Museum of History of Romania

  • Casa de Economii şi Consemnaţiuni (CEC building)

• Cafés and bars are numerous in the city centre. Right across the street from the University, behind the 4 statues, you can have a coffee specialty or a drink at the Coffee Store, Gio Café or Turabo Café.

• On the other side of the University Square, between the Intercontinental Hotel and National Theatre, you can experience the delicious pizza, salads and cocktails at the Actors’ Café.

• From the University Square, going on the Regina Elisabeta Boulevard (up to the crossroad with Calea Plevnei), you can see other old buildings, including the City Hall on the left and the oldest park in Bucharest, the Cismigiu Garden, on the right. Further on, you reach the University head office (Faculty of Law, Academica Hotel) and then the Opera House.

Shopping:

Shops are open 10.00 to 18.00/19.00. Malls are open till 20.00 or even later.

If you go from the University to Piata Unirii on I.C.Bratianu Boulevard, you reach the big Unirea Shopping Centre where you can find a wide range of products, from cosmetics to carpets, clothes, IT, personalized gifts, sports items.

Chemist’s shops (drug stores) are also numerous, so you won’t have to go very far to find one. The most work Mon - Fri 08.00 to 20.00, Sat 08.00–13.00 and may be closed on Sundays, but you can also find non-stop ones. They may be independent or belong to chains (Sensiblu, Dona, HelpNet, Centrofarm etc).

Want to know more about Romania and Bucharest?
Some “fast facts” are presented separately.

Map legend

1. Academica Hotel;

2. University Rectorate (Law Faculty);

3. Faculty of Letters - University of Bucharest (national event location);

4. Central University Library (EUPRERA Congress location);

5. Ramada Majestic Hotel;

6. Siqua Hotel;

7. Minerva Hotel;

8. Excalibur 2 Restaurant;

9. Caru cu Bere Restaurant;

10. Parliament Palace;

11. Bucharest History Museum;

12. National Theatre;

13. City Hall; 14. Cismigiu Garden;

15. Opera House;

16. Unirea Sopping Centre