Portsmouth to Arad (PSM–ARW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

US passport holders enter Romania visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen area. Romania joined the Schengen area in 2024 for air and sea borders (land border Schengen entry took effect in 2025). Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen area. At Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) in Bucharest, immigration stamps your passport.

The 90-day Schengen clock runs across all Schengen countries. Days spent in other Schengen states count toward the same 90-day limit. Romania is an EU member. Transylvania, the Carpathian Mountains, and the painted monasteries of Bucovina are the main draws outside Bucharest. CFR trains connect Bucharest to Brasov (2 hours 30 minutes), Sibiu (5 hours), and Cluj-Napoca (8 hours). Bucharest's Old Town (Lipscani district) has been restored into a walkable entertainment and dining quarter.

No nonstop flights connect the US to Romania as of early 2026. Route through Istanbul (about 1 hour 45 minutes to OTP on Turkish Airlines), Frankfurt (about 2 hours 30 minutes on Lufthansa), Vienna (about 1 hour 45 minutes on Austrian), or London (about 3 hours 30 minutes on Wizz Air or TAROM). Total travel time from the US East Coast runs 12 to 16 hours. Romania uses the Romanian leu (RON), trading at roughly 4.7 RON per $1. Card payments work widely in cities. Bucharest Express Bus 783 runs from OTP to the city center in 40 minutes for RON 3.50 ($0.75). Restaurant meals in Bucharest cost RON 40 to RON 80 ($8.50 to $17), making it one of Europe's most affordable capitals.