Your First Week in Bucharest: The Erasmus Checklist

Here's exactly what to knock out in your first week so you can stop "settling in" and start actually enjoying Bucharest.

Day 1–2: The Essentials

• Get a local SIM card. Orange, Vodafone, Telekom, and Digi all have shops around the city center — prepaid plans are cheap and easy to set up with just your ID. Having Romanian data from day one makes literally everything else on this list easier.
• Download the essentials: Google Maps or Moovit (transport), Bolt (rides), WhatsApp (everyone here uses it — including your new flatmates and classmates).
• Locate your closest metro/tram stop and nearest supermarket. Five minutes of orientation now saves you a confused hour later.
• Do your first grocery run. Head to a Mega Image, Lidl, or Carrefour near you and stock up on basics — you don't need to plan a full pantry, just enough for the first few days.

Day 2–3: Getting Set Up Properly

• Get a transport card (Activ or Multiplu) or set up contactless payment on your bank card for the metro and buses. If you're commuting regularly, look into the monthly pass — it's genuinely cheap.
• You don't need a Romanian bank account. Your home country debit card or an app like Revolut/Wise works everywhere here, including contactless taps on public transport. One less errand to run.
• Register with your faculty's International/Erasmus office and get your student ID sorted — you'll need it for discounts, library access, and sometimes even bar/club deals.
• Check your class schedule and locate your actual buildings, not just the university name — Bucharest's universities often have multiple campuses spread across the city.

Day 3–5: Building Your Life Here

• Sort the shared basics with your flatmates: who's buying cleaning supplies, how you're splitting shared groceries, WiFi password on the fridge — small stuff that saves friction later.
• Find your ESN (Erasmus Student Network) chapter and join their WhatsApp/Instagram groups — this is genuinely the fastest way to meet other international students and hear about welcome events.
• Walk your neighborhood without a destination. Find "your" coffee shop, your closest park, the bakery you'll end up at more than you plan to.
• Save a few key spots in your maps app: your building, your campus, the nearest pharmacy, and a go-to café — future you will thank present you.

By the End of Week One

• You know how to get to class without checking your phone every five minutes.
• You've had at least one proper grocery run and one night out.
• You've met your flatmates properly (not just in passing) and at least a few other students.
• Your SIM, transport, and basic routine are sorted — the "logistics" part of Erasmus is done.

From here, it's just about actually living it.

Starting With Less to Figure Out

Half of this checklist exists because most students land without flatmates, without a sorted apartment, and without knowing anyone. ErasmusPass matches you into a shared apartment with flatmates before you even arrive — so week one is about making friends and exploring the city, not scrambling to find a place to live.