Otopeni Airport Taxi to Bucharest City Center
Official licensed taxis, ordered from kiosks inside the arrivals terminal. Every car accepts card payment. Average wait: 4 minutes.
Travelers rate the airport ordering kiosk 5.0 on Google. Meridian Taxi and Cristaxi have served Bucharest for over 25 years. 400 of our cars serve Henri Coandă (Otopeni) Airport around the clock, dispatched through the official ordering kiosks: no negotiating, no surprises, metered fares at the city-regulated tariff. Every ride is registered with the dispatcher, so the car assigned to you is logged and traceable.
How much does a taxi from Otopeni Airport cost?
| Destination | Estimated fare |
|---|---|
| Old Town (Lipscani) | ~65 lei (~13 €) |
| City center (Piața Universității / Unirii) | ~61 lei (~12 €) |
| Gara de Nord (main railway station) | ~55 lei (~11 €) |
| Therme București | ~35 lei (~7 €) |
| JW Marriott (13 Septembrie) | ~74 lei (~15 €) |
Fares are metered: Meridian Taxi 2.59–3.19 lei/km, Cristaxi 2.69–2.89 lei/km (exact rate shown on the kiosk screen and on the car). Estimates assume normal traffic; the meter shows the exact fare. You can also get a cost estimate in the mobile app before you ride.
Same tariff, rain or shine
A licensed taxi is metered at the same city-regulated tariff at every hour, in any weather. The ride to the center costs 61–65 lei on a sunny Tuesday morning and 61–65 lei in a Friday-evening storm.
Ride-hailing apps work differently: prices are dynamic, and the upfront quote rises sharply when demand spikes. In Bucharest that happens with every heavy summer downpour, exactly when everyone is ordering a car at once.
How to order a taxi at the airport
- 1
Find the kiosks in the Arrivals terminal — exit baggage claim, then follow the arrivals hall wall past the flight-information boards. The kiosks stand under the yellow "Official Taxi Order" sign (see the video below).
- 2
Select your service at the kiosk. It prints a slip with your order number and your car's details, and the driver already knows your destination. (If the printer happens to be out of paper, the same details appear on screen: just take a photo.)
- 3
Meet your car at the taxi pickup point, follow the TAXI floor markings. Your slip tells you exactly which car is yours. Average wait: 4 minutes.
Payment
Every car serving the airport accepts both cash and card — all contactless cards, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. No need to find an ATM after landing.
Journey time: taxis ride the bus lanes
Bucharest traffic is heavy at almost any hour. Licensed taxis are allowed to use the dedicated bus lanes ("banda"); ride-hailing cars are not. In dense traffic that is often the difference between moving and standing still.
Count on about 25 minutes to the center off-peak, up to 40 minutes in rush hour (roughly 7-10 AM and 4-7 PM on weekdays). Our drivers cover this route many times a day and know the city street by street, so you get the fastest way through, not the GPS default.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to take a taxi from Bucharest airport?
Yes, when ordered through the official kiosks or the app. Kiosk-dispatched cars are licensed, metered at the regulated tariff, and identified by the car number on your printed slip. Every ride is registered with the dispatcher. Avoid unsolicited offers from individuals inside the terminal.
Can I pay by card?
Yes. Every Meridian/Cristaxi car serving the airport has a POS terminal and accepts all contactless cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, as well as cash.
Is there a fixed price to the city center?
Fares are metered, not fixed, at the city-regulated tariff (Meridian 2.59–3.19, Cristaxi 2.69–2.89 lei/km). A typical fare to the center is 61–65 lei; the app shows an estimate before you order.
Isn't Uber or Bolt easier?
Not at the moment. With the terminal under reconstruction, ride-hailing pickup points are outside the building and can be genuinely hard to find. The taxi kiosks are inside the arrivals hall, minutes from baggage claim. Licensed taxis may also use Bucharest's bus lanes, which ride-hailing cars may not, and the taxi tariff doesn't surge when it rains or when demand peaks.
How long will I wait for a car?
On average 4 minutes after ordering at the kiosk; 400 cars serve the airport.
Do drivers speak English?
The kiosk and app work in English, and your destination is transmitted to the driver automatically, so no conversation is required to get where you're going.
Order a taxi now
At the airport: the kiosk in arrivals. In the city: the Meridian app or online ordering.
Scan to download the Meridian app
Phone dispatch (Romanian): +40 21 9444 · contact@meridiantaxi.ro