After visiting Romania six times I have picked up some survival tips along the way. I hope this advice helps anyone planning to travel to Bucharest (Romania)? After the initial shock of arriving in this new country and not knowing whether the natives are friendly, I started to discover some of the cities best kept secrets. These secrets have made my time here surprising, enjoyable, and unforgettable.

Firstly the things you need to know; Romania is in the Eastern European time zone (GMT +2hours). When you arrive in Bucharest do not catch a taxi on the side of the road always order on the phone or ask a receptionist/waiter to order for you, they will probably rip you off if you don't. Never keep your belongings in a place which is easily accessible, there are many pick-pockets here always be overly cautious!
You may see outside many major hotels Prostitutes and pimps looking for business! Do not solicit/involve yourself it's illegal they will steel your valuables and you will get no help from the police under these circumstances. It's best to phone an escort from your hotel (lots of agencies) if those are the services you require? The Casio's here are great for a night out they have fantastic service and exceptional food that easily compares to top restaurants.

The public transport can be chaos so try to avoid the rush hours between 8 and 10 in the morning and 4 to 6 in the afternoon, best time to travel is between 11am to 3pm or later after 8pm. When traveling on the underground metro or by bus/Tram you must always buy your ticket first before climbing on board. If you're traveling by car the speed limit is 50 km/h within urban areas, 90 km/h outside urban areas and 130 km/h on highways also if a road police officer stops you, by law you do not have to get out of car or show him any papers until he/she shows you his/her ID. As the driver always carry with you, driving license, car insurance details, car registration and your ID/passport.
If your are involved in a minor accident always call the police, if somebody runs their car into yours do not accept any money as settlement from them, people do this so the police don't get involved, (bribing people happens here it's normal).
The emergency phone number in Bucharest is 112 for police, ambulance or fire brigade and the standard phone area code is 021.

Bucharest (Paris of the east) can be a wonderful place to visit with many tourist attractions incorporating history with modern day life, just be careful, cautious and safe. Secondly, after surviving two world wars and 45 years of communism, the city has been slowly recovering itself to former glory. People here are still learning democracy, going through the painful process of learning to smile again, opening new offices and restaurants, continuing ancient traditions and discovering new trends. All are part of a "get healthy" process which I find makes this city more fascinating year after year.