Astra Away
So, after a difficult tie against Birkirkara, West Ham march on into Europe and will face Romanian side FC Astra Giurgiu in the third round of qualifying for the Europa League. FC Astra Giurgiu play in the south of Romania, right on the border with Bulgaria. It will be a proper European adventure for travelling fans, and once again Read West Ham will look at flights, accommodation, travelling to the ground, things to do and places to eat and drink. Once again, I recommend researching flights and hotels before booking, but I hope to provide you with an idea of the best deals and places in Romania.
Flights/Travel
Firstly, the city of Giurgiu, where FC Astra play, doesn’t have an airport. So, a flight to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, will be necessary. However, don’t fret because this won’t be another Andorran experience like the first round vs FC Lusitanos when a three hour bus journey was required; only an hour and a half bus journey is required this time. You can also catch the train from Bucharest North Station.
Flight costs once again are expensive unfortunately, due to August being a peak time. The cheapest direct flight from Heathrow I could find leaves on Wednesday 5th of August at 19:05 and arrives in Bucharest at 00:15 on Thursday the 6th of August. The return flight leaves at 12:30 and arrives back in London at 16:05 on Friday 7th of August. This return flight costs £332. If you’re prepared to travel out of London then there are cheaper flights available from airports such as Luton.
Once you arrive in Bucharest you’ll need to take a bus or train. I would recommend a train leaving from Bucharest North Station, which from the airport you’ll have to get a taxi to. The train costs 12.25 Romanian Leu which is about £2. Buses leave every hour from Piața Eroii Revoluției, which is in the south of Bucharest.
Alternatively, you could drive the 1,502 miles yourself taking approximately 27 hours. Walking there would take 487 hours or 20 days, which means you would have had to set off on Saturday to have reached the ground in time (or if you’re Joey O’Brien you would have had to set off in January).
Accommodation
Giurgiu is a very picturesque city with the famous Danube River runs to the south of it and providing the border between Romania and Bulgaria. This means there are some nice places to stay during the visit. Again, we’ll narrow down three options for you. The closest to the stadium, the cheapest and the best rated. Let’s start with the best rated.
There aren’t too many highly rated hotels in Giurgiu itself, with the highest rated being 3.7 stars, however, if you cross the Friendship Bridge into the Bulgarian city Ruse Pyce, then there is a 4.3 star rated hotel called the Danube Plaza. The hotel also offers an acceptable price of £36 a night. The only problem is that it is a two and a half hour walk to the ground so a 30 minute taxi journey will be required if you stay here.
Next is the hotel closest to the stadium. The hotel is called Hotel Steaua Dunării and unfortunately it’s not the best quality, rated at only 2 stars. It is literally only around the corner from the ground, which is a bonus should you need to make a quick getaway after the match. It also provides great views of the Danube River as it is a tower block hotel. One night will cost £26.
The next option is the cheapest hotel. This is called Hotel Vlasca and costs £18 a night. An added bonus is that it only takes 18 minutes to walk to the ground from this hotel.
Travelling to the ground
Obviously how you travel to the ground depends on where you stay. Despite Giurgiu being the county capital city of Giurgiu County, the transport system seems to be lacking. There doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of bus stops so taxis may need to be used. Giurgiu isn’t the biggest city so wherever you stay, the ground is accessible on foot.
Things to do
Giurgiu is fairly small and therefore lacks things to do. The main attraction is the Friendship Bridge, built by the USSR during the Communist Era which connects Romania and Bulgaria. The bridge is 2.2km long and offers great views up and down the Danube. You could also try to get a boat ride on the Danube as there is a small port. Eastern Europe is currently in a heat wave, so temperatures could be as high as 38 degrees Celsius, meaning a walk around soaking up the sun could be on the cards.
Places to eat and drink
There are a number of good establishments to eat in Giurgiu with the best being called La Taverna; rated at 4 stars on TripAdvisor. It is best known for its excellently cheap pizza. The closest place to eat is technically a restaurant called Hanul Calugarenilor but this is still just about as far as other restaurants. There is no stand-out restaurant really close to the ground.
There are no pubs or bars listed on TripAdvisor for Giurgiu, so travelling fans may have to discover the nightlife for themselves. If in doubt, a drink from the bar in the Hotel Steaua Dunării just around the corner from the stadium would suffice as a pre-match drink.
