Prahova County · Romania
Ploiești travel guide
Ploiești is a city in Prahova County, Romania, home to about 181,000 people.
- Best months
- April to June, September and October
- Nearest airport
- OTP42 km · Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport
- Currency
- RONRomanian leu
- Time zone
- Europe/Bucharest
- Language
- Romanian
About
About Ploiești
Ploiești traces its formal founding to 1596, when Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, is said to have established it as a market town, though the area had been inhabited for centuries before. Its rise coincided with the decline of nearby Târgșor, once one of the most important cities in Wallachia, now a small village barely 13 km away from Ploiesti. As Târgșor’s trade and influence faded in the late 16th and 17th centuries, merchants and craftsmen gravitated to the growing market in Ploiești, drawn by its position on the crossroads linking Bucharest with Moldavia and Transylvania.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Ploiești
See
Ploiești’s historic architecture suffered heavily during the 1943 U.S. bombing raids and in the following decades under Communist rule, which replaced much of the old city with the stark concrete brutalist buildings typical of southern Romania. Quite a bit of the surviving old buildings lay abandoned in a poor state or have been improperly refurbished, not taking the historical design into account. Still, a number of gems remain that reveal the city’s layered past.
- Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
- Statue of Liberty
- Central Market Halls
- Palace of Culture
- The Grand Synagogue
- Radu Stanian House
- Independence Boulevard
- The Philharmonic hall
- The Clock Museum
- Oil Museum
- Merchant’s House Museum
- Ploiești Art Museum
Do
- Obor Market (Weekends Only)
- Bucov Park
- The Hippodrome
- FC Petrolul Football match
- Airsoft
- TRQZ Lake
- Timiș Estate Wellness & Spa Resort
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Ploiești
2 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Han, ulterior locuință | 0.7 km | |
| Hanul Roșu (ruină) | 21.4 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Ploiești
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Ploiești are April to June, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; June is the wettest, with about 76 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Ploiești: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP), about 42 km from the city centre in a straight line; Bucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (BBU, 49 km) and Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (GHV, 94 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Ploieşti is served by the same airport as Bucharest, the Henri Coandă International Airport that is 45 km away. There is a rail line connecting the airport with the main train station of Bucharest where you can easily hop on a train to Ploiești at any time before 22:30 (€3-5). Taxis/Uber/Bolt can also make the journey from the airport to Ploiești but at a significantly higher cost (€25 to €40).
Getting around
Ploiești is quite compact and easy to explore on foot, especially in the central area where most attractions are. The city’s public transport network, operated by Transport Călători Express Ploiești (TCE), covers all districts with 38 bus routes, 4 trolleybus lines, and 2 tram lines. Public transport navigation is available on Google Maps, though be aware that timetable timings are often unreliable and some routes run less frequently than expected. Single fares cost 2.5 lei and can be paid directly with a contactless bank card on board.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
OTP · Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport
BBU · Bucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport
GHV · Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Ploiești
Eat
Many restaurants are dotted around the city center as well as the northern strip right before exiting the city towards Ploiesti Shopping City. There is variety in food choices, with quite a few sushi, Greek, Italian, and Turkish places, alongside the typical Romanian.
Drink
There are a few good bars and beer gardens in the city. Nightlife is limited to bars rather than clubs.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Ploiești: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ploiești?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Ploiești are April to June, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; June is the wettest, with about 76 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Ploiești?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP), about 42 km from the city centre in a straight line; Bucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (BBU, 49 km) and Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (GHV, 94 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Ploiești?
Romanian leu (RON).
Nearby
Destinations near Ploiești
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.